Business Operations and Finance Lead

About Mentra and the Role

Mentra is dedicated to developing the operating system and hardware platform for enterprise smart glasses, having recently concentrated fully on the enterprise market. Customers are preparing for large-scale deployments over the next eight months, building on thousands of Mentra Live glasses delivered since the product launch in February. Our fast-paced team spans over 10 members located in San Francisco and Shenzhen.

We are seeking a skilled Business Operations and Finance Lead to take direct ownership of vital operation, finance, and administrative duties that ensure our organizational efficiency, accountability, and forward momentum.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage shipping logistics including freight, customs documentation, inventory, order fulfillment, procurement, and handling returned merchandise authorizations.
• Oversee financial operations such as accounts payable and receivable, invoicing, collections, payment processes, account reconciliations, bookkeeping, and assist with monthly financial closes.
• Handle payroll, employee benefits, onboarding/offboarding processes, human resources administration, and regulatory compliance.
• Administer insurance matters, corporate filings, office management, travel arrangements, vendor relations, and subscription services.
• Coordinate effectively with factories, suppliers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, and logistics partners.
• Maintain and monitor company-wide commitments, deliverables, and deadlines across different departments.
• Ensure the accuracy and currency of operational, financial, and administrative documentation.
• Proactively identify risks early, escalate issues clearly, and drive issues to resolution promptly.
• Develop and implement efficient systems, checklists, and automations to ensure operation reliability and repeatability.

Candidate Profile and Qualifications

• Exceptional organizational skills, dependability, emotional intelligence, and persistence in closing tasks.
• Ability to manage multiple competing duties without missing deadlines, commitments, or details.
• Proficient practical bookkeeping abilities including accounts payable and receivable, invoicing, collections, reconciliations, and support for month-end close procedures.
• Experience keeping detailed and accurate financial records.
• Familiarity with financial software such as QuickBooks, Ramp, and Mercury.
• Knowledge of payroll and employee benefits management systems like Gusto.
• Hands-on understanding of purchasing, inventory management, freight, customs processes, fulfillment, and product returns handling.
• Competence in coordinating international shipments and collaborating with factories, suppliers, freight forwarders, and customs officials.
• Strong skills in organization, prioritization, and managing deadlines effectively.
• Excellent communication abilities, both written and verbal.
• Superior interpersonal skills for collaboration with founders, employees, customers, accountants, factories, vendors, and logistics partners.
• Good judgment to foresee risks before escalation is necessary.
• Self-discipline to document procedures, keep accurate records, and confirm the completion of commitments.
• Confidence to follow up assertively, ask direct questions, and hold others accountable for information and deadlines.
• Flexibility to adapt to shifting priorities within the company.
• Readiness to personally carry out tasks necessary for achieving results.

Preferred Experience

Experience working with hardware companies, dynamic startups, international shipping logistics, U.S.–China trade operations, and familiarity with QuickBooks, Gusto, Ramp, or Mercury platforms is highly advantageous.

What Defines Success in This Role

• Timely issuance and collection of invoices, and prompt payment of vendors.
• Accurate inventory tracking and timely arrival of shipments.
• Efficient payroll completion and up-to-date record maintenance.
• Meeting all company deadlines without surprises or unresolved issues.

Success also entails comprehensive knowledge of pending tasks: who is responsible, deadlines, outstanding information or actions, and confirmation of completed commitments.

When challenges arise, you take charge and see them through to resolution, communicating early if deadlines are at risk and driving necessary actions to avoid surprises.

Importance of This Role

This role is critical as Mentra faces a period requiring rigorous execution to fulfill demanding customer commitments, production timelines, shipping requirements, financial deadlines, and operational challenges all at once.

You will establish vital organizational discipline and operational frameworks that will support Mentra’s scalable growth.

The position’s significance lies in its ownership, dependability, and impact. The suitable candidate will be indispensable by ensuring that critical tasks are systematically organized, properly executed, and delivered promptly.

If you excel at organization, meticulousness, deadline adherence, and loop closure, we encourage you to consider joining our team.