Chief of Staff to Ops and Engineering

Relay is fundamentally reshaping how goods move in an online era. Backed by Europe’s largest-ever logistics Series A ($35M), led by deep-tech investors Plural (whose portfolio spans fusion energy and space exploration), Relay is scaling faster than 99.98% of venture-backed startups. We're assembling the most talent-dense team the logistics industry has ever seen Relay’s Mission is to free commerce from friction. Today, high delivery costs act as a hidden tax on e-commerce, quietly shaping what can be sold online and limiting who can participate. We envision a world where more goods move more freely between more people, making the online shopping experience seamless and accessible to everyone. THE TEAM • ~110 people, more than half in engineering, product and data • 45+ advanced degrees across computer science, mathematics and operations research • Thousands of data points captured, calculated, analysed and predicted for every single parcel we handle • An intellectually vibrant culture of first‑principles thinking, tight feedback loops and relentless experimentation The Opportunity Relay is hiring a Chief of Staff to Ops and Engineering - a high-impact, individual contributor role designed for a hands-on operator. Reporting to Relay’s executive leadership team, Diego and Karthik, this role exists to take ownership of high-context, cross-functional work; drive operational clarity and momentum; land decisions that would otherwise stall. While the role will own clear governance, reporting, and cross-team coordination, this is fundamentally an operator role - not a project management role. Success will be measured by hands-on execution and tangible outcomes delivered, not by plans, rituals, or status updates. As Chief of Staff to Ops and Engineering at Relay, you’ll: - Own ambiguous, cross-functional initiatives that cut across Delivery Squads, Commercial, Finance, and Operations. You’ll step into cross-functional projects, consolidate context, and push execution to completion. - Act as the first pass for urgent, high-stakes Commercial or partner requests, conducting root-cause analysis and providing clear trade-offs and recommendations. - Ensure clarity in how decisions land across the org, from tooling and dashboard changes to process and network adjustments - translating intent into action across technical and operational teams. - Run and structure senior operating forums to keep discussions decision-led and focused on moving forward. - Drive execution after decisions are made, removing blockers, ensuring follow-through, and delivering end-to-end momentum of special projects Work Alongside Industry Leaders: Diego Protas – Director of Platform Engineering Diego, an expert in distributed systems and hardware architecture, is merging physical computing with enterprise-scale infrastructure. Previously directing teams of 170+ engineers at Mercado Libre and orchestrating large-scale ML-based inference at Meta. At Relay, Diego’s infectious enthusiasm and hands-on leadership are redefining the boundaries of speed and reliability Karthik Harith - VP Operations Karthik is an operator and GM with a track record scaling multi-channel retail and operations across the UK, Germany, and France. Prior to Relay, he operated at VP/General Manager across multiple markets and brands (Getir, Gorillas, and Frichti). He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering (Brown) and an MBA in Finance (HEC Paris). At Relay, Karthik leads Operations, bringing rigorous execution and scaling experience to solve hard, real-world logistics problems end-to-end. What Success Looks Like: Within 3–6 months: - Clear and consistent rollout of operational decisions - Tangible improvements in execution across teams - Commercial issues resolved with operational insight - not just rerouted This Role Is For You If: - You’ve operated in fast-moving, operationally complex businesses and owned initiatives with real impact. - You have a strong bias for execution and action, with a track