Head of Operations (gn) @ DeepTech Hardware Venture, Konstanz (DE)

About this role

Every second counts when firefighters breach a burning building. Every decision matters when soldiers advance through hostile territory. Every data point is critical when emergency responders race against time.

At HIGHCAT (www.highcat.io), we build the unmanned aerial systems that tip the scales toward mission success and away from catastrophic failure. Our reconnaissance drones don't just capture footage, they save lives. And we need someone who can build the operational machine that turns cutting-edge engineering into battle-ready equipment that professionals stake their lives on.

This isn't a role for someone who wants to "optimize processes" or "drive efficiency metrics." This is for someone who understands that operational excellence in our world means a firefighter makes it home, a soldier completes the mission, and a first responder saves another life.

What You'll Actually Do

Build the operational backbone from concept to deployment

You'll own the entire lifecycle,from when an idea sparks in engineering to when a unit deploys in the field. Our flagship LYNX reconnaissance drone needs to go from prototype to mission-ready in compressed timeframes. No room for bureaucracy. No time for politics. Just relentless execution.

Make the hard calls that founders make

Resource allocation with incomplete information. Technical tradeoffs under pressure. Conflicting priorities across engineering, sales, and customers. You'll have the autonomy to decide, the authority to act, and the accountability for outcomes. 

Scale without breaking what works

We're moving from early traction to multi-product, multi-customer deployment across defense, public safety, and critical infrastructure. You'll build systems that scale but never at the expense of the quality standards our customers' lives depend on. Modular drone families, encrypted data links,  a complete software stack written from scratch,all of this needs operational systems worthy of the technology.

Lead without a title

You won't have direct reports across the org, but you'll influence everything. Engineering roadmaps. Sales strategy. Product timelines. Customer deployments. You'll do it through data, relationships, and strategic clarity,not hierarchy.

Create a culture worth joining

High accountability. Direct feedback. Learning from setbacks. No one here confuses operational excellence with perfection. We're after intelligent risk-taking, rapid iteration, and unwavering commitment to the people who depend on us. You'll set that tone.

What You Bring

Track record of making operational chaos into repeatable systems

High-growth startups, defense tech, mission-critical hardware, consumer electronics where hardware meets software. You've built from scratch in environments where product cycles are measured in 12-24 months max, not years. We care about what you've built and the impact you've driven, not how many years you've been collecting paychecks.

A track record of building, not inheriting

Anyone can manage an existing system. We need someone who has designed operational architecture from the ground up in fast-moving, resource-constrained environments. Show us the systems you built and the impact they drove.

Cross-functional leadership without the org chart

You've influenced engineering priorities, shaped sales strategy, and impacted the company directionally without direct authority. You know how to lead through influence, data, and earned trust.

Judgment under fire

You've made consequential decisions with 60% of the information you wanted, owned the outcomes when things went sideways, and earned more responsibility through consistent performance. In our world, analysis paralysis kills momentum.

Financial literacy that matters

Budgets, operating models, resource allocation decisions. You balance growth and sustainability because you understand both P&L dynamics and long-term value creation.

Genuine mission alignment

This isn't corporate virtue signaling. You're motivated by the fact that your operational decisions directly enable people who run toward danger while others run away. If that doesn't drive you, this role isn't for you.

What We Offer

Mission with measurable impact

Your systems touch reality every day. When a firefighter gets better situational awareness, when a soldier completes reconnaissance safely, when emergency responders make faster decisions—That's your operational excellence at work.

Work directly with the founders

You'll report to and collaborate daily with CEO & Co-Founder Dominik Faisst and CTO & Co-Founder Jan Hartmann. All major company decisions. Full transparency on performance, challenges, and growth trajectory. These are builders who optimize for mission success over politics.No corporate theater, just execution.

High-trust, low-bureaucracy environment

Ownership is real. Decisions move fast. Competence gets rewarded with more responsibility. No endless meetings. No performative work. Just building technology that matters with people who care about getting it right.

Professional growth through complexity

You'll be stretched. Cutting-edge drone technology deployment in the world's most demanding operational environments. Foundation-building at a company where your operational architecture becomes organizational DNA. The complexity will accelerate your development faster than any MBA or corporate rotation program ever could.

About HIGHCAT

We develop and manufacture reconnaissance UAV systems for professional users who operate where failure means mission failure and mission failure can mean loss of life.

Our flagship reconnaissance quad LYNX delivers up to 75-minute flight times with an Inhouse developed 3 axis Sensor package with a 10-15km range, and AES encryption. The system enables flexible payload swaps—from our Flick gimbal with 10x optical zoom to thermal imaging—all while maintaining NDAA compliance and cross-platform component compatibility.

We're backed by leading venture capital and strategic partners who understand that defense, public safety, and critical infrastructure represent both massive markets and moral imperatives. Based in Konstanz, Germany, our team combines deep technical expertise with deep understanding of the domains we serve.

If you believe operational excellence is how mission-driven companies turn vision into reality, HIGHCAT is where you belong.