Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Santa Clara, California

The Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Olyns will be responsible for designing, implementing, and leading our strategic and tactical operations. You will oversee all aspects of Olyns Cube field operations, new Cube deployments, recycling processing plant operations, customer service for both B2B customers and B2C users, and regulatory compliance. The ideal candidate is a seasoned operator with a proven track record in scaling complex organizations, driving cross-functional teams, and ensuring operational excellence in a regulated environment.

Every year 67 million tonnes of plastic is thrown away and never recycled. It's landfilled, it's incinerated and it pollutes our oceans. Why?

There are many reasons, but it all really boils down to one thing: The business model for recycling is broken. Everyone agrees that there's a problem, but no one can agree on how to pay for the fix.

But customers still really care about the environment. In fact over the past few years, customers have been putting their money where their mouth is. Sustainability marketed products have grown 7 times faster than regularly marketed ones. And although they still only account for 16% of the CPG market, they account for a massive 55% of its growth.

At Olyns, we're creating a new paradigm for recycling by combining the act of recycling with the requirements of sustainability marketing. By leveraging what the Boston Consulting Group recently called the $100B opportunity in retail media, we're providing value for all stakeholders:

• Consumers get the convenience, incentives and paths to action that they want.
• Brands get a media channel to align their sustainability message with the action of recycling at a valuable point of sale.
• Retailers get increased customer visits and spend, and
• Our planet gets a break from the tons of plastic that would otherwise pollute our environment.

We're venture funded and looking for talented and passionate team members to help us change the face of recycling. If you're looking for a mission rather than just a job, we want to meet you.

Why Olyns?

• Entrepreneurial mindset with a drive for innovation and sustainability.
• Exceptional leadership and team-building skills, with a track record of driving performance and achieving results.
• Experience in managing a crowd-sourced or distributed workforce is highly desirable.
• High level of integrity, ethical standards, and accountability.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where adaptability is key.
• Passionate about sustainability, environmental stewardship, and driving social impact through technology.

Essential qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field (MBA or other relevant advanced degree preferred).
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in operations, supply chain management, or manufacturing, ideally within a regulated or environmentally focused industry.
• Experience scaling operational teams, processes and systems from startup to a larger enterprise organization.

Technical & Regulatory Knowledge

• Strong understanding of operational compliance requirements, environmental regulations, and recycling or waste management regulations.
• Demonstrated ability to implement risk management and compliance frameworks in complex operational environments.

Operational Excellence

• Proven track record in scaling operations, managing distributed assets or technology in the field, and overseeing manufacturing or processing facilities.
• Familiarity with project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Lean, Six Sigma) and operational tools (e.g., ERP, CRM).

Leadership & Communication

• Exceptional leadership, team-building, and talent development skills, with the ability to inspire, motivate, and manage cross-functional teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, coupled with excellent written and verbal communication abilities.

Strategic Thinking & Collaboration

• Experience designing and executing long-term operational strategies that align with overall corporate objectives.
• Demonstrated success working in partnership with executive leadership, board members, and external stakeholders.

Customer-Centric Mindset

• Commitment to delivering exceptional customer experience to both business partners and individual users.
• Ability to interpret customer and market feedback into actionable improvements in products and services.

What you'll do

• Field Operations of Olyns Cubes
• Oversee deployment, maintenance, and performance optimization of Olyns Cubes in the field.
• Develop operational processes to maximize uptime, minimize maintenance costs, and ensure consistent user experience.
• Create and monitor KPIs to assess operational efficiency and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Build out and lead a world-class field operations team comprised of both full time employees and partners spanning North America, EMEA and Asia.
• New Cube Deployments and Activations
• Partner with cross-functional teams (Engineering, Product, Sales) to plan and execute new Cube rollouts.
• Establish project timelines, resource allocation, and risk mitigation strategies to ensure on-time and on-budget activations.
• Manage vendor relationships, negotiate contracts, and oversee logistics for Cube deployment.
• Recycling Processor Plant Operations
• Direct the daily operations of Olyns' recycling processing plant, ensuring compliance with environmental and safety standards.
• Define production targets, budget controls, and performance metrics to optimize throughput and reduce operational costs.
• Implement lean manufacturing and process improvement methodologies to enhance efficiency and quality.
• Customer Service (B2B & B2C)
• Develop and lead a multi-channel customer support strategy for businesses and consumers, ensuring high satisfaction and retention rates.
• Collaborate with the product and marketing teams to capture and analyze user feedback, translating insights into product or service enhancements.
• Establish service-level agreements (SLAs) and performance metrics that support Olyns' brand promise of reliability and convenience.
• Regulatory Compliance and Administration
• Ensure Olyns adheres to all federal, state, and local regulations pertaining to waste management, recycling, and consumer products.
• Develop and maintain compliance policies and procedures; work closely with legal teams, government bodies, and relevant regulatory agencies.
• Lead internal audits and implement corrective actions to address compliance gaps.

Diversity

At Olyns, diversity is important to us. We are an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit and business needs. We do not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion (including, but not necessarily limited to, religious creed, dress, and grooming practices), citizenship, marital status, age, national origin, place of birth, height, weight, ancestry, mental or physical disability, genetic information, medical condition, U.S. (state and federal) military and veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex, gender, pregnancy (including childbirth or related medical condition), or any other characteristics protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws ("protected characteristics" or "protected categories"). At Olyns, building a healthy and safe workplace is core to our mission. We prohibit harassment of any kind.

How to apply

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter detailing their relevant experience, leadership philosophy, and passion for sustainability to careers@olyns.com

Join Olyns in our mission to revolutionize the recycling industry - together, we can create a more sustainable future.