Founding Operations Associate

About the role

Help build how Terminal runs. You'll work directly with our Chief of Staff to solve operational problems, drive cross-functional projects, and build reliable systems across workplace, people, events, and finance. This role combines analytical judgment with hands-on ownership, from identifying a problem to making the solution work.

What you’ll do

1. Run workplace operations

Make our HQ somewhere people love to show up to every day. You’ll be the go-to for all things related to our office in King West. You’ll maintain established vendor relationships, coordinate with building management, and ensure our office is stocked across IT, supplies and snacks.

2. Deliver awesome events

We have two offsites a year for our team, and you’ll work with our team leads and travel vendors to plan and execute each one. To support our recruiting efforts, you’ll be hosting events to attract the best talent in the city. You’ll also own hosting customer-centric events, such as dinners, roundtables, and visits. You’ll build repeatable plans so we can scale our internal and external events.

3. Drive People and hiring processes

We’re growing fast, and you’ll support onboarding our newest team members, making sure every step of their journey is smooth, from systems access to the onboarding plan. You’ll also support recruiting workflows, interview scheduling, and offer preparation, partnering with talent leads.

4. Support finance operations

You’ll help make sure our customers are billed correctly and pay on time, while also making sure we pay our bills on time. That means executing accounts payable, vendor onboarding, expense tracking, billing reviews, and collections outreach.

5. Drive system and process documentation

As the team and company scale, you’ll establish standard operating procedures, maintain our Terminal handbook, and use AI and automation to increase efficiency across the business and your focus areas.

What we’re looking for

• A strong operational background: 2–5 years across business operations, People ops, events management, or a startup generalist role, with clear examples of workflows you executed through end-to-end implementation rather than pure coordination.

• Ownership without a playbook: You diagnose messy operational challenges, build structured systems, and keep them running dependably.

• Detail and follow-through: You maintain a high bar for accuracy across task lists, vendor management, calendar logistics, and confidential HR records.

• Influence and judgment: You align people smoothly across talent, engineering, and leadership teams to drive outcomes without requiring formal authority.

• Systems and data fluency: You are skilled in spreadsheets, HR platforms like Rippling, Slack, and document hubs (Notion/Drive), leveraging AI tools thoughtfully to multiply productivity.

• Tools you’ll be using: Claude, Rippling, Ashby, Notion, Venn, Measure and Slack.

Bonus points

• You've helped build a function or company from scratch, supported People, hiring, finance, or events systems at an early-stage startup, and regularly used AI to automate work your team was doing by hand.

What success looks like

In the first 90 days

You'll know the heartbeat of Terminal's office, hiring process, and events, and own and improve many of them. People trust you to take care of the day-to-day associated with your key areas.

In 6–12 months

You'll be the go-to for workplace, people, and events operations. Driving success in all the areas dependably, and without ad-hoc escalation. You'll begin to expand operational capacity to absorb additional complex systems as the organization grows.

Practical details

• Location: Toronto; in-person role

• Reports to: Chief of Staff

• Employment type: Full-time

• Travel: Limited but occasional for offsites & conferences as needed

Compensation

• Base salary: $85,000 - $120,000

• Meaningful equity, plus the benefits below.

Benefits

• Strong compensation and equity packages

• Brand new MacBook and computer equipment

• Top-tier health/dental benefits and a flexible healthcare spending account

• Personal spending account for professional development, fitness and wellness

• Four weeks paid time off + statutory holidays

• In-person culture with an office located in downtown Toronto

Interview process

1. Phone Screen (30 min)

2. Take-home Challenge (self-paced; ~3h)

3. Operations Deep Dive (60 min)

4. On-site culture loop + final (180 min)

Accessibility and accommodation