AppliedScienceOperationsLead

We are seeking an Applied Science Operations Lead to serve as a strategic partner to the Director of Applied Science. This is a high-agency role at the intersection of science strategy and operational excellence. You will shape how our Applied Science organization structures its research portfolio, allocates resources across workstreams, and delivers on its most ambitious goals. This is not a coordination role. You will independently identify the highest-leverage problems facing the science organization, develop frameworks for solving them, and drive outcomes. You will co-author the science strategy, build the operational rhythms that keep the organization focused, and represent Applied Science to cross-functional partners. The right candidate brings deep scientific fluency, strong judgment about where to invest, and the operational instincts to turn strategy into execution. Key job responsibilities - Structure and manage the Applied Science portfolio — ensure workstreams are well-defined, resourced, and progressing. Identify gaps, redundancies, and reallocation opportunities across the research agenda. - Serve as a thought partner to the Director of Applied Science on research direction, hiring priorities, investment tradeoffs, and organizational design. - Author key documents — science strategy narratives, investment cases, org-level roadmaps, and leadership updates. These are persuasive artifacts that shape decisions, not status reports. - Design and own the cadences that keep the science org aligned — planning cycles, review forums, cross-team syncs. Own the structure, not just the logistics. - Act as the primary interface between Applied Science and partner organizations (hardware, product, program). Ensure science priorities are understood and cross-org dependencies are managed. - Lead high-priority org-level initiatives — new team formation, process redesign, strategic pivots — that require dedicated attention and independent judgment. About the team Structur