Strategy & Operations Associate

ABOUT AIRBOUND Our mission is to make a world where everyone has access to delivery. Where goods move as freely as information moves today. This is possible. Today the cost of moving on a scooter is ₹2/km. That’s the cost of moving a 150kg mass from point A to B. We’re bringing that mass down to less than 5kgs, concurrently bringing the cost down to 10 paise/km. This is how we make deliveries a reality. This is how we create a world where we’re doing billions of deliveries per day. The tech is not there. The current cost of drone delivery is ₹100/km. We need to completely redefine the way things are done here. We’re building the world’s most efficient aircraft from the ground-up, and scaling that up to beyond anything the aerospace sector has ever seen. This cannot be an iterative process. We have to tear down all conventions and build everything up from scratch. To do this, we need nothing less than the best engineers. The ones who care about building something fundamentally different, who are deeply curious about understanding the fundamentals of everything they’re working on, who are dreamers that believe in the impossible. ABOUT OPERATIONS Operations run Airbound's fleet and makes sure every flight is safe, on time and cost-effective. At our stage it is a strategic pillar, not a support function: it drives growth and shapes what we build. The team owns launch-site selection and setup, flight planning, fleet utilisation and client onboarding. We monitor weather, collate flight data and mine historical patterns for predictive analytics, and we write the SOPs that keep the network safe. We also own the big-ticket problems, such as cost optimization and pricing strategy. Operations is the glue that holds Airbound together. We work with engineering to turn growth ambitions into a detailed operations roadmap that directly informs product design and engineering priorities. We decide with data, not instinct. We form hypotheses, then prove or disprove them with flight logs, delivery times and cost metrics. We are process-obsessed and biased toward fast execution, always asking how we can deliver better, faster and cheaper. ABOUT THE ROLE The Strategy & Operations Associate works directly with the Chief of Staff and the Head of Operations on high-impact projects across the Ops team. A core part of the role is building operational and financial models that project costs under different scenarios and inform how we price our delivery services. The role is full-time and on-site (no remote work), with substantial room to grow within the company. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Financial modelling and pricing: Build and maintain Excel models that forecast operational costs (airframe, motor and servo life, maintenance, manpower) under different growth scenarios, and use them to guide pricing and resource allocation - Operations roadmap: Work with R&D, Manufacturing and Software to turn growth plans into an operations roadmap, with clear problem statements, constraints and success metrics - Data-driven improvement: Analyse delivery times and cost data to find bottlenecks, and propose fixes for routes, turnaround times and inventory - Special projects: Lead or coordinate projects such as setting up new launch hubs, entering new regions or evaluating partnerships - Leadership and investor reporting: Prepare concise presentations on operational plans, cost forecasts and performance metrics - SOPs and compliance: Help review SOPs and safety protocols so processes stay scalable and compliant as we grow - Ad-hoc support: Handle urgent analyses, competitive research, new business evaluations and the operations inputs to fundraising materials QUALIFICATIONS MUST-HAVE - Bachelor's degree from a top-tier engineering school with a strong academic record. An MBA is not required - 1–2 years at a management consulting firm, an investment bank (front office, Industrials or M&A preferred), or in strategy/operations at a deep-tech startup. Quality of experience matters more than years - Proven financial modelling and advanced Excel skills - A structured problem-solver who is comfortable with ambiguity and turns complex problems into actionable plans - Quick to learn new domains such as drone technology and aviation regulation - Works well with engineers, pilots and business teams - Clear written and verbal communicator, from technicians to the CEO to clients - A self-starter with strong ownership and high attention to detail - Genuine interest in UAVs, aviation, logistics and the future of delivery GOOD TO HAVE - Familiarity with SQL, Python or Tableau - Experience coordinating cross-functional projects Work location: Hoskote, Bangalore (Headquarters) #LI-AR1 WHAT WE OFFER - Comprehensive health insurance to keep you and your loved ones covered - Relocation assistance and a daily travel stipend to ease your commute - Advanced salary credit to support you when you need it “A driven, passionate team where you’ll have room to grow and thrive - this is more than just a job, it’s a rare opportunity to build something meaningful from the ground up” WORK SCHEDULE: - In-office role, working alternate Saturdays. 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