Strategy & Operations Principal
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 own the end-to-end performance of Via's transit operation in Tulare: the service quality, partner relationship, financial outcomes, team culture, and long-term trajectory. You will be making foundational decisions that define how this service operates for years to come. This role requires you to be onsite daily in the Tulare, CA location, where you will develop a clear vision for the transit service, build new operating systems and staffing models, drive service performance, lead a frontline team, and manage the partner relationship with community stakeholders and local officials.
Requirements
- 5+ years of experience leading complex operations
- Bachelor's degree required
- Independent self-starter who thrives in fast-paced environments
- Savvy and tactful communicator
- Strong analytical thinker who uses data to guide strategy
- Experienced and exceptional leader with extensive team leadership experience
- Flexible and adaptable to rapid change
- Effective at managing multiple tasks simultaneously
- Problem solver who looks for creative solutions
Responsibilities
- Develop and own a clear vision for what this transit service should look like, partnering with Via's central functions
- Lead your team through the work of building the vision
- Build new operating systems, staffing models, and service cadences that don't yet exist
- Establish the culture and accountability structures to sustain the new systems
- Communicate a compelling change narrative to your team, partner, and community stakeholders
- Own the end-to-end operating strategy including on-time performance, rider experience, safety, and cost efficiency
- Define and manage against a clear set of KPIs
- Translate weekly and monthly performance data into operational decisions
- Design and continuously refine staffing models and scheduling strategies for a 24/7 operation
- Ensure compliance with all relevant federal, state, local, and company policies and regulations
- Build, coach, and manage a frontline operations team from hiring through performance management
- Be present in the field and visible to drivers
- Develop frontline leaders who can grow into expanded roles as the service scales
- Earn and maintain the trust of your partner through consistent communication and reliable execution
- Represent Via to community stakeholders, local officials, and riders
Benefits
- Free medical plans
- 401K matching