Chief Operating Officer

About Us:

Astera is a 501(c)(3) private operating foundation on a mission to help lead humanity’s transition to a scientifically advanced, abundant future. In service of this mission, we run residencies and other internal programming to support the creation of public goods for science and technology, such as open, non-proprietary infrastructure, tools, datasets, and standards. You can read about our mission and vision here.

Astera is entering a period of rapid growth and transformation. We aim to massively scale our new residency program to support dozens of projects, while transitioning to a model that leverages a portion of our $2.5B endowment for maximum impact. The COO will play a critical leadership role in executing this vision.

Position Summary:

We are seeking an exceptional Chief Operating Officer to oversee the day-to-day operations, financial management, compliance, and legal affairs of the foundation. The COO will work closely with the CEO and other senior leaders to develop and implement strategic plans to guide Astera through this period of growth.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the organization. You will take a leading role in the financial management of the foundation, including budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and risk management. You will also work closely with outside counsel and other professionals to manage legal, tax, and regulatory affairs for the foundation.
• Build infrastructure for our expansion. You will be responsible for building out the operational systems and team necessary to support the rapid growth of our programs in the next 1-2 years. The residency program, which is expected to scale to a budget of tens of millions of dollars and spin out dozens of projects and organizations annually, will be a major focus.
• Build systems for our impact investing arm. You will work closely with our director of impact investing to redeploy a portion of Astera’s endowment into impact-generating investments, while ensuring Astera meets its minimum distribution requirements as a private operating foundation.
• Serve as a key member of the executive team, contributing to overall organizational strategy, goal-setting, and decision-making.
• Help build and steward an organizational culture of excellence, ownership, and relentless pursuit of impact.
  
  

Qualifications

To work with us, you must:

• Feel comfortable communicating candidly and giving and receiving constructive feedback.
• Be demonstrably committed to continuous professional growth at every stage of development.
• Thrive in a startup-like environment, and understand that trying to quickly scale an organization that’s doing something novel requires flexibility and adaptation at the individual level.
• Embrace the unique opportunity and responsibility we have to leverage our resources to build something truly extraordinary – have no concept of “good enough.”
• Recognize the critical role of culture in building a high-performing organization, and enthusiastically participate in setting, communicating, and reinforcing that culture.
• Wholeheartedly embrace our mission to pioneer new ways to advance scientific and technological progress for public benefit.
• Operate with the highest levels of integrity and judgment, with a strong commitment to transparency and accountability.
  
  

In addition, we’re looking for a combination of:

• Proven experience in a senior operational leadership role, preferably in a high-growth or mission-driven organization.
• A track record of building and leading high-performing teams through periods of change.
• Strong financial acumen and experience with budgeting, forecasting, and risk management.
• In-depth knowledge of legal, regulatory, and compliance requirements.
  
  

Location:

This role is in person in Berkeley, California.

Compensation:

The successful candidate will receive a competitive compensation package, commensurate with their experience.