Operator-In-Residence (OIR): Vertical AI at Primary VC

New York, New York, United States

Apply Now

$125,000 – $180,000Compensation

Junior (1 to 2 years), Mid-level (3 to 4 years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Artificial Intelligence, Venture CapitalIndustries

Requirements

2–4 years of experience as an engineer, technical product manager, or founder; comfortable getting hands-on with tools and prototypes
Familiar with the generative AI ecosystem (LLMs, agents, embeddings, RAG, etc.) and excited about applying these technologies in specific industries
Entrepreneur’s intrinsic motivation, capable of independently running with business ideas with substantial ambiguity (self-starter)
Love talking to users, asking the second question, and building products that solve real pain (customer-obsessed)
Thrive in ambiguity and enjoy wearing multiple hats; spend weekends playing with the latest AI tools, building side projects, and studying businesses (entrepreneurial)
Able to learn rapidly, develop a strong point of view, and communicate compelling narratives (storyteller)
Comfortable with financial models and concepts and can quickly assess the feasibility and scalability of a new venture idea (commercially-minded)
Product-obsessed hacker with a few years of engineering or product experience and a deep grip on the modern AI stack; curious, fast, and fearless
Believe that the current AI-driven technological shift presents a unique opportunity to build multi-billion-dollar businesses

Responsibilities

Collaborate with the Primary Labs team to source, vet, and pressure-test startup ideas across vertical AI sectors
Conduct deep customer discovery, market analysis, and competitive landscaping to identify high-conviction problems
Build MVPs and prototypes to validate key assumptions and iterate quickly toward a solution
Develop go-to-market strategies, run early experiments (including outbound and growth hacks), and support customer onboarding
Create pitch decks and other investor materials
Join the company in its launch phase as a founding team member responsible for gaining initial traction, building out the rest of the team, and supporting business operations or go back to the drawing board with the Incubation program all over again

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

Generative AIAI PrototypingProduct EngineeringCustomer InterviewsLanding PagesCold EmailingWorkflow AnalysisOutbound Sales

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What is the salary range for the Operator-In-Residence role?

The salary range is $125K - $180K.

Is this position remote or onsite?

The position is onsite.

What experience and skills are required for this role?

Candidates need 2–4 years of experience as an engineer, technical product manager, or founder, with a product-obsessed mindset, deep knowledge of the modern AI stack, and skills in building prototypes, customer discovery, and rapid experimentation.

What is the work environment like at Primary VC?

Primary VC offers a hands-on, customer-driven environment focused on vertical AI, with a collaborative Incubation program where you'll work closely with the Primary Labs team to build startups from scratch in a fast-paced, experimental setting.

What makes a strong candidate for this Operator-In-Residence position?

Strong candidates are product-obsessed hackers with 2–4 years of engineering or product experience, a deep understanding of the AI stack, curiosity, speed, fearlessness, and a passion for building multi-billion-dollar businesses through rapid prototyping and customer discovery.

Primary VC

Seed stage VC for SaaS, ecommerce

About Primary VC

Primary VC specializes in seed-stage investments, primarily targeting two sectors: enterprise software as a service (SaaS) and e-commerce. Their investment strategy is geographically focused on New York City, allowing them to leverage local market insights and opportunities. Unlike many other venture capital firms, Primary VC emphasizes early-stage funding, providing support and resources to startups in their initial phases of growth. The goal of Primary VC is to nurture and develop promising companies in their chosen sectors, helping them to scale and succeed in a competitive landscape.

New York City, New YorkHeadquarters

2015Year Founded

$2,742.6MTotal Funding

UNKNOWNCompany Stage

Venture Capital, Enterprise Software, Consumer GoodsIndustries

51-200Employees