High agency
Find the problem, propose a way forward and act. Ask for context when it matters; keep progress moving without constant follow-ups.
Founder’s Office – Product & Operations
Careers at Heelium · Founder’s Office
Product & Operations
Build the backbone behind a better everyday product. Own the journey from product idea and vendor to production, inventory and reliable operations.
Explore the applicationFounder’s Office · Product, supply chain & operations
The opportunity
Build systems. Solve the messy problems.
Heelium makes bamboo-based everyday essentials across apparel, socks, towels and accessories. Bringing those products to customers takes a dependable system behind the scenes.
Working directly with the Founder in the Founder’s Office, you will own execution across market research, product development, vendors, manufacturing, supply chain, operations and inventory.
You will turn decisions into structured action, make trade-offs visible and step in when execution breaks down. The goal is a system that delivers speed, quality and reliability as the company grows.
How we work
Ownership is visible in the details.
Execution with judgement
Move from a decision to a shipped result. Know when to execute yourself, bring others together or escalate a consequential risk.
Ethics & low ego
Be honest about the numbers and the setbacks. Protect customers and quality. Seek feedback and care more about the outcome than the credit.
Systems that close loops
Make owners, deadlines and decisions clear. Fix the underlying process so the same issue does not keep returning.
Your scope
Own the whole chain of execution.
Product to production
Move an idea through research, development, vendor selection and manufacturing. Keep requirements, quality checks and timelines connected.
Vendor ecosystem
Build reliable supplier relationships, negotiate responsibly and improve cost, quality, capacity and lead-time performance.
Inventory & readiness
Improve visibility into demand, stock, production and fulfilment readiness. Address shortages and excess stock before they compound.
Systems & metrics
Build practical SOPs, dashboards and operating routines. Turn production, inventory and vendor signals into clear action.
Real work, real decisions
The problems you will walk into
- A key supplier is late and a launch is approaching. You evaluate the options, protect quality and drive a recovery plan.
- One product is out of stock while another is overstocked. You find the cause and improve the planning system.
- A product takes too long to reach production. You resolve the hand-offs and make the critical path visible.
- The Founder is repeatedly pulled into operational follow-ups. You create ownership, escalation rules and a dependable operating rhythm.
What good looks like
Reliability that scales.
Your first 90 days
Map the product-to-fulfilment flow, understand key suppliers and stock risks, establish baseline metrics and resolve a meaningful operational bottleneck.
By six to twelve months
Products move from idea to manufacturing with fewer avoidable delays. Vendor performance and inventory are visible, issues are addressed proactively and routine operations require less Founder intervention.
What you bring
- Experience in operations, supply chain or manufacturing, or as a founder or early employee in a high-growth startup.
- Hands-on exposure to vendors, production and logistics, and evidence of delivering complex cross-functional projects.
- Examples of taking a messy problem to a concrete outcome, with sound trade-offs across cost, quality and speed.
- Systems thinking, clear communication, resilience and high standards for ethics and accountability.
You should be comfortable with broad ownership and changing priorities. You will work closely with the Founder, build the company’s operational backbone and learn how products and systems scale together.
Your application
Show us how you think. Prove what you have owned.
AI-generated answers will be filtered out. We are hiring you, not adding a subscription. Write in your own words and use your own experiences and judgement.
Set aside 25–35 minutes for five sections: your background, ownership examples, role-specific experience, practical scenarios and working fit. Concise, specific answers matter more than polished language.
Apply with evidence
Bring a CV link, one relevant example and your individual contribution. Anonymised examples and approximate figures are welcome.
Discuss the work
If shortlisted, walk us through your decisions, trade-offs and outcomes. Expect practical questions grounded in the role.
Meet the Founder
Discuss the scope, expectations and mutual fit before moving forward.
A few things to know
How is the work location decided?
The work location and working arrangement will depend on the company’s needs and will be discussed during the hiring process.
What does the intensity look like?
Priorities can change quickly. Launches, urgent customer issues and operational disruptions can require additional hours and prompt decisions. We look for calm ownership, clear communication and reliable follow-through.
What experience matters most?
Relevant hands-on experience and evidence of solving difficult problems. Your application should show what you personally delivered, not only the companies or titles on your CV.
What is the compensation?
Compensation will be competitive and aligned with the ownership and impact expected. Share your expected range in the application so we can discuss fit.
Do I need to create a presentation or a new project?
No. The application uses concise written responses and hypothetical scenarios. Share existing work where possible and do not disclose confidential material.
Build with Heelium
Ready to own the outcome?
If this is the kind of work you want to do, we would like to understand how you think and what you have built.
Start my application ↗25–35 minutes · Opens in Google Forms