SideShift — Head of Strategy & Business Operations

Type: Full-time | On-site | New York City, NY (Tribeca, 5 days in-person) Compensation: $130,000–$190,000 + competitive equity Hiring count: 1 Visa sponsorship: None available — US citizens or visa holders only Reports to: Neema (Founder)

About SideShift

SideShift is a creator marketplace connecting brands with UGC creators, with roughly 1 million creators on the platform. It has scaled to $8M+ ARR with a team of 17, recently moved into a new Tribeca office, and is raising a Series A. Backed by Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn founder, investor, and board member) and other respected technology investors. Active clients include leading AI companies like Cursor.

Founded: 2024 | Team size: 17 (Seed; 11–50) | Traction: $8M+ ARR, ~1M creators Industry: Consumer Tech, creator economy / UGC marketplace Website: sideshift.app Office: Tribeca, New York City

Why Candidates Should Join

• True extension of the founding team: Work directly alongside the founders making the tough operational and strategic calls — a generalist operator seat where you own outcomes end-to-end, not a delegation-focused chief-of-staff role.
• Series-A-track equity upside: Meaningful equity in a creator marketplace with real traction ($8M+ ARR, ~1M creators) and top-tier backing (Reid Hoffman).
• Founder access + marquee clients: High-growth environment with direct founder mentorship and client work alongside leading AI companies like Cursor.

Perks: meaningful equity, meals in office, rent stipend for team members living near the office.

The Role

SideShift is hiring a Head of Strategy & Business Operations to be a true extension of the founding team — owning operational and strategic outcomes end-to-end across four surfaces: internal systems, business operations, recruiting/people ops, and direct client work.

What You'll Be Doing

• Build and optimize internal systems and processes (CRM workflows, campaign operations, bug reporting pipelines)
• Own critical business operations: payroll, contracts, onboarding, legal/tax coordination, vendor management
• Lead recruiting and people operations end-to-end (sourcing, screening, hiring process management)
• Work directly with clients (Cursor and other leading AI companies) on campaign performance and account health
• Create scalable playbooks and operational infrastructure that increase founder leverage

Tech stack: N/A — operating role.

Work setup: NYC, 5 days in-person in Tribeca. Lean hours (~9–7 / 9–8 in office, weekend flex depending on launch pace). Reports to Neema; works closely with the co-founder.

Requirements

• 3-7 years IB, consulting, PE, ops, or chief of staff
• Creator economy bonus
• High agency, problem-solving day-one
• Client-facing polish for AI buyers
• NYC 5 days, Tribeca office
• No visa sponsorship (US persons only)

Green Flags

• High-growth startup environment with direct founder mentorship
• Creator economy background (UGC platforms, influencer tooling, creator marketplaces). Direct domain match.
• MBB / IB / PE foundation followed by an early-stage operating chapter. The "smart and scrappy" archetype.
• Has been the operational glue at a 10-50 person startup (head of ops, chief of staff, founding ops). Knows how to build CRM workflows, campaign ops, and recruiting infrastructure from scratch.
• Client-facing polish: can hold their own in meetings with senior buyers at AI companies (Cursor and comparable).

Red Flags

• Open-to-work LinkedIn banner.
• Job-hopper pattern: short tenures across multiple roles without clear narrative
• Buzzword-heavy communication style: lots of jargon, low signal-to-substance ratio. Neema direct exclude.
• Too senior (10+ YOE in a head-of-ops position before this). Doesn't fit the team size or growth phase.
• Needs visa sponsorship. Sideshift is not sponsoring (no H-1B, O-1, or TN).

Role Details

Salary$130,000–$190,000EquityCompetitiveOn-site policyNYC, 5 days in-person (Tribeca)Visa sponsorshipNone availableEmployment typeFull-timeLocationNew York City, NY

Interview Process

Stage 1 — Pending Approval — Candidates awaiting initial approval. Stage 2 — First Round — Behavioral and background. Stage 3 — Second Round — Co-founder (or rest of founding team). Stage 4 — Third Round — Founder round; order can flex between founders depending on availability. Stage 5 — Work Trial (2-3 days) — Hands-on operating work to assess fit end-to-end. Stage 6 — Offer ExtendedStage 7 — Candidate Hired — Candidate accepts and starts.