Job Title: Business Operations (1st Hire)

Salary: $100K - $140K Employment Type: Full-Time Location Type: Remote

Position Overview

Join an early-stage startup focused on transforming financial access for underserved Americans. Kovo is seeking a highly motivated and capable individual to be our first business operations hire. This role is designed for someone who can operate with the effectiveness of an entire project management organization, enabling the company to accelerate its growth disproportionately to headcount.

About Kovo

Kovo is an innovative financial empowerment platform creating pathways to credit and financial inclusion for individuals traditionally excluded from financial opportunities. We have achieved significant growth, scaling revenue 10x and improving efficiency 5x over the past two years. Our revenue per employee is more than double the 90th percentile benchmark for startups. As a venture-scale company, we have achieved positive free cash flow early in our lifecycle, allowing for less dilution for employees as we accelerate momentum without being dependent on external funding. We are backed by prominent investors including Inspired Capital and Homebrew, as well as founders and leaders from leading companies in the fintech and tech space.

About You

• Energized by scaling operational excellence for a business focused on financial empowerment.
• Comfortable in a high-intensity role with an ambitious workload (expect more than a standard 40-50 hour workweek).
• Thrive in a remote work environment.
• Possess prior experience (2+ years) in business operations, management consulting, investment banking, private equity, or high-growth startup operations.
• Motivated to leverage AI, automation, and data tools to maximize individual impact.
• A self-starter who thrives in ambiguity, adapts to shifting priorities, and collaborates effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Proficient with SQL.

Responsibilities

As the first business operations hire, you will be expected to handle a wide range of tasks, including but not limited to:

• Proactively identify operational bottlenecks and implement autonomous solutions.
• Design, establish, and continuously improve internal operational processes and systems to support rapid growth and scale.
• Lead projects focused on operational efficiency, cost optimization, and sustained growth.
• Manage and streamline business-critical items and workflows, such as:
  • Audits (SOC 2 Type II, regulatory examinations)
  • License renewals
  • Employee lifecycle processes (onboarding, offboarding)
• Independently handle recurring, operational, administrative, or miscellaneous work that would otherwise fall to the founders, with a strong emphasis on end-to-end automation.

Why You Might Be Excited About Us

• Directly impact millions of underserved individuals' ability to access credit.
• Work with minimal bureaucracy, significant ownership, and have a broad impact on the company's trajectory.
• Enjoy an environment that fosters autonomy and provides the resources to do your best work.

Why You Might Not Be Excited About Us

• As a small team, roles and responsibilities will evolve quickly.
• Priorities and projects may shift as the company learns and adapts.
• We are still in the process of building foundational systems and processes.