Business Operations Lead

China controls 98% of the world's gallium, 92% of germanium, and 93% of silicon. In 2024, China weaponized export restrictions on gallium and germanium, putting the vulnerability on full display. Each of these metals is a byproduct of heavy industry that no longer exists in the United States. We cannot reshore the supply chain because the underlying industries are gone.

PHNX is the Department of Energy's and Department of War's answer to closing that gap. We are a  solids refinery  turning industrial waste into three product streams: critical metals for semiconductors and defense, cement replacement material for construction, and fertilizer for agriculture.

Our platform delivers a triple win: securing domestic critical mineral supply chains, helping power producers retire coal ash liabilities, and giving concrete producers a cheaper, lower-carbon alternative to cement. We support coal communities and remediate groundwater. PHNX was founded by Stanford, Tesla, and national lab alumni, backed by Trust Ventures, Overture, and KdT, and sponsored by the U.S. Department of War and the U.S. Department of Energy.

We are seeking a Business Operations professional to help PHNX scale its commercial and business functions. Working closely with company leadership and technical teams, you will support fundraising, advance customer and site partnerships, and build the processes that turn outreach into agreements and early sales.

The ideal candidate brings experience in investment banking, consulting, business operations, or building business and back-office functions at a startup. You combine analytical rigor with strong follow-through and are comfortable moving between financial models, customer materials, and day-to-day execution.

• Support fundraising with investor presentations, financial forecasts, and growth scenarios that connect commercial opportunities, site expansion, and capital needs. Keep supporting materials and diligence responses current.

• Manage customer and site outreach workflows: track prospects, owners, next steps, and deadlines; coordinate internal input; and identify bottlenecks as outreach expands.

• Support the structure and iteration of offtake agreements, NDAs, and other commercial documents. Analyze terms and economics, track revisions, and coordinate review with leadership and legal counsel.

• Create and maintain customer presentations, product one-pagers, proposals, and other collateral, translating technical input into clear materials for investors, customers, and partners.

• Coordinate sales readiness across licensing, labeling, product qualification, and customer documentation, working with technical teams and relevant specialists to keep requirements and milestones on track.

• Support early customers from initial evaluation through onboarding. Coordinate samples, testing, questions, and follow-up, and bring customer feedback into commercial and technical planning.

• Build practical business processes, trackers, and reporting that help the team prioritize opportunities, surface risks, and follow through on commitments as the company grows.

• Provide targeted procurement diligence support for technical projects. Partner with the technical program manager and technical team to obtain quotes early, compare suppliers and commercial terms, and flag cost or delivery risks.

• Experience in investment banking, consulting, business operations, or building business and back-office functions at a startup.

• Strong analytical skills, including financial modeling, scenario planning, and evaluating commercial tradeoffs with incomplete information.

• Clear writing and presentation skills, with the ability to turn technical and financial information into…