Operations Lead

Industrial AI scale-up|Zurich, Switzerland|Fully onsite|Path to COO

Our Client is one of Switzerland’s fastest-moving deep-tech companies. Born out of world-class research at a leading Swiss university, they have built a physics-grounded AI "world model” for manufacturing: a single foundation model that predicts what happens next on the factory floor, from machine failures and quality issues to energy use and robotic tasks.

In under a year, the technology has gone live with Fortune 500 manufacturers, earned partnerships with some of the world’s leading technology companies and attracted strong investor backing. The team is growing quickly, and they need someone to make sure speed never turns into chaos.

The opportunity

As Operations Lead, you will be the CEO’s right hand and the operating system of the company. You will take everything operational off the team’s plate, spot problems before they surface, and close them before anyone else notices. Do it well, and you grow into the COO role.

What you will do

• Run administration, procurement, expense control, contracts and insurance, getting the best value on hardware, robots and licences

• Coordinate external stakeholders on live projects: industrial partners, research institutions, suppliers and robot deliveries

• Own onboarding, offboarding, team events and the rituals that keep a high-performing team energised

• Build lean, agile processes and automate what repeats (n8n, Zapier, Power Automate or similar)

• Manage the founders’ time and priorities, and handle confidential information with complete discretion

What you will bring

• 1–4 years in a demanding operational environment, in any sector: startups, aviation, logistics, events, luxury hospitality, consulting or as right hand to a founder or principal

• A zero-defect mindset: every document, spreadsheet, number and deadline right the first time

• Strong Microsoft 365 skills; familiarity with automation tools and basic Python is a plus

• Calm under pressure, a talent for reading people, and the confidence to challenge founders directly

• Professional-level English; German is a plus

Essential requirements

• Swiss Natonality or EU/EFTA passport

• Based in, or willing to relocate to, Zurich (fully onsite)

Why join

A rare seat beside the founders of a company with genuine global ambition, real ownership from day one, and a clear path to COO as the business scales.

Contact

Peter Wharton
Antal International, Geneva
pwharton@antal.com