Who are we?

Since our founding in 2015, we’ve grown into an organization of over 100 employees based primarily in New York City. Our cross-disciplinary team consists of experts from real estate, urban planning, government, finance, technology, and engineering, among other backgrounds.

We’ve launched innovative companies addressing urban mobility, next-generation infrastructure, and community-based healthcare, and invested in startups working on everything from robotic furniture to digital electricity. We continue to work internally on factory-made mass timber construction that can improve housing affordability and sustainability, a digital master-planning tool designed to help developers and communities achieve shared objectives, and a new approach to all-electric neighborhoods.

With the potential to catalyze and scale new models for sustainable and affordable growth, our work is both exciting and complex. We are working to achieve something unprecedented — help us build it!

What is the role?

Sidewalk Labs is currently standing up a new business unit, FactoryCo, a solutions business that will deliver mid- to high-rise buildings made out of mass timber and produced through a net new build of an advanced manufacturing facility. FactoryCo is focused on reducing both the cost and emissions associated with buildings.  

• FactoryCo uses advanced digital manufacturing techniques to deliver a better product faster, at a price point that is competitive with traditional construction techniques.
• FactoryCo will produce prefabricated mass timber components (facades, floor cassettes, walls, and structure), which will be transported to site for assembly.
• FactoryCo is a solutions provider that will sell to developers as a supplier of turn-key buildings. On site, its parts will be integrated with other building components (e.g elevators) that are procured from partner vendors. 

The Chief-Of-Staff (COS) will report to the Head of Factory and work with the leadership team of FactoryCo, responsible for overseeing and scaling business operations.

The COS will act as a critical strategic advisor to the Head of FactoryCo. In this endeavor, they will have support from and partner with the Head’s Senior Administrative Assistant. The COS will be responsible for driving business-critical processes like team-wide goal setting, budgeting, and liaising with SWL Corporate Services (e.g., Procurement, Finance, Legal). The COS will also support and lead key activities required to launch a new business including strategic projects, fundraising, and building internal processes. 

Responsibilities will include:  

• Goal Setting: Drive team-wide setting and tracking of annual and quarterly goals through OKRs. Shape the OKRs with FactoryCo leadership and the broader team, and dynamically adjust as needed. 
• Budgeting: Drive team-wide process for creating and managing budget. Shape the budget in conjunction with FactoryCo leadership and the broader team. Manage budget with Sidewalk Labs Finance team, resolving issues as they arise. 
• Corporate Services:  Oversee the relationship with legal, finance, and people operations matters—functions that are currently fulfilled by SWL, but may be built within FactoryCo over time, pending the advice of the COS and growth of the FactoryCo business. 
• Strategic projects: On an as-needed basis, provide support on strategic projects such as competitor analysis, delivery model creation, and customer segmentation. Serve as an active participant in the fundraising process and a support contact for external investors.  Create materials for investors working with the business development team, and drawing on the input of many additional team members. 
• Internal process building: On an as needed basis, create processes to improve cross-team collaboration and efficiency, such as design and prototyping read-outs and  procurement approval process optimization.  

Exact responsibilities will vary depending on the skillset and background of the candidate whom we hire. There may be substantial opportunity to flex into additional strategic and technical work, pending mutual interest and fit.  

What You Will Achieve:

1. After 3 months: You will have established a working relationship with all members of the FactoryCo team, as well as the Corporate Services departments. You will have familiarized yourself with FactoryCo’s business model, and started to play a leading role in conversations with investors.    
2. After 6 months You will have outlined a clear plan for the next phase of FactoryCo’s expansion, including org structure, goals, budget and more, with buy-in from both Sidewalk Labs leadership and the FactoryCo team. You have begun to execute on this vision, by working with SWL’s Talent team to hire key roles across the team.  
3. After 12 months You will have helped build a highly efficient organization, including corporate services functions that can deliver on the distinct needs of FactoryCo. As we shift from corporate hiring into the build-out and operations of a factory location, you are ready to lean into a whole new set of business operations challenges and opportunities. Those opportunities will reflect your track record and the needs of the business.

What We Expect:

Experience:

• Prior experience in Strategy, Business Operations, Business Development or Product Management is required.
• Prior experience in the architecture, engineering, construction or real estate development industries is required; candidates who have worked at a high growth startup in these industries are preferred.
• We anticipate that strong candidates will have between 5-8 year of work experience; the role can be tailored based on experience level.

Traits: 

The FactoryCo team is relatively new—the job requires someone who is nimble and can set up systems that will help our business unit thrive. Candidates should be comfortable navigating a fast-paced startup environment within a much larger company, where they are expected to be both leaders and doers.

• Feel comfortable executing all tasks, no matter how large or small.  
• Strategic thinker who is eager to learn and jump into technical subjects.
• Ability to juggle multiple competing tasks and stay on top of complex workflows.
• Persistent and gets the job done, including trouble-shooting difficult scenarios.   
• Strong at building relationships, both with internal team members and suppliers, as well as across multiple disciplines. 
• Eager to go the extra mile and create new systems that improve the status quo. 
• Responsive to team needs and comfortable with a role that will evolve as we grow. 

Other Terms:

Candidates should be located in NYC or the West Coast, with a strong preference for candidates in the Pacific NorthWest, though we are willing to consider highly qualified candidates in other locations. Given the pandemic, Sidewalk Labs is currently working remotely, and we expect to eventually re-open our offices when it is safe to return, in 2021. After re-opening, candidates will be expected to come into the office five days a week but also be comfortable with engaging with a remote team across North America. Depending on where the COS is located, they may need to engage in regular travel, in particular to the Pacific Northwest. 

The community of the future is a place for everyone, and Sidewalk Labs is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to apply. All employment is based on merit and business needs.