Business Operations Manager

NODA AI•Austin, TX

49d•Hybrid

About The Position

NODA AI is a veteran-owned, venture-backed technology company transforming how unmanned systems collaborate in complex, mission-critical environments. We develop agentic AI and autonomy software that enables the collaborative orchestration of heterogeneous unmanned systems across air, sea, land, and subsurface domains, with vital applications in defense, intelligence, and commercial operations. Our Business Operations team builds the organizational infrastructure that lets NODA scale efficiently, supporting our people, finances, missions, and corporate systems as we transition from prototype to production and field delivery. Joining NODA means being part of a fast-paced team building technology that matters, where initiative, accountability, and collaboration drive impact every day. We are seeking a Business Operations Manager (or Associate) to work directly with the VP of Operations on both day-to-day execution and long-term systems building across HR, finance, Business Development, field logistics, and corporate operations. This role is ideal for a high-initiative generalist who enjoys wearing many hats and creating structure from ambiguity. The successful candidate will drive process discipline through activities such as budget tracking, onboarding, vendor management, and mission planning, act as an execution partner for the VP of Operations by translating strategy into actionable plans and coordinate cross-functional activities to ensure alignment between Product, Engineering, and Field teams.

Requirements

U.S. Citizenship with the ability to obtain a clearance.
Bachelor’s degree in business, operations, or a related field (advanced degree preferred for Manager level).
3 – 5 years of experience in operations, program management, or administrative management (startup or GovCon environment a plus).
Strong organizational and project management skills with attention to detail.
Proficiency in Excel/PowerPoint and comfort with modern ops tools (e.g., QuickBooks, Justworks, Jira/Confluence).
Excellent communication skills and the ability to multitask across functions.
Resourceful, hands-on operator comfortable with ambiguity.
High ownership mindset and attention to detail.
Strong interpersonal skills and service-oriented approach.
Systems thinker who can build processes that scale with the company.
Passion for mission-driven technology and national security impact.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a defense tech, aerospace, or dual-use startup environment.
Familiarity with SBIR/OTA contracting and basic financial reporting concepts.
Exposure to CMMC, NIST, or other GovCon compliance frameworks.
Demonstrated experience coordinating field deployments or multi-stakeholder projects.

Responsibilities

Manage employee onboarding, offboarding, and records through Justworks or similar platforms.
Coordinate with external recruiters and internal hiring managers to move candidates through the pipeline.
Maintain HR compliance files, benefit enrollments, and company handbooks.
Track budgets, expenses, and invoices in coordination with Finance and Accounting.
Manage vendor payments, purchase orders, and reimbursements.
Support monthly close activities and assist with board or investor reporting.
Coordinate travel logistics, equipment shipping, and site readiness for field demonstrations.
Maintain deployment checklists, asset inventories, and insurance documentation.
Serve as operations liaison between headquarters and field teams during testing and events.
Oversee office and facility management tasks (e.g., supply chain support, maintenance scheduling).
Interface with vendors for insurance, legal, and IT services.
Maintain compliance trackers for CMMC/NIST readiness and company certifications.
Implement and optimize tools for task management and data tracking (Airtable, Notion, Asana).
Document and standardize SOPs for repeatable operations across teams.
Drive continuous improvement projects that increase efficiency and reduce bottlenecks.