Business Operations Associate

Periodic Labs•Menlo Park, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Periodic Labs is rapidly expanding, and the Business Operations Associate will be central to scaling the company's systems, decisions, and operations. This role involves working closely with founders and senior leadership on strategy, planning, finance, and operations. It is suited for an individual with high agency, a fast learning pace, and genuine intellectual curiosity, particularly those with a background in physics or quantitative science due to the required mindset of comfort with ambiguity, rigorous first-principles thinking, and the ability to model complex systems. The associate will gain significant ownership early on and be involved in building a company at the forefront of AI and physical science.

Requirements

A degree in physics, mathematics, engineering, or another rigorous quantitative discipline from a top university — or an equivalent track record that demonstrates the same caliber of thinking
7+ years of experience in a high-velocity environment: a startup, investment firm, consulting practice, research lab, or similarly demanding setting
Exceptional analytical ability — you can build a model, stress-test an assumption, and communicate the answer clearly in the same afternoon
Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; you write with clarity and economy and can synthesize complexity into something leadership can act on
High agency and a bias toward action — you identify what needs to happen, pick up the context you need, and get it done without waiting to be asked twice
Comfort with ambiguity and a track record of creating structure where little exists
Genuine curiosity about science, technology, and the mission of Periodic Labs — you don’t need a PhD, but intellectual range matters
Impeccable discretion and professionalism when working with sensitive information at the executive level

Nice To Haves

A physics, chemistry, or materials science background with research experience — you understand how scientific organizations think and operate
Prior experience in management consulting, investment banking, venture capital, or a high-growth startup in an analytical or operational role
Experience building financial models, running quantitative analyses, or supporting strategic planning processes
Exposure to AI, deep tech, or research-driven companies and familiarity with the rhythms of a technical team
Demonstrated ability to move from 0 to 1 on a project — you’ve built something from scratch and seen it through

Responsibilities

Partner directly with founders and senior leaders on strategic planning, operational priorities, and high-stakes decisions — context-switching across the full breadth of the company’s needs
Own and manage critical cross-functional projects end-to-end, from scoping through execution and retrospective, often operating with a high degree of ambiguity and no prior template
Build frameworks, models, and analyses that drive company decisions — headcount planning, resource allocation, OKR tracking, vendor assessments, and more
Support the operating cadence of the company: leadership meetings, board prep, offsites, and key internal communications
Identify process gaps and inefficiencies across the organization and design lightweight systems to address them — acting as an internal consultant and operator simultaneously
Support finance and business operations: budgeting, vendor contracts, spend tracking, and coordination with legal and finance partners
Assist in preparing external materials — investor updates, partnership decks, and strategic narratives — with precision and polish
Take on ad hoc research and analysis across scientific, market, or operational topics, synthesizing findings into clear recommendations for leadership