COO

COO

◆ COMPANY

Shift Dynamics is a high-growth defense-tech company reimagining autonomous systems for modern defense. We build AI-driven unmanned aerial systems (UAVs) and tactical autonomy solutions engineered for the most complex environments. Operating at the frontier of aerospace and AI, we are rapidly scaling our technology to set new standards in sovereign security.

This is where extraordinary engineering meets real-world mission impact.

◆ THE OPPORTUNITY

The CEO remains deeply involved in technology development, product strategy, manufacturing, and

customer engagement. We are seeking a COO who can serve as the CEO's operating partner and

lead the organizational side of the company.

We are looking for a builder—someone who has personally experienced rapid organizational growth,

understands how to scale teams and systems without slowing execution, and can help transform a

founder-led company into a world-class organization.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to play a defining role in one of the most ambitious

growth stories in the defense technology sector and may be considered for expanded executive

leadership responsibilities as the company continues to scale.

◆ MISSION

The COO will be responsible for building and leading a high-performance organization capable of

supporting hypergrowth.

The primary mission of this role is to scale the company to more than 200 employees while building

the leadership structure, operating systems, accountability mechanisms, and culture required to

achieve long-term success.

Success will not be measured by maintaining operations.

Success will be measured by building an organization that consistently attracts exceptional talent,

executes with urgency, and delivers outstanding results.

◆ KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Organizational Design and Scaling

• Design and continuously optimize the company organizational structure.

• Build a scalable operating model capable of supporting rapid growth.

• Define reporting structures, decision-making processes, and accountability frameworks.

• Establish management systems that allow the organization to scale efficiently.

• Develop leadership succession plans and organizational capability across all functions.

Talent Acquisition and Talent Density

• Partner closely with HR leadership to develop and execute recruiting strategy.

• Participate in the hiring of senior leaders and critical talent.

• Improve hiring quality, speed, and effectiveness across the company.

• Build a culture that attracts, develops, and retains exceptional people.

• Raise talent density throughout the organization.

Performance Management

• Establish company-wide KPI and goal-setting frameworks.

• Build performance review and accountability systems.

• Drive a culture of ownership, execution, and continuous improvement.

• Identify organizational bottlenecks and underperformance issues and address them proactively.

Business Operations

• Lead company-wide operating reviews and execution processes.

• Improve cross-functional coordination and communication.

• Ensure strategic priorities are translated into measurable actions and outcomes.

• Build operational visibility through metrics, dashboards, and reporting systems.

Executive Leadership

• Serve as a trusted partner to the CEO.

• Help align organizational execution with company strategy.

• Support long-term planning and organizational development.

• Prepare the company for future stages of growth and scale.

Culture and Leadership

We believe that exceptional companies are built by exceptional people.

The COO must be both an outstanding operator and a genuine people leader.

We are looking for someone who communicates openly, builds trust through transparency, and develops strong relationships across the organization. The ideal candidate genuinely enjoys working with people, helping them grow, and creating an environment where talented individuals can do the best work of their careers.

This person should combine high standards and accountability with humility, empathy, and a sincere commitment to supporting the team.

The successful candidate will foster a culture where people feel challenged, supported, respected, and connected to the company mission.

We are not interested in bureaucracy, politics, or hierarchy-driven management. We value leaders who lead by example, earn trust through action, and inspire teams through authenticity and shared purpose.

◆ REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Proven experience leading organizations of 100+ employees.

• Demonstrated success scaling organizations through periods of rapid growth.

• Strong recruiting and talent assessment capabilities.

• Experience building management systems, operational processes, and accountability frameworks. •

Exceptional organizational leadership and people management skills.

• Strong execution mindset with a bias toward action.

• Native-level Korean proficiency.

• Business-level English proficiency.

• Ability to operate effectively in fast-moving and highly ambiguous environments.

◆ PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Founder, former founder, or startup executive experience.

• Previous COO, President, General Manager, or equivalent leadership experience.

• Experience scaling technology companies from early-stage growth to larger organizational scale. •

Experience in defense, aerospace, autonomous systems, robotics, AI, or advanced manufacturing

industries.

• Experience working with international customers, partners, or operations.

◆ WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

Within the first several years, the successful candidate will:

• Help scale the organization.

• Build a high-performance leadership team.

• Establish scalable operating systems and management processes.

• Create a culture of accountability, ownership, and execution excellence.

• Help the company achieve annual revenue exceeding USD 150 million and support the path toward

USD 2 billion+ annual revenue.

• Develop an organization that can continue scaling without becoming dependent on any single

individual.

◆ WHAT WILL DISQUALIFY A CANDIDATE

• Primarily consulting backgrounds without significant operating experience.

• Leaders who focus on presentations and strategy but lack execution capability.

• Political or consensus-driven management styles.

• Excessively bureaucratic or process-heavy approaches.

• Limited experience recruiting and developing high-performing teams.

• Low ownership mentality or reluctance to make difficult decisions.

◆ COMPENSATION

Compensation will be structured to attract exceptional leadership talent and will include:

• Competitive executive-level base salary

• Performance-based incentives

• Meaningful equity participation

• Long-term executive growth opportunities

Exceptional candidates who demonstrate the ability to build and scale enduring organizations may be

considered for expanded leadership responsibilities as the company grows.