Business Operations Manager - US (Chicago, IL)

About us At Gideon, we're crafting the future of logistics, manufacturing & other industrial environments with cutting-edge AI and 3D vision-based autonomous robots. Our team is committed to automating complex operations, allowing people to shine in what they do best. If you're ready to join us and be part of this journey, read on! Our team consists of 100+ super-talented people, including top-notch experts in the field of hardware and software engineering, and is devoted to developing robots with a mission of making people's work easier. We are an ambitious group of tech enthusiasts with different backgrounds, skills, and experiences, very excited and passionate about what we do! And above all, we cherish team spirit, constant learning and kindness. There is much more to learn, so we hope this piqued your curiosity! About the role Our Bolingbrook facility is where the action happens — robots are built, tested, and demonstrated here, and customers walk through our doors. This role comes at a pivotal moment — you'll be joining as we move from early-stage US presence to a fully operating, multi-functional organization, growing significantly over the next 12–18 months. This is a hands-on, high-ownership role covering site operations, facility coordination, vendor and supplier management, customer demos and events, administrative support, stakeholder service, tools and process improvement, and interim coordination of warehouse and logistics activities during our scale-up phase. As our US operations grow, we expect to build more specialized ownership across warehouse, logistics, and delivery support. In the meantime, this role will help establish the structure, tools, processes, documentation, and reliable day-to-day coordination needed to support current operations and future growth. This isn't a "monitor the dashboard from a distance" operations role. It's a builder role. You'll have real ownership, real freedom, and real impact — shaping how our US facility runs today and how it scales tomorrow. If you're someone who gets energized by fixing what's broken, building what doesn't exist yet, and making operations genuinely hum — keep reading. The role reports to the VP Business Operations. What you’ll do: Support the smooth daily functioning of the Bolingbrook office and manufacturing facility, ensuring the site is organized, productive, safe, and operationally reliable. Manage office and site supplies, workplace resources, manufacturing support materials, promo materials, facility needs, vendors, suppliers, and service providers. Support customer demos, customer visits, trade shows, external commercial events, internal meetings, leadership visits, and site activities from an operational and logistics perspective. Coordinate day-to-day warehouse and inventory activities during the scale-up phase, including receiving, processing, storing, issuing, tracking goods, stock accuracy, ERP/system data, and inventory controls. Organize and coordinate shipments of vehicles, materials, spare parts, equipment, and products to customers, partners, events, and internal locations. Prepare shipping documentation, coordinate packaging and pickup, communicate with external logistics vendors and carriers, and track shipments until successful delivery. Help build clear warehouse and logistics processes, tools, documentation, and handover-ready ways of working so the function can scale and transition into dedicated Manufacturing/Delivery ownership as the business grows. Coordinate day-to-day workplace and site safety activities on an operational level, in cooperation with Legal, external partners, vendors, Manufacturing, and internal stakeholders. Provide administrative support to Management and customer-facing teams, including customer/vendor setup forms, certificates, audit support, approvals, and standard documentation, in alignment with Legal, People, IT, Finance, and other supporting teams. Act as a trusted operational partner to internal stakeholders by understanding their needs, providing timely and high-quality support, and ensuring strong cross-functional alignment across Manufacturing, Delivery, Sales, Customer Success, Finance, Legal, IT, People, Management, suppliers, carriers, and external partners. Own, design, document, and continuously improve tools and processes within the role’s area of responsibility. Explore and apply digital and AI-enabled tools to improve productivity, visibility, documentation, communication, and reduce repetitive manual work. Track relevant operational costs, documentation, records, reports, shipping documents, inventory records, and vendor documentation in cooperation with Finance and Management. What we’re looking for: 5+ years of experience in business operations, site operations, office operations, facilities management, administration, business support, logistics coordination, warehouse coordination, manufacturing support, or a similar role. Experience working in a growing, fast-changing environment, ideally in a technology, robotics, manufacturing, engineering, scale-up, or international company. Hands-on experience with site coordination, vendor management, facility operations, documentation, logistics coordination, inventory, shipping, receiving, ERP data, or manufacturing site support. Experience organizing shipments to customers and working with external logistics vendors, carriers, suppliers, and internal operational teams is a plus. Experience supporting customer demos, trade shows, commercial events, or customer-facing operational activities is a plus. Self-driven, proactive, and highly reliable person who takes ownership and works independently. Strong service mindset and ability to understand internal stakeholder needs and provide high-quality, reliable, and timely support. Excellent collaboration skills, with the ability to align across different teams, functions, locations, and seniority levels. Experience working with international teams or stakeholders is a strong plus. Strong attention to detail and ability to manage documentation, deadlines, vendors, inventory, shipments, ERP/system data, and operational processes accurately. Flexible, practical, and solution-oriented mindset with strong problem-solving skills. Comfortable using digital and AI-enabled tools to improve productivity, visibility, documentation, communication, and reduce repetitive manual work. Motivated by building structure in a scaling environment and creating processes that can grow with the business. You’ll be successful if you: Create a smooth, reliable, and well-organized operating environment for the Bolingbrook office and manufacturing facility. Support warehouse, receiving, shipping, and logistics activities in a way that enables manufacturing, customer demos, and customer deliveries during the scale-up phase. Build scalable tools, processes, and documentation that make future growth and specialization easier. Build trust with internal stakeholders through responsiveness, ownership, and high-quality support. Improve ways of working instead of only maintaining existing processes. Keep operational topics moving across internal teams, suppliers, vendors, carriers, logistics partners, and external stakeholders. Bring a high standard of service, accountability, discretion, and attention to detail.