Sr. Manager, Special Projects & Business Operations

Blueland•New York, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Blueland is seeking an experienced Senior Manager of Special Projects & Business Operations to join the Office of the CEO. This role serves as a critical operational and strategic hub, ensuring our CEO and leadership team operate with clarity, efficiency, and impact. This is a dual-mandate position: strategic operator and operational partner. On the strategic side, you will lead and support high-priority cross-functional initiatives spanning business operations, organizational health, growth strategy, marketing, and executive-level projects. On the operational side, you will serve as a key support to the Chief of Staff and CEO, helping to manage workflows, facilitate decision-making, and drive organizational alignment. You will work closely with senior leadership across the company and be expected to navigate ambiguity with confidence, bring structure to complex challenges, and deliver high-quality outputs consistently, whether on a one-time initiative or a repeatable process. We are looking for someone who holds themselves to a high standard and understands that excellence is not just about the output, but about building systems that scale.

Requirements

2-4 years of experience in management consulting or a similarly rigorous, structured environment; equivalent experience in strategy, business operations, or a high-growth startup will also be considered
Strong analytical and communication skills, with the ability to structure complex problems quickly and communicate findings clearly to Senior Leadership
Internalizes brand standards quickly and applies them with consistency and judgment across communications, projects, and deliverables
Genuine passion for sustainability, plastic waste reduction, and Blueland's mission
Executive presence and the ability to operate effectively at the highest levels of an organization
Thinks beyond the immediate task, always looking to build systems and processes that make the next iteration faster and better
Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving environment
Highly adaptable, with the ability to range across work of all types, from calendar management to leading a strategy engagement
Active, practical use of AI tools in day-to-day work, with the ability to help others adopt them in concrete, meaningful ways
Deeply committed to the quality of their work, regardless of scope or audience

Responsibilities

Lead special projects end-to-end with full ownership and autonomy, and support the Chief of Staff on broader initiatives as needed
Drive organizational efficiency, health, and team performance initiatives — identifying gaps and designing systems to address them
Own cross-functional strategy and insights projects from scoping through synthesis and executive recommendation
Support board preparation, OKR reviews, and recurring leadership cadences, ensuring the CEO and leadership team are consistently prepared and aligned
Identify operational gaps across the business and develop structured solutions to address them
Lead and support cross-functional initiatives, providing structure, momentum, and clear ownership at each stage
Serve as a connective resource across teams, ensuring critical priorities and dependencies are tracked and followed through
Identify opportunities to integrate AI and emerging tools into existing workflows — and lead implementation directly, not just the recommendation
Manage CEO administrative operations including inbox and calendar management, ensuring her time and attention are protected and well-allocated
Establish and continuously improve processes within the Office of the CEO to support both the CEO and the broader leadership team
Maintain sufficient organizational context to anticipate needs and proactively reduce the CEO's operational load