Chief of Staff

About Our Work

We are neuroscientists who build ground-breaking technology for the spatial computing era. We stimulate nerves to create artificial tactile sensations, creating new, more meaningful connections to the user for notifications, 3D digital content, physical AI, health information, and beyond. Our first products will be mobile, wearable devices that stream haptic data from multiple digital source to create meaningful sensations of touch.

The R&D Chief of Staff serves as a strategic and operational partner to the CTO and the Research & Development organization. This role is responsible for driving alignment, execution, and organizational effectiveness across R&D and hardware engineering initiatives. Acting as the connective tissue of the team, the R&D Chief of Staff ensures that priorities are clearly defined, decisions are translated into actionable plans, and key initiatives move forward efficiently.

• Partner closely with the CTO to operationalize strategic priorities across the R&D organization
• Translate leadership discussions and decisions into structured action plans and measurable outcomes
• Establish and maintain systems, processes, and tracking tools to ensure initiatives progress to completion
• Coordinate cross-functional efforts across engineering, product, and other internal stakeholders
• Monitor timelines, identify risks, and proactively address bottlenecks that may impact delivery
• Facilitate meetings, document key decisions, and ensure accountability for follow-up actions
• Streamline communication and information flow across teams
• Identify operational gaps and implement process improvements
• Support roadmap planning, execution tracking, and organizational prioritization
• Serve as the operational backbone of the office in the early stage, managing essential administrative functions while building systems that will scale with the company
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree required, or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience
• Preferred fields include:
  Business Administration, Engineering, Science, Technology Management, Project Management, or a related discipline

• 5+ years of experience in operations, program management, project management, consulting, executive support, or a related field
• Experience supporting technical, engineering, or product-focused teams preferred
• Strong project and program management capabilities
• Exceptional organizational and prioritization skills
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex initiatives simultaneously
• Ability to operate independently and exercise sound judgment
• Skilled at synthesizing complex information and translating ambiguity into structured plans
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to influence and drive alignment without formal authority
• High level of discretion, professionalism, and executive presence
• Comfortable working in fast-paced, evolving environments
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills

Work closely with cutting-edge technology. You'll be hands-on with novel neural haptic technology that's defining the future of spatial computing and immersive experiences. Work in a close-knit, startup environment. We strive to create an intellectually stimulating and collegial working environment. Our energy for inventing, creating, and learning spans work and play: we have regular happy hours, plan field trips, play games, play music, and generally have a good time.

We are an early-stage deep tech startup company that requires all members to contribute across the entire business. On any given day, there will be new challenges and new demands to propel the business forward. We expect all employees to be able to dive into any new challenges that present themselves, even if they are beyond the job description above. If you are driven by the desire to see success and to create new tech not seen by the world previously, you will fit right in to the team's culture.

Afference is committed to providing the sense of touch for the evolution of the human connection to technology and the future of the digital experience. We are leading this effort through deep science and technology, which provides unique experiences compared to classic haptic technologies. Our lean team of experts demands a high level of excellence but can compensate with the commensurate upside potential of an early-growth startup in a high-growth sector of extended reality.

Compensation offers depend on skills, qualifications, and experience, and range between: $79,600 to $119,400 per year at 100% FTE

Benefits include:

• Medical, dental vision, life, STD, FSA, additional company perks
• 17,000 shares
• Self-managed PTO

Location:

On-site;
Cleveland, OH office