Business Operations Associate
Job description
About the role
The Business Operations Associate role at Harper exists to rebuild commercial insurance as software by turning expert human judgment into scalable compute. Harper is an AI-native company in San Francisco that has grown ~100x in the last year and operates at that speed. The role is not theoretical; it is operational. You will learn the entire business operation - spanning sales, underwriting, customer service, and carrier relations - and convert fragmented human processes into systems that scale. You will rotate across functions, owning real work rather than observing it, so that engineering can build the next iteration of the business. No two weeks look the same because the problems you solve cut across org charts and demand full ownership.
What you'll do
- Run the operation by handling underwriter follow-ups, carrier communications, and keeping deals moving through the pipeline.
- Build systems that scale by creating processes, workflows, and structures that accelerate the team and make manual work obsolete.
- Own relationships on both sides to ensure nothing falls through the cracks with customers or underwriters.
- Enable sales by arming the team with data, materials, and feedback loops needed to close deals efficiently.
- Touch the full lifecycle from intake and onboarding to servicing and renewals to understand how the business operates.
- Shape what gets built by translating operational pain into clear product requirements for engineering.
- Move where it is urgent by context-switching across functions based on what matters most each week.
- Execute unglamorous operational tasks that form the backbone of the business system.
- Extract insight from spreadsheets and turn observations into decisions and actions.
- Navigate ambiguity by adapting scope weekly without losing intensity or ownership.
- Prioritize outcomes over job descriptions while maintaining high standards in every task.
- Collaborate directly with engineering to ensure operational needs translate into build-ready specifications.
Requirements
- 1-3 years in a high-pace environment such as startup, consulting, banking, or operations roles.
- Strong written and verbal communication with customers, underwriters, and internal teams.
- Comfort pulling insight from a spreadsheet and making a timely call.
- Bias toward action and ownership of messy problems end-to-end.
- Ability to context-switch without losing intensity or focus on results.
- Based in San Francisco or willing to relocate immediately.
- Capacity to work long days on-site during standard company hours.
- Readiness to engage with regulated-industry complexity and operate with high integrity.
Nice to have
- Prior startup or founder experience driving initiatives from concept to execution.
- Exposure to insurance, fintech, or regulated industries.
- Familiarity with CRM, workflow automation, or AI-assisted tooling.
- Background in sales, customer success, or account management.
The honest day-to-day
This role is execution, not strategy-from-a-desk. A real share of the week is follow-ups, chasing, coordination, and cleanup - the operational backbone done well. Ambiguity is the job, not a phase; scope shifts week to week. If you need a fixed lane and a clean spec, you will be uncomfortable here. Long days are expected on-site in San Francisco, roughly Monday-Friday, 5 AM-8 PM. The ceiling is high: people who are exceptional here go on to run functions, lead teams, or start companies because they have seen how the whole business works. That is the payoff, and it is on the other side of the grind.
COMPENSATION & LOGISTICS
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Salary: $110,000-$140,000 + performance bonuses & equity
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Location: USA
- Schedule: Monday-Friday, in-office hours matching the rest of the company.
- Benefits: Uber commuter benefits; breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided; snacks, drinks, and coffee daily; free gym membership; health, dental, and vision insurance.
PROCESS
TO APPLY
Send your resume and tell us about a time you owned something messy and made it work. If you've been waiting for the opportunity that finally matches your ab