Manager, Business Operations & AI
Valence
Full-time
On-site
Toronto, 08
JobsCloseBy Editorial Insights
Valence seeks a hands-on, AI-native operator to own internal operations spanning People Ops, legal, compliance, HR, finance, procurement, security, and facilities. This is a rare builder role at a fast-growing, AI-first company, with direct visibility to the executive team and close partnership with the VP of People and CFO. The right candidate has 5+ years in high-growth ops or consulting, a builder mindset, and a track record turning messy workflows into scalable, automated systems. Demonstrate systems thinking, execution at altitude, and influence across teams, especially in ambiguity. Be ready to be in Toronto or Tribeca three days a week, with US Canada Europe travel; tailor your resume to show measurable impact and AI-enabled improvements.
Valence has built the only AI native coaching platform for enterprise, offering personalized, expert, and human-like guidance and support to any leader or employee. We’re not just talking about the future of work — we’re building it now, with the most innovative Fortune 500 companies across healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and technology.
Our focus is on the problems that actually decide whether AI changes how organizations operate — the ones with no playbook, no obvious answers, and no guarantee of success. If you want to be part of the small group that defines how AI transforms the future at a global scale, this is your chance.
And this isn’t for everyone. We’re not looking for people who want predictability or incremental progress. We only want those who are restless at the edge of what’s possible, who get bored when things feel “done,” and who are driven to redefine what AI can mean for leaders, companies, and the world. Because at Valence, the work worth doing is the kind that redefines work itself.
The RoleThis is a rare opportunity to architect the AI-powered operations that will define how Valence runs, scales, and executes in our next phase of growth.
In this role, you will own and optimize Valence’s core internal operations: legal, compliance, HR, administration, offices, vendors, procurement, security, and everything in between. This is the backbone of the company. Your work will enable the rest of the team to move faster, stay focused, and scale without friction. With direct executive visibility, you will partner closely with the VP of People, CFO, and cross-functional leaders to build the operational infrastructure that supports our ambitions.
This is not traditional “ops support.” It is People and Business Operations as a competitive advantage. You will design automation-first workflows, leverage AI to eliminate inefficiency, and build the systems that allow an AI-native company to operate with clarity and precision.
This is a hands-on builder role who wants to understand how a company is truly constructed from the inside out, this is a career-defining role. If you are looking to manage a large team or operate at arm’s length from execution, this is not the right fit.
About ValenceWe're the only company pioneering leadership coaching for large enterprises in an AI-first way. Our mission is to transform how the world's biggest companies approach learning and development, helping teams work better together through AI-powered personalization that adapts to individual goals and organizational culture using the latest advances in machine learning and natural language processing.
We've been featured in Harvard Business Review, TIME, World Economic Forum, Financial Times, Forbes and an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private companies in America. Our clients represent the most diverse and sophisticated enterprise AI implementations globally, including Coca-Cola, Delta, Nestlé, General Mills, Schneider Electric, Deutsche Telekom, AstraZeneca, Prudential, CVS and Bristol Myers Squibb.
Working at Valence means you'll work directly with Fortune 500 technology leaders, building expertise through the most complex enterprise deployments while gaining insight into diverse organizational approaches to AI transformation. These aren't just any enterprise clients - they're the companies defining what AI-first business transformation looks like across every major industry.
What You'll Do
- Lead Valence’s internal operations end to end and do the work to make them run. This spans PeopleOps systems and automation, legal, compliance, HR, finance, administration, vendors, procurement, security, and physical space.
- Run the operating rhythm for internal operations. Build the dashboards. Prepare leadership reporting. Drive the operational portion of business reviews. Track decisions and commitments until they are complete.
- Find operational bottlenecks and fix them. Implement tooling and automation to eliminate manual work and increase speed and quality.
- Turn messy internal workflows into simple, repeatable systems that scale. Clarify ownership. Set turnaround times. Document the process. Fix approval gaps. As complexity increases, make operations tighter and more reliable, not more chaotic.
- Experiment aggressively to determine the right level of process for our stage. Pilot fast, measure impact, scale what works, cut what does not.
- Act as a force multiplier for the Leadership Team. Take ambiguous priorities and turn them into clear plans, owners, timelines, and delivered results.
What We’re Looking For
- 5+ years of experience high-growth operations, consulting, or strategy roles; startup experience will be prioritized.
- Builder mindset: you can both design and re-invent processes, but are also excited to run and execute on them yourself.
- AI-native operator: you are motivated to reinvent how operations work inside a modern AI company. You do not accept manual workflows as fixed constraints. You use AI to compress cycles and fundamentally increase leverage.
- Systems thinker: able to design scalable infrastructure that grows with the business.
- Execution at altitude: proven ability to execute complex, high-stakes workstreams with executive visibility & consultation.
- Influence without authority: strong communicator who can align leaders and drive decisions across teams.
- Thrives in ambiguity: energized by messy, unsolved problems and fast-changing environments.
- Mission alignment: deeply motivated to help build an AI-native company redefining the future of work.
What you'll get
- Ownership & Rapid Growth
- Outsized missions from day one, with direct responsibility for company-defining projects
- Work alongside the executive team with transparency into strategy and decision-making
- Influence on direction through real-time customer feedback and market insights
- AI-First Operator
- Work directly with cutting-edge AI models and next-generation platforms
- Build expertise in enterprise AI implementation across Fortune 500 companies and multiple industries
- Establish yourself as a recognized leader among peers in shaping how AI transforms work at a global scale
- Compensation
- Competitive salary including base + bonuses
- Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision) from day one
- Generous PTO, company-wide R&R shutdowns, and paid parental leave
- Retirement plan support for US and global employees
- Equity
- Meaningful ownership in a venture-backed company at a growth inflection point
- Financial upside that comes from scaling fast
- Top-up grants as we scale and you deliver exceptional performance — your compensation grows alongside your impact
- Top-Performing Culture
- A culture built for top talent: intensity to win, growth without limits, and a team that solves hard problems and celebrates big wins together
Learn more about us and meet our team here
Diversity and InclusionWe are dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and supported. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and offer accommodations upon request throughout the hiring process. If you have any questions, please reach out to Allison Langille, Head of People, at [email protected].
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