About Subsense
Subsense is a deep-tech company developing the world’s first non-surgical, bidirectional brain-computer interface powered by plasmonic and magnetoelectric nanoparticles. Our mission is to unlock direct communication between the human brain and AI - starting with medical applications such as stroke recovery and moving toward cognitive enhancement for healthy users. Headquartered in Palo Alto, Subsense brings together leading scientists and engineers to redefine the future of human–machine interaction.
We are looking for a
Head of Operations to design, own, and scale the company’s
operational, people, systems, and governance infrastructure as Subsense moves from advanced R&D into clinical, regulatory, and growth phases.This role is
foundational: you will translate strategy into execution, ensure operational discipline, and build scalable processes across
Operations, HR, IT, Facilities, and
GRC (Governance, Operational Risks & Compliance). You will partner closely with the
CEO, CFO, Head of Finance & Legal, and functional leads to support fundraising, audits, regulatory readiness, and company growth.
Key Responsibilities
- Operational Leadership
- Own and scale core operational processes across Operations, HR, IT, and Facilities
- Manage end-to-end operational workflows that support R&D, clinical, and corporate growth
- Act as the execution anchor translating leadership decisions into structured action plans
- Operations - Procurement
- Own procurement strategy, vendor oversight, and spend controls across R&D, product, and corporate operations
- Partner with Finance & Legal to ensure compliant purchasing workflows, vendor governance, and budget alignment as the company scales
- People & Organization (HR)
- Run and continuously develop scalable HR operations to support company growth including: hiring workflows, onboarding, performance cycles, compensation processes, and policies, applying creative solutions to complex problems
- Support leadership with org design, role clarity, ownership (RACI), and disciplined execution, proactively identifying and resolving people- and process-related bottlenecks
- Support the company growth from a Seed to Round A
- IT & Internal Systems
- Own internal IT infrastructure, access control, security basics, and vendor coordination
- Ensure reliable, compliant systems for collaboration, data security, data access, and internal reporting
- Partner with GRC on IT-related risk management and controls
- Facilities & Physical Operations
- Own facilities operations (labs, offices, vendors, access, safety basics)
- Ensure execution of expansion plans to support company-wide milestones, primarily R&D
- Coordinate space planning, capacity tracking, and operational readiness for growth
- Act as the operational point of contact between teams, landlords, and vendors
- GRC (Governance, Operational Risks & Compliance)
- Own and coordinate GRC execution across the company
- Implement and maintain company Policies and internal governance framework
- Lead QMS implementation in close collaboration with Regulatory/R&D and Finance/Legal
- Own Operational Risk Management: HR, IT, security, and operational risks
- Maintain risk registers, mitigation plans, and escalation paths
- Cross-Functional Execution
- Partner with Finance & Legal on budgeting, reporting readiness, audits, and investor diligence
- Build dashboards, trackers, and operational reporting for leadership visibility
What You'll Bring
- 5+ years in Operations, Business Operations, or COO/Head of Ops-type roles in startups or scale-ups
- Experience building operational systems from early stage through growth
- Strong exposure to regulated or compliance-heavy environments (biotech, med-tech, deep-tech, life sciences preferred)
- Hands-on experience across HR operations, internal systems, and facilities
- Proven ability to design processes, not just run them
Subsense is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
