8.1. Chief of Staff - Operations

Phoenix Tailings•Burlington, MA

About The Position

Phoenix Tailings is looking for a Chief of Staff - Operations to own critical programs across the Operations organization and build the program management infrastructure Phoenix needs to scale. As Phoenix Tailings grows from an early-stage technology company into a world class critical metals producer, the complexity of our government awards, commercial programs, supply chain, procurement, compliance, and company-wide operational initiatives is increasing rapidly. This role will turn those commitments into clear, executable programs by establishing the schedules, ownership, operating cadences, program controls, reporting structures, and accountability mechanisms needed to keep complex initiatives moving forward. You will directly own high-priority programs while also helping build the systems Phoenix uses to execute across the COO organization. We are looking for someone who can bring structure to ambiguity without slowing the organization down. You should be comfortable translating broad objectives into workstreams, milestones, dependencies, decisions, and measurable outcomes, while driving accountability across senior stakeholders and multiple functions. This is a builder role, not an established PMO to inherit. You will have significant ownership in defining how program management operates as Phoenix grows, while helping create the execution infrastructure that enables the company to move faster, deliver on increasingly complex commitments, and scale the production of critical metals needed to power the modern world.

Requirements

8–12+ years of experience leading complex programs, program-management functions, or operational initiatives in industrial, manufacturing, aerospace, defense, energy, critical materials, or similarly complex environments.
Demonstrated experience building program-management systems in a scaling organization, including integrated schedules, operating cadences, program controls, reporting, standard work, and accountability mechanisms.
Strong ability to build and manage integrated program schedules, critical paths, milestones, dependencies, risks, and executive-level program reporting.
Experience operating in physical-product, manufacturing, or regulated environments, with familiarity across bills of materials, supply chain and procurement, production dependencies, and contractual or program milestones.
Ability to operate effectively alongside deeply technical teams, translating technical work, risks, and dependencies into program-level schedules, decisions, and commitments without needing to be the technical subject-matter expert.
Proven ability to create structure in ambiguous environments, define ownership where it is unclear, and build systems before all of the answers are known.
Strong cross-functional communicator who can drive decisions, surface risks early, and hold senior stakeholders accountable to program commitments.
Experience building operating systems that remain effective through rapid growth and organizational change.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with defense primes, federal agencies, or government contracting environments.
Experience managing federal awards, grants, contractual milestones, or government-program deliverables.
Direct experience in supply chain, procurement, sourcing, or materials management.
Experience supporting compliance initiatives such as CMMC or similar regulated-program requirements.

Responsibilities

Own the execution of cross-functional Operations programs from scope through completion, translating company commitments into clear workstreams, owners, milestones, dependencies, and measurable outcomes.
Build and maintain integrated program schedules across Operations, Technology, Commercial, Finance, and Manufacturing, identifying critical paths, dependencies, schedule risks, and decisions required to keep programs on track.
Take end-to-end ownership of priority programs sponsored by the COO, including scoping, planning, execution, risk management, stakeholder alignment, escalation, and executive-level reporting.
Build Phoenix's program-management infrastructure, including standard work, operating cadences, program controls, reporting mechanisms, decision forums, and cross-functional accountability, while preserving the speed and adaptability of an early-stage company.
Lead cross-functional execution against regulatory, compliance, contractual, and government-program requirements, translating external obligations into clear owners, milestones, evidence requirements, and completion plans, including initiatives such as CMMC 2.0.
Drive program execution across strategic supply chain and procurement initiatives, including sourcing, materials readiness, vendor deliverables, and other dependencies critical to Phoenix's production and program commitments.
Establish mechanisms for identifying program risk early, escalating decisions quickly, and ensuring commitments are closed rather than simply tracked.
Help shape how the Operations organization evolves as Phoenix scales, identifying where ownership, processes, and organizational structure need to change to support the next stage of growth.