Chief Operating Officer

4 days ago

Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand Manana Interactive Full time NZ$120,000 - NZ$180,000 per year

Company Description

Manana Interactive is developing an innovative emotion regulation training game for schools. Our mission is to decrease harmful incidents, increase focus and create learning environments where every student can thrive. By leveraging technology to address critical social issues, we are combining behavioral science and interactive design to make a meaningful impact.

With early commercial pilots underway, we're now looking to the horizon from early product-market fit to global impact.

Role Description

We're seeking a strategic and execution-focused COO to partner with the CEO in building the systems, teams, and partnerships that will take Manana from startup to category leader.

You'll own operations, growth systems, and scaling strategy — transforming a promising market entry product into a globally deployable, data-secure, and commercially sustainable platform. You'll bring operational excellence to a mission-driven company where science, technology, and empathy intersect.

Role Type

Full-time/founding team

Key Responsibilities

  1. Strategy & Scaling


• Translate the company vision into a clear operating model and scalable roadmap.


• Lead the transition from pilot-stage operations to repeatable deployment across education and other sectors.


• Build and refine metrics for growth, retention, and impact.

  1. Operational Leadership


• Design and implement the infrastructure, tools, and processes for efficient delivery (hardware logistics, onboarding, data flow, compliance).


• Develop operational budgets, forecasts, and performance systems.

  1. Team & Culture


• Foster a culture of clarity, accountability, and learning.


• Support hiring, onboarding, and leadership development as the company scales.

  1. Commercial Execution


• Partner with CEO on go-to-market strategy and partnerships to accelerate adoption.


• Negotiate and manage pilot-to-contract transitions with enterprise clients.


• Ensure operational readiness for international expansion, including compliance, privacy, and localisation.

You Might Be a Fit If You…


• Have scaled an early-stage tech product from post-MVP to international markets, ideally in healthtech or edtech.


• Know how to balance startup scrappiness with enterprise-grade discipline.


• Are deeply comfortable in ambiguous, fast-changing environments.


• Understand how to operationalise science-backed or regulated IP.


• Have experience building lean, data-informed operations that can evolve rapidly.


• Thrive in partnership — translating vision into reality through strong systems and people.

⸻

Preferred Experience


• 10+ years in operations, strategy, or general management (startup to growth-stage experience essential).


• Proven success scaling a B2B SaaS or hardware-integrated product globally.


• Experience with international compliance (GDPR, education or health data).


• Background in psychology, neuroscience, education, or wellness is a plus.


• Strong financial and commercial acumen — able to model growth scenarios and manage investor reporting.

⸻

Why Join Manana


• Help define a new frontier of emotional technology with real social impact.


• Collaborate with a small, world-class team of creators, scientists, and educators.


• Shape the company's scaling DNA — from operating model to global reach.


• Competitive equity and leadership opportunity in a mission-led company poised for takeoff.

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