Chief of Staff to the CEO

Formic

About The Position

At Formic, we’re on a mission to revolutionize American manufacturing and create more abundance in the world. We believe in continuing the American legacy of innovation by making automation accessible to all manufacturers and increasing their factory productivity by 10x. Built upon deep expertise in robotics and manufacturing, our unique full service automation solutions combine the best automation technology, software, and analysis tools for manufacturers with best in class uptime, support, and maintenance services. We are creating a new era of supercharged efficiency and competitiveness for US manufacturers. As the world faces growing pressure from tariffs, rising costs, and labor shortages, Formic is uniquely positioned as the industry leading solution to overcome these challenges. Fueled by our vision for a re-industrialized domestic supply chain, everything we do is aimed at growing “Made in America” products. And we’re growing fast - achieving 7x growth in production hours YoY. Supporting us in our mission, with investments thus far totaling over $60 million, are backers including Lux Capital, Initialized Capital, Blackhorn Ventures, Mitsubishi HC Capital NA, and CEOs and founders of multiple Fortune 50 companies. The Chief of Staff (CoS) to the CEO is a senior, high-leverage operator who serves as an extension of the CEO. This role exists to increase executive decision velocity, enforce operational rigor, and ensure the company’s highest-priority initiatives are executed with clarity, discipline, and measurable outcomes. The CoS owns cross-functional initiatives on behalf of the CEO, builds and maintains the executive operating cadence, and prepares decision-ready materials for the executive team and Board of Directors. The role also acts as a bridge between business leaders and engineering, driving internal process automation and systems improvements that enable Formic to scale without linear headcount growth. This is not an administrative role. It is a judgment-heavy execution role operating at the CEO, executive leadership, and board level.

Requirements

5–8+ years in strategy, operations, consulting, investing, or senior operational roles
Proven ability to independently own high-impact initiatives
Strong analytical skills with comfort interpreting complex business data
Excellent communicator with experience briefing executives and boards

Nice To Haves

Located in the San Francisco Bay area, with interest and ability to work in person, ideally in the East Bay
Experience at high-growth startups or scale-ups
Exposure to data teams, internal tooling, or systems automation
Familiarity with SaaS, robotics, or industrial technology business models
MBA or equivalent real-world operating experience

Responsibilities

Own and drive high-priority cross-functional initiatives end-to-end
Translate CEO intent into clear objectives, owners, timelines, and success metrics
Act on behalf of the CEO in internal leadership forums when delegated
Lead company-wide metrics and operating cadence, including weekly reviews and quarterly planning
Partner with functional leaders to define, standardize, and maintain KPIs and OKRs
Maintain a single, trusted executive-level view of company performance
Surface data-driven insights across financials, unit economics, churn, utilization, and margin drivers
Build and own analytical models, dashboards, and recurring executive reporting
Partner with teams to improve systems, data pipelines, and reporting reliability
Prepare decision-ready materials, board decks, and executive presentations
Synthesize complex, cross-functional inputs into clear, concise narratives
Resolve ambiguity across teams and functional handoffs
Identify execution bottlenecks and partner with teams to drive automation and tooling improvements
Enable scaled operational performance without proportional headcount growth

Benefits

Equity in Formic: Own a meaningful stake in a fast-growing Series A startup, backed by leading global investors
Comprehensive Healthcare Coverage: 99% covered Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans, with 75% coverage for dependents, provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield and Guardian
Additional Fully Covered Insurance Benefits: FSA & DCFSA, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability through Guardian, all 100% employer-paid
Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Fully funded by Formic and provided via Guardian, offering support when you need it most
Paid Parental Leave: Generous parental leave to support our employees and their growing families
Company-sponsored 401(k): Invest in your future with our company-backed retirement savings plan
Home Office Stipend: A one-time allowance for fully remote employees to set up your ideal at-home or on the road work environment
Monthly Cell-Phone Reimbursement: Monthly stipend toward phone and internet expenses
Flexible Time-Off: Take the time you need, when you need it, supported by our flexible PTO policy
Paid Company Holidays: Celebrate important dates with paid time off