Operations Manager

The Opportunity

Mond Platforms is looking for our Founding Operations Manager (Employee #1) to build our US footprint from scratch.

<What We’re Building>
If Patreon is for memberships and Substack is for newsletters, Mond is the platform for the Economy of Expertise.

We’ve built the "Quora meets Patreon" of the creator world—a space where deep, Q&A-driven conversations generate real value. After achieving massive PMF with 16M MAUs in Japan, we will rebuild the mond experience from the ground up to lead the US creator economy.

Why This Role Matters

Backed by a profitable Japanese Listed Company (Howtelevision Inc.), you get the best of both worlds:

• Startup Speed: Autonomy to build from 0→1 with the Global CEO.
• Corporate Stability: Multi-year runway with zero fundraising distractions.

The Role

You are the Architect of Operations. As Employee #1, you will execute the launch of our US business.

<What You'll Do>

• You will be accountable for designing and operating the U.S. “operating system” (cadence, controls, policies, and tooling) to enable scalable execution, risk management, and audit-ready operations.

This role is expected to operate with substantial autonomy and to customarily and regularly exercise discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance (e.g., vendor selection, operational controls, compliance approach, and budget trade-offs), with limited day-to-day supervision.

• Must be capable of driving these processes while effectively collaborating with external specialists such as CPAs and legal counsel. You will be the internal decision-maker who frames options, evaluates risks/costs, and makes recommendations to leadership; you will also directly manage specialist performance against SLAs, timelines, and quality standards.

As a member of a Japanese listed group, you are expected to provide precise and logical reporting (via Slack, email, and documentation) to the CEO and the Japan HQ. We maintain a culture of absolute transparency—no information silos or hidden issues.

Key Responsibilities

1) Business Operations & Operating Cadence

• Establish and run the operating cadence (weekly/monthly reviews), KPI/OKR tracking, decision logs, and action management.
• Translate business priorities into operational roadmaps and cross-functional programs; drive execution with measurable outcomes.

2) Physical Infrastructure (Office / IT / Security Basics)

• Establishing the Palo Alto office, managing facility operations, and building the IT environment.

  Define standards for office/IT provisioning, access management, vendor SLAs, and baseline security/compliance practices (e.g., device lifecycle, asset inventory, off-boarding).

3) Organizational Infrastructure (People Ops / Policies / Compliance)

• Supporting local hiring, managing payroll and labor relations, drafting company policies, and ensuring regulatory compliance.

  Own the policy architecture and internal controls for U.S. operations (handbook/policies, approvals, recordkeeping, incident escalation), ensuring audit-ready documentation and consistent adherence.

4) Corporate Liaison (Japan HQ / Listed Group Reporting)

• Coordinating closely with the Japan HQ to provide accurate and transparent visibility into the US operations.

  Create standardized reporting packs (KPIs, spend, risks, compliance status, vendor performance) and proactively surface trade-offs and mitigation plans.

5) Specialist Management (Vendors / Contracts / Procurement)

• Selecting and managing external vendors, including legal counsel and accounting firms.

  Lead vendor selection (RFP/RFQ where appropriate), scope definition, and commercial negotiations (SOW/MSA), coordinating with Legal/Finance for finalization.

  Build and enforce procurement and spend controls (approval matrix, budget ownership, evidence requirements) and manage vendor performance against SLAs.

6) Data, Systems, and Process Improvement

• Build dashboards and analytical models to support leadership decisions (run-rate, forecast vs actuals, unit economics inputs, vendor cost analysis).
• Drive continuous improvement: process mapping, root-cause analysis, change management, and quantification of time/cost/risk reduction impact.

Requirements

• Hands-on Experience in Office/Entity Setup:
  Proven track record of building local operations from scratch at a US-based startup (specifically during the Seed to Series A stages). This includes managing office leases, IT infrastructure setup, equipment procurement, and vendor selection through a hands-on approach. Additionally, demonstrated experience designing scalable operating processes/controls (not merely executing tasks) and driving cross-functional programs with measurable outcomes.

• English (Native level): Capable of leading legal negotiations, government filings, and external business discussions independently. Capable of independently evaluating options, recommending positions, and executing negotiations on matters of significance with limited supervision.

• Japanese (Business level): Proficient in conducting regular meetings and progress reporting with the Japan HQ without communication barriers.

• Pride in being a "Doer":
  We value individuals who find fulfillment in building systems (playbooks) and ensuring flawless execution rather than just discussing high-level strategy. “Doer” here means a builder of durable systems: playbooks, controls, metrics, and governance that enable scale and reduce operational risk.

• High Degree of Autonomy:
  Instead of waiting for instructions from the CEO, you should proactively identify what the US entity needs, propose solutions, and execute them. Your goal is to provide "peace of mind" to the CEO, allowing them to focus entirely on business growth. You are expected to customarily and regularly exercise discretion and independent judgment, making independent choices free from immediate supervision with respect to matters of significance.

• Proficiency in leveraging Generative AI tools
  (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) to enhance productivity and streamline daily workflows.

• Location: Must reside in the SF Bay Area.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Preferred: A generalist who has served as an "everything officer" (Ops/Admin) in the early stages of a US VC-backed startup.
• Preferred: Someone who was hired as an early member during a Japanese company’s US expansion and successfully supported the entity setup from the ground up. Additionally, someone who has owned business operations/operating cadence (KPIs, budget, vendor governance, controls) as a functional leader—beyond office/admin execution.
• Not a fit: Candidates who are only interested in high-level strategy or consulting, or those who have only managed teams within the established, stable frameworks of large corporations.