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!

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.

• 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.

• 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…