Strategic Projects Lead || Palo Alto, California

Role: Strategic Projects Lead  Location: Palo Alto, California Our client, a fast-growing AI consumer startup backed by $27M from General Catalyst and top-tier angels, is hiring a Strategic Projects Lead to own and drive operational projects end-to-end. This is the first dedicated ops hire — you'll work directly with the founders to bring structure and leverage to a company scaling by orders of magnitude. What you'll do Own internal operational projects from start to finish — hiring pipelines, product launches, process buildouts, and more Audit existing processes and design workflows that lift company-wide productivity and efficiency Consolidate operational work currently spread across founders and team members into a coherent, scalable system Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, design, and growth teams, regardless of your functional background Proactively identify gaps and propose new projects — high agency and self-direction are essential Requirements 1–3 years at a bulge-bracket investment bank (Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, etc.) or MBB consulting firm (McKinsey, Bain, BCG) Degree from a top-tier U.S. university (Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Ivy League, or equivalent) Track record of owning end-to-end operational projects in a professional setting High agency and bias to action — you initiate work rather than wait for it to be assigned Nice to have Early-stage startup experience post-IB/consulting Entrepreneurial signal: founded a company or led student organizations SQL, Tableau, or data analytics fluency