Company : WaveRyde Instruments is growing its world-class technical team for quantum sensor-systems for 5G applications. WaveRyde is a spin-off from Quantum Valley Ideas Laboratories (QVIL), well-supported by both QVIL and wireless industry leaders.

WaveRyde is located in Waterloo, Canada (near Toronto), in the heart of Canada’s ‘Quantum Valley’ with excellent academic research and technology communities, including outstanding universities. The WaveRyde Instruments team includes pioneering leaders in quantum sensors and wireless technologies.

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As our Director of Operations, you will wear many hats. Your primary goal is to explicit roadblocks, optimize resources, and ensure the company executes at peak efficiency by working collaboratively to support the technical and manufacturing teams. You will design and maintain internal processes and bridge the gap between technical milestones and business operations with minimum bureaucracy.

You will focus on enablement—ensuring that our researchers and engineers have the tools, materials, and smooth internal workflows required to do their best work without friction.

Key responsibilities:

· Act as the primary operational partner for technical leads, proactively identifying resource gaps, purchasing delays, or administrative bottlenecks to clear them out of the team's way.

· Build and refine lightweight internal tools and processes that make project tracking, documentation, and cross-team communication effortless rather than bureaucratic.

· Manage relationships with key vendors, suppliers, and cleanroom facilities, handling the administrative, logistics, and procurement tasks so engineers don't have to do it.

· Oversee lab spaces, office logistics, and equipment procurement to guarantee the team has a safe, fully stocked, and highly functional work environment.

· Facilitate early-stage hiring, seamless onboarding for new technical team members, and the development of a supportive, collaborative company culture.





· Handle ambiguous special projects and operational logistics to free up executive bandwidth for strategic growth and fundraising.

· Listen closely to the needs of highly technical teams and design administrative processes that feel like helpful tools rather than strict control mechanisms.

· Juggle logistical pieces, managing timelines, and following up with external partners to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

Required qualifications:

· Proven track record of designing, implementing, and scaling operational workflows that teams enjoy using, rather than heavy bureaucratic processes.

· Direct experience handling procurement, managing external vendors, negotiating contracts, and resolving logistical or supply chain bottlenecks.

· A "no task too small" attitude with a proven ability to manage highly ambiguous projects from conception to completion with minimal oversight.

· Ability to communicate with people effectively.

· Strong teamwork, communication, and documentation skills.

· 4+ years of operational or project management experience in a fast-paced, early-stage startup (Seed to Series A).

Preferred qualifications:

· 4+ years of operational or project management experience in a fast-paced, early-stage startup (Seed to Series A).

· Prior experience working alongside hardware engineers, deep-tech researchers, or in cleanroom/laboratory environments.

· Basic experience with early-stage talent acquisition, setting up onboarding tracks, or managing payroll/perks platforms

· Familiarity with basic startup finance concepts, such as monitoring runway, tracking burn rates, and processing expense reports.

· A bachelor's degree in Business, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field—though equivalent hands-on startup experience is highly valued over formal degrees.

WaveRyde Instruments offers a competitive compensation and benefits package as well as an exciting, challenging and supportive work atmosphere. If you are interested in being a part of this team and mission, we encourage you to apply.

Applications will be considered until the position is filled.

📌 Director of Operations for a Quantum Technology Start-up (Waterloo)
🏢 WaveRyde Instruments
📍 Waterloo