Business Operations Associate

About Outsmart

Outsmart is an early‑stage startup on a mission to reimagine higher education. We are democratizing access to higher education by creating an entirely new collegiate experience. With $38M in backing from firms such as Khosla Ventures, Forerunner, DST Global Partners, and Lightspeed - and a founding team of former Duolingo executives - Outsmart is bringing together mission-oriented, detail-obsessed, high-impact team players to build the learning experiences of tomorrow.

About the role

The Business Operations Associate is a high-trust, high-impact operator who supports and extends the Business Operations Team across core internal functions — people operations, finance, systems, special projects, and executional rigor.

This role is designed for someone who thrives in fast-moving environments, loves bringing order to complexity, and wants deep exposure to how a venture-backed startup actually runs. You’ll work closely with the Business Operations Lead and broader leadership team to keep the company operating cleanly, efficiently, and with momentum as we scale.

You’ll help build and manage the core systems that keep the business running day-to-day, while also helping tackle new challenges that arise as we scale - gathering data, recommending a course of action, and driving execution. In any given week, you might build an AI-based tool to automate invoice approvals, drive a key company expansion project forward, or lead the implementation of a new software platform across the entire company.

This role is designed to be a path to (a) staying here and growing along with Outsmart, (b) heading to grad school, or (c) or starting your own company down the road.

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Reporting: Reports directly to the Business Operations Lead

Qualities we are seeking

• Highly organized, systems-oriented thinker who sweats details without losing sight of the big picture
• Ownership mindset: reliable, proactive, and trusted with sensitive information
• Builder instincts: enjoys improving processes, especially with the help of AI
• Clear communicator who collaborates effectively across teams
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity with a bias toward action
• Team player, who sees no task as too big or too small to own

Responsibilities

Support core business operations

• Assist in building, maintaining, and improving internal processes and systems across people ops, finance, and compliance
• Support onboarding and offboarding workflows, documentation, and internal tooling (e.g., Rippling)
• Help keep internal tools, permissions, and documentation clean and up to date

Special projects and problem-solving

• Tackle high-priority special projects that arise regularly as the business scales
• Support key initiatives where operational rigor is needed
• Be a flexible, generalist operator who can shift focus as priorities evolve

Finance & administrative execution

• Support budgeting, accounting, and vendor management
• Build tools and systems to streamline financial management, leveraging AI where possible
• Help maintain financial hygiene across tools (e.g., payments, contracts, invoices)
• Prepare inputs and summaries for financial reporting, forecasting, and leadership updates

Operational coordination & follow-through

• Track key operational projects and ensure follow-through on action items
• Help create visibility into priorities, timelines, and dependencies
• Surface issues early and help resolve blockers before they slow the team

Qualifications

Required

• 1–3 years experience in operations, consulting, finance, or in an early-stage startup role
• Experience using AI to solve real problems
• Strong organizational skills and comfort working with spreadsheets, documents, and internal tools
• High attention to detail paired with good judgment and discretion
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams and meet deadlines reliably
• Interest in learning how startups scale from the inside

Nice to have

• Demonstrated interest in education, and passion for a mission like ours
• Prior experience supporting senior operators or founders
• Experience with HR, payroll, or finance tools (e.g., Rippling, Brex, accounting software)
• A healthy skepticism of unnecessary process

Perks

• Competitive salary and equity
• Healthcare for you and your dependents (medical, dental, and vision)
• Parental leave for any full-time employee who has been with us for at least 6 months (includes birthing, non-birthing, and adoptive parents)
• 10 PTO days per year and 12+ paid company holidays per year
• Remote work days
• Lunch provided in-office daily
• Work with super talented people who want to make a difference in the world