Strategic Projects Lead (100%) at AI Startup

Lightly AG is an ETH and HSG spin-off pioneering in machine learning and computer vision. Backed by Y Combinator and top-tier investors, our technology is used by global leaders in autonomous driving, medical imaging, and visual inspection.

With a small but mighty team in Zurich, we’re looking for a proactive and versatile Strategic Projects Lead to help us scale efficiently and keep our operations humming.

This role is ideal for an ambitious business or engineering professional, a startup-savvy, high-performance operations manager, or a seasoned solutions professional seeking a dynamic full-time role with real impact. You’ll support our co-founders and leadership team directly while keeping our Zurich HQ running smoothly.

Tasks

In this role, you will:

• Expert network management: Manage our network of AI experts, including hiring, contracts, and payments
• AI Project management: Run all operational steps from task assignment to QA and final delivery
• Communication hub: Act as a link between engineering, founders, and solution engineering
• Strategic customer success: Support our technical customers and key accounts with a calm and helpful approach
• Process optimization: Shape and refine our processes, suggest improvements, and introduce useful automations
• Product and platform management: Support product management for our operations platform together with engineering and founders

Requirements

You’re a strong candidate if you:

• Have 3–4 years of work experience in either consulting, engineering/data science, operations management, human data, or finance admin, or are a highly organized professional with a solutions engineering or technical background in GenAI with a sharp sense of ownership.
• Are fluent in English. Additional languages are a plus.
• Have top-notch organizational skills and can juggle multiple priorities without dropping the ball.
• Thrive in dynamic, ambiguous environments and love figuring things out.
• Are comfortable using digital tools like Google Workspace, Slack, Notion, Bexio and possibly Hubspot or are willing to learn them.
• Are fully committed to help build a rocket ship and can be present in the Zurich office several days per week. If the collaboration works well, this role can develop in a more advanced role at a later point in time.

Nice to have:

• Experience working in AI Research
• Experience with RL Gyms
• Experience working with Frontier Labs

💡 Don’t meet every single requirement? That’s okay!

At Lightly, we believe in potential, growth, and learning. If you're excited about the role and think you could be a great fit, we encourage you to apply—even if your experience doesn’t match the job description 100%.

Benefits

• A front-row seat to how a YC-backed deep tech company is built
• Direct exposure to the inner workings of startup leadership
• Flexible working hours and the ability to shape your role over time
• A modern, central office in Zürich near HB and the possibility to work from home.
• Company retreats, offsites, and team events
• Competitive compensation tailored to experience and scope of work

Send us your CV and a short note about why this role excites you. If you’ve handled similar tasks before, we’d love to hear specific examples.

We look forward to hearing from you!