Chief of Staff to Ops and Engineering in London

Relay is fundamentally reshaping how goods move in an online era. Backed by Europe’s largest-ever logistics Series A ($35M), Relay is scaling faster than 99.98% of venture-backed startups. We're assembling the most talent-dense team the logistics industry has ever seen. Relay’s Mission is to free commerce from friction. Today, high delivery costs act as a hidden tax on e-commerce, quietly shaping what can be sold online and limiting who can participate. We envision a world where more goods move more freely between more people, making the online shopping experience seamless and accessible to everyone.

THE TEAM

• ~110 people, more than half in engineering, product and data
• 45+ advanced degrees across computer science, mathematics and operations research
• Thousands of data points captured, calculated, analysed and predicted for every single parcel we handle
• An intellectually vibrant culture of first‑principles thinking, tight feedback loops and relentless experimentation

The Opportunity

Relay is hiring a Chief of Staff to Ops and Engineering - a high-impact, individual contributor role designed for a hands-on operator. Reporting to Relay’s executive leadership team, Diego and Karthik, this role exists to take ownership of high-context, cross-functional work; drive operational clarity and momentum; land decisions that would otherwise stall.

While the role will own clear governance, reporting, and cross-team coordination, this is fundamentally an operator role - not a project management role. Success will be measured by hands-on execution and tangible outcomes delivered, not by plans, rituals, or status updates.

As Chief of Staff to Ops and Engineering at Relay, you’ll:

• Own ambiguous, cross-functional initiatives that cut across Delivery Squads, Commercial, Finance, and Operations. You’ll step into cross-functional projects, consolidate context, and push execution to completion.
• Act as the first pass for urgent, high-stakes Commercial or partner requests, conducting root-cause analysis and providing clear trade-offs and recommendations.
• Ensure clarity in how decisions land across the org, from tooling and dashboard changes to process and network adjustments - translating intent into action across technical and operational teams.
• Run and structure senior operating forums to keep discussions decision-led and focused on moving forward.
• Drive execution after decisions are made, removing blockers, ensuring follow-through, and delivering end-to-end momentum of special projects.

Work Alongside Industry Leaders:

Diego Protas – Director of Platform Engineering Diego, an expert in distributed systems and hardware architecture, is merging physical computing with enterprise-scale infrastructure. Previously directing teams of 170+ engineers at Mercado Libre and orchestrating large-scale ML-based inference at Meta. At Relay, Diego’s infectious enthusiasm and hands-on leadership are redefining the boundaries of speed and reliability.

Karthik Harith - VP Operations Karthik is an operator and GM with a track record scaling multi-channel retail and operations across the UK, Germany, and France. Prior to Relay, he operated at VP/General Manager across multiple markets and brands (Getir, Gorillas, and Frichti). He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering (Brown) and an MBA in Finance (HEC Paris). At Relay, Karthik leads Operations, bringing rigorous execution and scaling experience to solve hard, real-world logistics problems end-to-end.

What Success Looks Like:

• Within 3–6 months: Clear and consistent rollout of operational decisions.
• Tangible improvements in execution across teams.
• Commercial issues resolved with operational insight - not just rerouted.

This Role Is For You If:

• You’ve operated in fast-moving, operationally complex businesses and owned initiatives with real impact.
• You have a strong bias for execution and action, with a track record of pushing ambiguous problems to resolution.
• You influence through clarity and competence.
• You can make judgment calls under uncertainty, and know when to move vs when to escalate.

Ideal Background:

• Owned cross-functional delivery at a logistics, operations, or marketplace startup.
• Worked closely with senior leadership in high-context situations.
• A background in BizOps, Chief of Staff, S&P or operations leadership with a strong execution core.
• Senior operators in high-growth startups.
• Consultants who moved into operating roles.
• STEM/engineering degree or equivalent practical experience in technical environments.
• BizOps/Chief of Staff/S&P profiles, not only with strong analytical rigor, but also executional and operational capabilities.

Fast and Focused Hiring Process:

• Talent Acquisition Interview - 30-45 min
• Hiring Manager Interview - 30-45 min
• Case Study - 60-75 min

Who Thrives at Relay?

• Aim with Precision: You define problems clearly and measure your impact meticulously.
• Play to Win: You chase bold bets, tackle the hard stuff, and view constraints as fuel, not friction.
• 1% Better Every Day: You believe that small, consistent improvements lead to exponential growth. You move quickly, deliver results, and learn from every experience.
• All In, All the Time: You show up and step up. You take ownership from start to finish and do what it takes to deliver when it counts.
• People-Powered Greatness: You invest in your teammates. You give and receive feedback with care and candour. You build trust through high standards and shared success.
• Grow the Whole Pie: You seek out win-win solutions for merchants, couriers, and our customers, because when they thrive, so do we.

If these resonate, and you combine strong technical fundamentals with entrepreneurial drive, let’s connect. Relay is an equal-opportunity employer committed to diversity, inclusion, and fostering a workplace where everyone thrives.