General Manager
Designer Fund is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage tech companies using design to improve health, sustainability, or prosperity for people. It backs founding teams, particularly those with design backgrounds, across sectors like fintech, healthcare, climate tech, and developer tools.
About Designer Fund
Designer Fund is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in tech companies leveraging design to drive positive outcomes in health, sustainability, and financial prosperity. Its portfolio spans a wide range of sectors including financial infrastructure (Stripe), preventative health (Omada), collaborative tools (Notion), developer tools (Netlify), product management (Linear), payroll and benefits (Gusto), design tools (Framer), and healthcare infrastructure (Commure), among dozens of other companies across fintech, climate tech, healthcare, EdTech, and AI. The firm also runs 'Designer Founders,' a community and platform highlighting designers who have gone on to found and lead companies, reflecting its focus on backing design-driven founders and design-centric startups from early stages through growth and acquisition.
Skills
About the Role
You will manage a first-of-its-kind intermodal transit service while getting hands-on exposure to a fast-paced tech company. This isn't a role where you'll follow a playbook — you'll be building the plane while flying it, blending entrepreneurship, business development, and operations management. You'll oversee daily on-site operations, act as the real-time point of contact for drivers and dispatchers, and find creative solutions for scheduling a round-the-clock team. You'll manage and mentor shift managers and dispatchers, and become the face of the operation by building relationships with driver partners, customers, and local community leaders. You'll liaise closely with senior management and external partners, set clear metrics for your team, and report on KPIs weekly. You'll analyze data to improve processes, allocate resources efficiently, and maximize customer satisfaction, all while ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and company policy.
Requirements
- At least 6+ years of experience as an operations manager
- Independent self-starter comfortable in fast-paced environments with high responsibility
- Savvy and tactful communicator
- Commitment to fostering a world class customer service culture
- Detail-oriented and action-oriented executor able to operate autonomously
- Exceptional leadership experience leading support teams
- Flexible and adaptable to rapid change
- Proven track record of managing and developing teams
- Ability to manage multiple tasks, delegate, prioritize, and take responsibility
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Experience working in transit a plus
Responsibilities
- Manage the on-site daily operations of Via's service in Sioux Falls
- Prioritize operational issues as a real-time point of contact for drivers and dispatchers
- Provide creative solutions for scheduling a round the clock team
- Manage and mentor the on-site team of dispatchers and shift managers
- Be the face of the operation and develop relationships with driver partners, customers, community leaders, and local organizations
- Liaise closely with Via senior management and Via's external partners
- Develop clear metrics for the team and report visibility into results against KPIs weekly
- Prepare reports and analyze data to improve operational processes and maximize efficiency and customer satisfaction
- Ensure compliance with all relevant federal, state, local and company policies, procedures and regulations
- Lead, coach and develop an engaged team of drivers
Benefits
- Free medical plans
- 401K matching