Business Operations Lead

Terra Industries is a defense technology company building autonomous security systems that protect critical infrastructure across Africa and the Global South. Founded in 2024, we design and manufacture the full stack: the Archer VTOL long-range surveillance drone, the Iroko quadcopter, the Duma autonomous ground vehicle, the Kallon solar-powered AI sentry tower, and ArtemisOS, the AI operating system that brings data intelligence and autonomy to all of it. Our systems are already deployed protecting power plants, mines, and other nationally critical assets valued at approximately $11 billion across multiple countries.In August 2026, we extended our seed round to $52 million from 8VC, Silent Ventures, Nova Global, Belief Capital, SV Angel, and Norleo Space Investments. We are expanding globally while keeping manufacturing in Africa: the 15,000 sq. ft. Pax-1 flagship in Abuja, Nigeria, and Pax-2 in Accra, Ghana, which, at 34,000 sq. ft., will be the largest drone factory on the continent and is targeting 50,000 units a year across our aerial portfolio by 2028. Expansion is planned across the Gulf, South America, and South Asia.We're a small team working at the intersection of hard technology and security. We move quickly, we give people real ownership early, and we expect them to run with it.The RoleWe're hiring a Business Operations Lead to be a force multiplier for the founder and leadership team. This is a generalist role: one week you might be building a financial model, the next you're standing up an HR process, the next you're managing a vendor relationship or prepping board materials. You'll own whatever needs owning, with minimal oversight, and you'll be trusted to figure out problems you haven't seen before.We're looking for someone who has already proven they can pick up context fast, operate independently, and get things done without a playbook — in a real operating environment, not just in theory. This role has a clear path to grow into a broader leadership seat as the company scales.What You'll DoOwn core operating processes across finance, HR, legal, and vendor management — from paying bills and running payroll to onboarding new hires and negotiating contractsBuild and maintain the operating cadence: board materials, KPI tracking, and cross-functional project trackingAct as a right hand to the leadership team — translating strategic priorities into concrete plans and following them through to executionDesign and implement new processes as the company scales, replacing ad hoc work with systems that hold up as headcount growsManage relationships with outside counsel, accountants, banks, and other service providersJump into whatever is highest-priority in a given week, including areas outside a traditional "ops" remitWhat We're Looking ForExperience in a fast-paced environment — startup operations, consulting, banking, or a comparable high-intensity role (2–5 years is the typical profile, but we care about what you've done, not how long you've done it)A demonstrated generalist: comfortable context-switching across finance, HR, legal, and operations without needing deep prior expertise in eachHigh ownership and low need for supervision — you take a vague problem, figure out what "done" looks like, and get thereStrong written and verbal communication; comfortable operating close to a founder and, at times, the boardWilling to work from office location in LondonGenuine interest in defense, hard tech, or emerging markets.