hero


Work for one of our portfolio companies

Senior Manager, Business Operations

Stronghold

Stronghold

Operations
San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted on Aug 30, 2025

Location

San Francisco, California

Employment Type

Full time

Department

Operations

Stronghold is a fintech infrastructure company reimagining how money moves—securely, transparently, and with next-gen compliance at its core. We provide developer-friendly APIs that power fast, secure pay-by-bank and embedded payments. Our SHx token brings a new layer of utility to our ecosystem, supporting merchant rewards, governance, and decentralized financing.

We're also an AI-forward company. At Stronghold, AI isn't a buzzword—it's foundational. We integrate AI tools and workflows into every department, from product development and engineering, to finance, marketing, compliance, and operations. AI accelerates our decision-making, enhances our customer experience, and enables every team member to operate at a higher level of efficiency and creativity.

Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area with deep roots in New Zealand, we operate with a global mindset and local grit. We’re a diverse team of technologists, operators, and industry experts driven by curiosity and impact. At Stronghold, we value speed over red tape, substance over flash, and innovation without ego.

Our core values: Be Self-Aware, Have Good Judgment, Be Curious, Seek Innovation, Communicate Clearly, Make a High Impact, Be Bold, Be Selfless, Be Accountable, Be Honest, and Show Grit.

About the Company

Named a Forbes Fintech 50, Stronghold’s mission is to improve financial access by powering innovative payment and financial services solutions through our open APIs. We’ve been going deep to lay the underlying rails for modern payments and reach all customers with secure, transparent ways to move money. We are seeking team players who can evolve with the company as we scale and add new products. We are a team of technologists and industry experts who take a data-driven and innovative approach to solving problems. We power possibilities for our customers by bringing the best talent together in an open and collaborative work environment that rewards curiosity and grit.

Stronghold is proud of its SF Bay Area and New Zealand roots and strives to build a diverse team to serve our ecosystem better while staying true to our core values. Our core values are to Be Self Aware, Have Good Judgment, Be Curious, Seek Innovation, Excellent Communication, High Impact, Be Bold, Be Selfless, Be Accountable, Be Honest, and Show Grit.

About the Role

Stronghold is seeking a Senior Manager of Business Operations to help manage and drive the success of our business. In this role, you will work closely with the Director of Business Operations to lead key initiatives that optimize payment processes, enhance operational efficiency, and support strategic growth. You will be at the forefront of managing day-to-day operations, implementing scalable solutions, and collaborating across teams to ensure our exceptional results. This is a unique opportunity to contribute directly to SHx’s ecosystem expansion and bridging legacy banking systems with Web3 technologies.

What You'll Do

  • Serve as a high-impact extension of the CEO and executive team, leading and executing top-priority initiatives—from scaling liquidity and financial operations to launching go-to-market strategies, managing vendor transitions, and supporting fundraising and investor communications.

  • Partner with internal teams (e.g., Product, Engineering, Compliance, Legal) and external vendors to establish robust systems for financial operations, regulatory reporting, and KYC/AML. Balance startup speed with the rigor required in a highly scrutinized space.

  • Act as a thought partner to founders and senior leadership, owning board meeting preparation, strategic offsites, and synthesizing operating plans and priorities. Help craft and evolve the company’s roadmap in alignment with its mission and market opportunities.

  • Champion Consistency, Systems Thinking, and Scale bycreating tools, documentation, and repeatable processes that reduce operational drag and scale knowledge across the team. Leverage automation, dashboards, and AI-assisted tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) to increase leverage per head.

What We're Looking For

  • 7–10+ years of experience in business operations, strategy, finance, product operations, or consulting—preferably in early-stage crypto, fintech, or at top-tier consulting firms.

  • Prior experience supporting C-suite or acting as Chief of Staff, Business Operations lead, or Strategy Consultant with a strong track record supporting C-suite leadership and managing high-stakes, ambiguous projects.

  • Deep project management experience with cross-functional scope; you know how to structure and deliver work with accountability from concept to execution.

  • Exceptional communicator and influencer—can synthesize complex information, manage up and across, and distill insights for technical and non-technical audiences in a complex, fast-paced environment.

  • Proven adaptability and scrappiness—comfortable operating in fast-moving, evolving environments with limited structure and competing priorities.

  • Background in high-growth or early-stage startup environments, ideally in companies with sub-50 to 200 employees, where you have built systems that grow with the company.

  • Exceptional analytical skills, with the ability to synthesize data into actionable strategies.

  • MBA from a top-tier business school is preferred.

As an equal opportunity employer, Stronghold does not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, military or veteran status, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

Authorized to work in the United States (required)

No visa sponsorship available at this time

As an equal opportunity employer, Stronghold does not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, military or veteran status, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

Authorized to work in the United States (required)

No visa sponsorship available at this time