Operations Design & Strategy Lead

About Mainstay

Mainstay is the leading market intelligence platform purpose built for buying, managing, and selling homes in the single family rental industry. As an AI native company, we turn complex data into clarity that helps the industry move forward with confidence. Founded within Opendoor, Mainstay launched as an independent company in 2024 and recently raised a Series A round led by Khosla Ventures.

Ready to shape the future of real estate with AI? Join Mainstay and help us redefine what’s possible in the single family rental space. If you thrive on solving complex problems and want to make a tangible impact in a fast-growing industry, we’d love to hear from you - apply now and let’s move the industry forward, together!

About the role

The Operations Design & Strategy Lead plays a critical role in shaping how Mainstay scales its operational systems and client delivery. This individual is responsible for guiding and directing cross-functional working teams, developing and implementing strategic initiatives, and driving improvements that create measurable business impact.

This is a key role that requires both strategic depth and operational fluency — connecting the dots between business goals, technical capabilities, and process design. The OD&S Lead partners closely with business line leadership, product and engineering teams, and onshore/offshore operations to identify opportunities, build scalable frameworks, and ensure teams execute against shared objectives.

In this role you will

• Strategic Planning

  • Facilitate and drive strategic planning w/ cross functional business line leadership

  • Understand how our clients' strategies & priorities impact their relationship with Mainstay and anticipate their operational implications

  • Use a hypothesis-driven approach to pilot new concepts and scale winners.

• Project Execution

  • Solve complex operational problems — turning ambiguity into clear strategies and measurable outcomes.

  • Leverage your technical expertise with Excel & SQL to analyze growth opportunities, measure performance, and make data driven decisions.

  • Balance strategic problem solving with hands-on execution – we're a lean team working in a fast-paced environment; when things break you'll be a key player in diagnosis, resolution, and long term solutioning.

• Core Operations

  • Run and improve the core operational functions that keep our products running from the overall operating model to day-to-day workflows

  • Translate business needs into scalable systems and tools, collaborating closely with technical teams to improve efficiency and quality.

  • Maintain operating rhythm (planning, reviews, and tracking) that keeps the business aligned and accountable

• Cross-Functional Relationship Management

  • Serve as the connective tissue on cross-functional teams (including Revenue, Product Management, Finance, etc), working to share knowledge, represent the interests of our clients/partners, and drive people towards a common goal.

  • Synthesize feedback from other teams, customers, and partners to identify process gaps and optimization opportunities.

• Core Leadership

  • Serve as a trusted cross-functional leader and problem-solver ; be the “go-to” leader for your surface areas

  • Mentor teammates, helping build a culture of structured thinking and operational excellence.

What we’re looking for

• 6–10 years of experience in biz ops, strategy & operations, or similar roles (consulting, product ops, or similar).

• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional projects and influencing senior stakeholders.

• Clear, confident communication. You can break down complex ideas into simple language and work easily with both technical and non-technical teammates

• A history of solving complex problems quickly and independently - you know how to prioritize, figure things out, and get results

• Strong analytical and technical skills. Excel experience is required. Experience with SQL or light scripting is helpful but not required

• Experience with technical implementations & product development

• Experience operating in an ambiguous, high-growth startup environment; a process minded approach paired with flexibility - you care about precision but can adapt when things move fast

• A bias for action and a “no problem is too small” attitude

• Nice to have: experience in SFR/real estate space, and startup experience highly preferred

This role is a great fit if

• You enjoy turning messy, ambiguous problems into clear systems and processes that actually work

• You’re comfortable operating with limited direction and like taking ownership from idea to execution

• You think in both numbers and narratives - able to analyze data, but also explain what it means for the business

• You like working cross-functionally and can build strong partnerships with Product, Engineering, and Operations teams

• You’re motivated by impact and want to see your work directly improve how a product runs and how customers experience it

• You’re energized by change and growth - you like joining a company in motion

Not a great fit if

• You prefer steady-state environments with fixed processes and long timelines

• You need clearly defined instructions before taking action

• You see your role as “support” rather than “ownership”

• You’re uncomfortable working across different functions or switching contexts quickly

• You value perfection over progress - you’d rather get it exactly right than get it moving

Bonus points for

• You have an interest in real estate; residential real estate experience

• Startup experience preferred

#LI-AW

Mainstay Built on Trust

At Mainstay, trust is at the core of everything we do. We build trust with everyone -- from candidates to employees to partners. We believe in fairness and openness throughout our hiring process, evaluating candidates based on qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status. Our privacy practices describe how we handle applicant information, you can find the policy details for California residents here.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, religious beliefs, or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you require assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please contact us at [email protected]