Head of Operations

About Bagel Labs

Bagel Labs is an AI research lab focused on building the training stack for Physical AI — systems that can perceive, model, and act in the physical world. The company is creating infrastructure for robotics and embodied AI teams that need to train much larger and more complex models than standard software-only AI products.

Its core approach, Decentralized Diffusion Models, is designed to split large training workloads into smaller specialist models that can run across different hardware setups. In typical deployments, this can lower training capital costs by 30–40%, and in cases where companies reuse existing hardware, savings can reach up to 80%.

As a compact, high-caliber lab, Bagel Labs is looking for an operations leader who can help transform the research team into a well-run, scalable company while keeping the technical team focused on frontier AI work.

Role Overview

The Head of Operations will be responsible for the company’s operational foundation and will work closely with leadership across finance, people operations, vendor management, compliance, recruiting coordination, office administration, board and investor support, and internal planning.

This is a practical startup role that calls for comfort with ambiguity, a willingness to handle several functions at once, and the ability to build only the processes that truly improve speed and reliability. As the business expands, this person may also help recruit, manage, and guide a small operations team.

Key Responsibilities

• Run day-to-day operations spanning finance, people operations, vendors, compliance, office management, and internal planning.
• Create lean systems, dashboards, policies, and documentation that support the growth of an AI research lab.
• Oversee budgets, forecasting, burn-rate monitoring, purchasing, vendor spending, and allocation of resources.
• Coordinate workflows involving legal, accounting, payroll, benefits, taxes, insurance, governance, and regulatory matters.
• Assist with hiring coordination, onboarding, employee records, research travel, company events, and internal programs.
• Support board, investor, and fundraising-related operations, including diligence materials, data room setup, and follow-up tracking.
• Prepare concise operating updates for senior leadership covering finances, hiring, vendors, risks, and strategic priorities.
• Build and lead a small operations team as the company grows.

Requirements

• At least 3 years of experience in operations, business management, finance operations, startup operations, or a similar area.
• Strong background in budgeting, financial planning, vendor coordination, internal systems, and operational delivery.
• Sound judgment, strong attention to detail, discretion, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Comfort using AI tools effectively to improve operational workflows.
• Experience working closely with founders, executives, technical teams, lawyers, accountants, vendors, candidates, and external partners.
• Experience supervising or mentoring staff in operations, administration, finance, or people operations.
• Helpful background in AI, robotics, research, deep tech, cloud, hardware, or infrastructure-oriented companies.
• Exposure to startup scaling, preferably from early stage to growth stage.
• Experience with compute, cloud, GPU, software, recruiting, or professional-services procurement is a plus.
• Familiarity with board processes, fundraising support, investor diligence, or strategic finance is beneficial.
• Knowledge of Canadian employment, payroll, tax, compliance, or startup operations would be an advantage.

Perks and Benefits

• Opportunity to contribute at the leading edge of AI research and development.
• A central role in shaping the company that supports a breakthrough AI research lab.
• Chance to help grow a team building major technologies for AI and robotics.
• Competitive compensation aligned with market standards.
• Direct access to leadership and frontier AI research work.
• Opportunity to build and eventually lead a small operations team.

Additional Information

This is a full-time, onsite position based in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada.

The role is designed for someone who enjoys hands-on startup work, values practical execution, and is motivated by building scalable internal systems that support rapid company growth.