Founding Marketplace Operations Lead

About the role

EQL Tech is recruiting a Founding Marketplace Operations Lead for a high-growth fintech startup building the commercial infrastructure for the US public education budget. The platform lets parents direct an average of $7.5k per child toward education services chosen by their families, and the team includes engineers and operators from companies such as Goldman Sachs, Stripe, Microsoft and SpaceX. The role owns the economics and vendor partnerships of a pre-category education marketplace, combining commercial negotiation, data analysis and community trust.

Key responsibilities

• Analyze real transaction data to identify categories and purchase flows by frequency, volume and margin opportunity
• Independently access and interpret transaction data using SQL to defend category decisions
• Decide which vendors to partner with, from local micro-schools to national enterprises such as Amazon and Target
• Negotiate commercial agreements and commission structures that improve company margin
• Influence spend through product and operations choices while preserving family trust
• Account for evolving ESA eligibility rules across states in the roadmap

Required profile

• 3-7 years in marketplace operations, category management or strategic partnerships
• Proven track record in two-sided supply and demand dynamics (e.g. Amazon, Instacart, Faire)
• Experience structuring end-to-end vendor deals at meaningful scale
• Strong undergraduate degree or MBA from a top institution
• Willingness to relocate to San Francisco or Phoenix and travel regularly to visit vendors and families

Required skills

• SQL is essential
• Commercial negotiation and deal structuring

What we offer

• Salary of $120,000-$170,000 per year, commensurate with experience
• Founding equity
• Visa sponsorship if needed
• Relocation support