Business Operations

About Echelon

Echelon is a Saudi-born technology company focused on bringing global AI technologies to Saudi Arabia and the world. The company deploys these technologies through its operations and productizes Saudi-developed capabilities. This business line specifically delivers leading AI technologies to major enterprises and institutions within the Kingdom.

Role Overview: Business Operations

The Business Operations role at Echelon is a full-time position based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This role works directly with the business leader, acting as a chief of staff and business operations lead. The primary responsibility is to extend the leader's reach by preparing decisions, managing operational rhythms, representing the leader across various forums and business lines, and ensuring agreed actions are completed.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare decisions by framing issues, gathering facts and options, and briefing ahead of meetings.
• Manage operational rhythms, including business reviews, pipeline, and forecast cadences, and ensure follow-through on all actions.
• Track performance by owning dashboards that display pipeline, revenue, and account status, and highlight areas needing attention.
• Drive cross-team initiatives from conception to completion, collaborating with sales, delivery, partnerships, and finance.
• Represent the leader in meetings and with stakeholders, exercising sound judgment and discretion.
• Advise on business decisions by providing an independent view, pressure-testing options, surfacing trade-offs and risks, and recommending courses of action.
• Prepare for management forums, group committees, and board sessions by developing papers, aligning positions with stakeholders, and converting outcomes into actionable steps.
• Coordinate with other Echelon business lines and group functions to align priorities, resolve dependencies, and keep the leader informed of upcoming developments.

Required Skills and Attributes

• Analytical: Comfortable with data, models, and dashboards, with the ability to translate numbers into clear recommendations.
• Organized: Capable of managing multiple workstreams simultaneously with structure, follow-through, and attention to detail.
• Trusted: Possesses the judgment and discretion required to handle sensitive information and represent a senior leader.
• Customer First: Measures work by customer outcomes and prioritizes accordingly.
• Ownership Mentality: Takes end-to-end ownership of outcomes and addresses issues proactively.
• Clear Communicator: Explains complex systems simply to various audiences and makes the value of work visible.
• Comfortable with Ambiguity: Makes progress with incomplete information and enjoys problem-solving in unstructured environments.
• Long-term Builder: Invests in the company's long-term success by integrating field insights into strategy and operations.

Working Approach

• Curiosity: Understands how each team operates and what the business requires.
• Speed: Converts requests into trackers, briefs, or processes efficiently.
• Rigour: Verifies data accuracy and can explain its origin.
• Confidence & Humility: Challenges and accepts challenges, adapting views based on evidence.
• Autonomy: Makes decisions with incomplete information and organizes work independently based on desired outcomes.
• Resourcefulness: Finds solutions despite missing data, unclear ownership, or competing priorities.
• Situational Leadership: Leads when appropriate and follows when others have better insights.
• Force Multiplier: Enhances the efficiency of the leadership team through effective briefs, trackers, and follow-through.
• AI-native Depth: Utilizes AI tools for analysis, writing, and automation, with demonstrated experience in building useful applications.

Experience

Candidates should have several years of experience in consulting, strategy, operations, or a chief of staff role. The ideal candidate is numerate, discreet, and eager to learn.