Description
SDA is building the category-defining “Industrial DevOps” platform for manufacturing - bringing modern software practices (backup, version control, secure remote access, browser-based engineering, and AI-assisted documentation) to PLCs, robots, drives, and OT environments across vendors. We work with global manufacturers and partners to make industrial software scalable, secure, and maintainable.
Responsibilities
As Chief of Staff, you will be the CEO’s force multiplier - driving execution across the company’s top priorities, turning strategy into operating rhythm, and ensuring our cross-functional initiatives land on time and at bar-raising quality. You will operate at the intersection of GTM, product, partnerships, and finance, with high exposure to board/investors and executive stakeholders at global industrial customers. This role is ideal for someone with Tier 1 consulting or investment banking experience who wants to step into a high-ownership operating role at a fast-growing industrial software startup.
What You’ll Do
- Run the CEO’s operating system: weekly leadership cadence, quarterly planning, KPI dashboards, and decision logs.
- Prepare CEO meetings: agendas, pre-reads, crisp narratives, follow-ups, and accountability tracking.
Strategic Initiatives
- Lead cross-functional “mission-critical” initiatives (e.g., enterprise rollout playbooks, partner launches, security/compliance readiness, pricing/packaging iterations).
- Structure ambiguous problems, drive alignment, and unblock execution across teams.
GTM, Customers & Partners
- Support enterprise deals: build business cases, coordinate internal resources, track deal risks, and ensure customer commitments are met.
- Help manage key partnerships: joint planning, launch milestones, and executive-level communications.
Investor & Board Support
- Support fundraising and investor updates: metrics, narrative, Q&A prep, data room hygiene, and board materials.
- Build and maintain high-quality models and analyses (pipeline, ARR, unit economics, account plans).
Special Projects
- Own “whatever it takes” projects directly from the CEO—fast turnaround, high standards, and clear outcomes.
How You Work
High agency, low ego; you execute and you elevate the team around you.
Extreme reliability: follow-ups, details, and deadlines are your default.
You thrive in a fast-moving environment with shifting priorities.
You have sound judgment, discretion, and strong stakeholder management.
What Success Looks Like (First 90 Days)
CEO office cadence running smoothly; leadership team aligned and executing to clear priorities.
A single source of truth for KPIs, top initiatives, and decision follow-ups.
2–3 critical initiatives advanced materially (on time, measurable outcomes).
Board/investor materials upgraded in clarity, rigor, and narrative quality.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with enterprise software, industrial/OT environments, cybersecurity, or manufacturing operations.
- Prior startup experience (operator mindset, speed, ownership).
- Comfort engaging senior executives (customers, partners, investors).
To apply:
Send your resume and a short note outlining why this role and why SDA (include one example of a cross-functional initiative you drove end-to-end).
About us
Software Defined Automation is an industrial deep-tech software company that enables Manufacturing-as-Code through the creation of completely new degrees of freedom for the automated configuration, operation, maintenance, and continuous change of production plants. We have set ourselves a great mission, targeting the resource efficiency of one-third of the global value creation and energy consumption. Software Defined Automation is the enabler for AI-based self-optimizing production, thereby reaching the next technological innovation step function in productivity for the world.
For this new world of Software Defined Automation, we build a team that masters both Cloud as well as real-time shop floor operations technology. Join our team with your high energy-driven nature, interest in industrial manufacturing, and motivation to push the boundaries from the cloud all the way to all moving things on the shop floor!
