Chief Operating Officer - Cold Storage

About the Role:

This is not a traditional executive role - we're looking for a builder, not a manager. You'll be starting from zero: no existing team, no facilities, no established processes. If you get excited about rolling up your sleeves, designing your first facility with a customer, and building a team from the ground up, this is your opportunity.

You'll combine deep technical operations expertise with commercial relationship building, translating customer supply chain requirements into facility designs while simultaneously selling and building our first operations team. This is hands-on work with significant upside from the overall platform economics.

Key Responsibilities:

Technical & Operations (Hands-On):

• Design cold storage facilities based on customer requirements (throughput, SKU mix, temperature zones)

• Specify racking systems, automation solutions (WMS, AS/RS, conveyor), and material handling equipment

• Design labor models and operational workflows for efficiency

• Oversee facility commissioning, quality control, and food safety protocols

• Optimize energy consumption and operational costs

Commercial & Customer Management:

• Conduct site assessments and requirements gathering with QSR, retail, and food clients

• Co-design facilities that meet customer economics and supply chain needs

• Lead business development conversations and close deals as technical expert

• Build long-term customer relationships through operational excellence

Team Building & Leadership:

• Recruit and train operations team as we scale (facility managers, engineers, operations staff)

• Develop SOPs and operational standards from scratch

• Build a culture of continuous improvement in safety, quality, and efficiency

• Partner with CEO on growth strategy and market expansion

Required Qualifications:

• 7+ years in cold storage/cold chain operations, including facility design or commissioning

• Proven experience designing racking, automation, and warehouse systems

• Deep understanding of supply chain economics and customer requirements

• Track record in customer-facing technical roles

• Entrepreneurial mindset - you've built things from zero before

• Hands-on mentality - you enjoy doing the work, not just delegating it

• English fluency (written and verbal) required

• Experience building and leading operations teams

• Knowledge of Vietnam market and regulations preferred

Preferred:

• Professional certifications (PE, food safety, cold chain logistics)

• Experience with multiple product categories (food service, retail, pharmaceuticals)

• Familiarity with international cold storage standards

• Previous startup, market entry, or greenfield project experience

What We Offer:

• Equity participation with upside from overall platform economics

• Ground-floor opportunity in a well-capitalized market entry

• Work with a diverse, international team across Vietnam and US

• Autonomy to build operations function from scratch, your way

• Exposure to institutional investors and global best practices

• The satisfaction of building something real from zero