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9 Mothers is building AI-powered autonomous defense systems to counter Group 1/sUAS (small unmanned aerial system) threats. Their flagship product, Edda, is a low-cost, autonomous-capable point defense turret designed to detect and engage high-speed FPV drones in real time. Backed by top-tier investors, the company is scaling rapidly in the defense tech space.
As Chief of Staff, you will serve as the CEO's strategic right hand, ensuring operational discipline and cross-functional alignment across the entire organization. This is a high-level operational leadership role, not an administrative position. You will own executive communications, triage CEO priorities, and manage complex operational tasks that would otherwise consume founder bandwidth. You will maintain a holistic, macro view of company goals and translate executive intent into seamless team execution.
Key responsibilities include: monitoring and prioritizing CEO communications; handling external outreach on behalf of leadership; taking ownership of complex operational tasks; maintaining strategic alignment across engineering and operations teams; managing relationships with external partners and clients, including de-escalation and diplomatic navigation of high-stakes meetings; translating executive directives into actionable work streams for internal teams; and structuring executive meeting agendas, action items, and accountability mechanisms.
You will sit at the intersection of engineering execution, business development, and customer relationships. The role requires someone who can operate independently in ambiguous situations, bring complex tasks to resolution, and represent executive leadership both internally to technical teams and externally to high-value government and commercial partners.
The company emphasizes field-ready capability, rapid execution, and mission-critical work. You will report directly to founders, have autonomy to make operational decisions, and influence product and technology roadmap decisions from day one. The team is onsite in Austin and prioritizes high-bandwidth collaboration.
REQUIREMENTS:
- 4–8+ years of experience in business operations, Chief of Staff roles, management consulting, venture-backed startups, or high-velocity tech/defense environments
- Exceptional interpersonal skills with proven ability to navigate high-stakes partner/client meetings, manage cross-functional tension, and resolve friction
- Ability to hold a company-wide view, understanding how daily engineering details tie into macro business goals, contracts, and customer commitments
- Proven track record of stepping into ambiguous situations, dissecting complex tasks, and bringing them to resolution independently
- World-class written and verbal communication; capable of representing executive leadership internally and externally
- U.S. Citizenship and ability to pass a background check
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Background in defense tech, aerospace, robotics, or complex hardware startups
- Experience reviewing or executing government/commercial contracts (SBIR/STTR, OTAs, commercial subcontracts) and understanding deliverables/invoicing flows
- Direct prior experience as Chief of Staff or Ops Lead to C-suite founders/executives in fast-paced environments
- Active security clearance or ability to obtain one
