Operations Lead – Office of the CTO

Twentyfour Industries

At Twentyfour Industries, we build UAV systems for European defense. Our R&D organisation is growing fast, and with it the number of decisions, processes and people that need someone to bring order, pace and clarity.
In this role, you work directly with our CTO and take ownership: you solve problems end to end, turn ideas into structured guidelines, prepare and make decisions for the R&D org, and act as the first point of contact for partners and external stakeholders. This is not an assistant role – no calendar or travel management. It is a role for someone who thinks independently, prioritises on their own, pushes back when needed, and is still happy to get their hands dirty. Based in Munich, reporting directly to the CTO. The exact title will reflect your experience.
## What we’re looking for

We are looking for a structured, hands-on generalist who supports the CTO, sorts what lands on his desk and brings structure to it. You take topics off his plate – from "how we work" questions and process gaps to the many small decisions that currently end up with him. You prepare and make operational decisions for the R&D organisation, coordinate across teams, and communicate clearly with engineers, founders and external partners. Deep technical knowledge is not required; strong judgment, ownership and humility are.

The day-to-day

- Support, sort and structure "how we work" in R&D: Help the CTO and the VP Engineering turn ideas into clear guidelines, best practices and playbooks – and make sure they reach the teams.
- Decide and unblock: Take ownership of the many operational decisions that currently escalate to the CTO (from where new desks go to how teams collaborate) and make them yourself, in your own name.
- Fix processes between teams: Identify where things fall through the cracks – e.g. who tells the flight test team which tests are needed and when – and set up clear interfaces, owners and routines.
- Prepare decisions: Structure complex questions, gather input, build decision papers and give a clear recommendation.
- Filter and lead sparrings: Take over alignment and sparring sessions with founders and leads where the CTO doesn't need to be in the room, and bring back only what matters.
- Manage partnerships and external contacts: Be the first point of contact for partners, suppliers and external requests; evaluate them and involve the CTO only where it makes sense.
- Get things done: Follow up on actions, solve problems of all kinds – and when needed, simply place an order, handle paperwork or clear the backlog yourself.

You should apply if you

- Have 5+ years of experience in strategy consulting, a Chief of Staff / Founders Associate role, business operations or a similar high-ownership position in a fast-growing company
- Make decisions confidently, even with incomplete information – and stand by them
- Bring order to chaos: you structure messy topics quickly and turn them into clear processes and guidelines
- Coordinate across many stakeholders and keep everyone aligned without needing formal authority
- Communicate clearly and convincingly, in writing and in person, with engineers, founders and external partners alike
- Prioritise independently and are not afraid to challenge – including the CTO
- Stay humble and hands-on: no task is too small if it moves the team forward
- Speak fluent English; German is a strong plus
- Are eligible for a security clearance under the German SÜG (required for our defense work)

Nice to haves

- Experience working in or closely with R&D, engineering or hardware teams
- Background in defense, aerospace, robotics or another deep-tech industry
- Experience setting up processes and ways of working in a scale-up (e.g. from 50 to 300+ people)
- Familiarity with project management and documentation tools (e.g. Jira, Confluence, Microsoft Teams)

What we offer

- A high-impact role with direct exposure to the founders and real decision-making power in the R&D organisation
- The chance to shape how one of Europe's fastest-growing defense-tech companies works and scales
- A steep learning curve across technology, operations and strategy
- Virtual shares – participate in the success you help create
- egym Wellpass for sports and wellbeing
- A motivated, mission-driven team and an office in Munich