Chief of Staff to the Chief Operating Officer

Help us tackle the growing wildfire crisis with the latest advancements in AI and IoT

Who we are

The problem: Every minute matters in fire response. As climate change amplifies the intensity of wildfires—with longer fire seasons, dryer fuels, and faster winds—new ignitions spread faster and put more communities at risk. Today, most wildfires are detected by bystanders and reported via 911, meaning it can take hours to detect a fire, verify its exact location and size, and dispatch first responders. Fire authorities need a faster way to detect, confirm, and pinpoint fires so that they can quickly respond—preventing small flare-ups from becoming devastating infernos.

About Pano: We are a 175+ person growth-stage hybrid-remote start-up, headquartered in San Francisco. We are the leader in early wildfire detection and intelligence, helping fire professionals respond to fires faster and more safely—with the right equipment, timely information, and enhanced coordination—so that they can stop a new ignition before it grows. Pano AI combines advanced hardware, software, and artificial intelligence into an easy-to-use, web-based platform. Leveraging a network of ultra-high-definition, 360-degree cameras atop high vantage points, as well as satellite and other data feeds, Pano AI produces a real-time picture of threats in a geographic region and delivers immediate, actionable intelligence.

Pano AI has been recognized by Fast Company as one of the Top 10 Most Innovative AI Companies in 2023, and as one of the Top 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2026—ranking #1 in the category. The company was also named to TIME’s list of the 100 Most Influential Companies of 2025 and identified by MIT Technology Review as one of the top 15 climate tech companies to watch in 2024. Pano AI has been featured in leading publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and CNBC.

The company serves dozens of government and enterprise customers across 16 U.S. states, five Australian states, and British Columbia, Canada, and currently monitors more than 50 million acres of land worldwide. It has raised $89 million in venture capital from investors including Giant Ventures, Liberty Mutual Ventures, Tokio Marine Future Fund, Congruent Ventures, Initialized Capital, Salesforce Ventures, and T-Mobile Ventures. Learn more at https://www.pano.ai/.

The Role

Pano is looking for a Chief of Staff to the Chief Operating Officer to serve as a force multiplier, maximizing the COO’s leverage and impact. The COO oversees multiple functions across the company, including Finance, Legal, Compliance, Partnerships, Quality, Security, and IT. This is an opportunity to drive clarity, preparation, and follow-through for the COO’s priorities, enabling faster execution and stronger alignment across the company.

The ideal candidate is an exceptional communicator, strategic thinker with strong attention to detail, and operational problem-solver who thrives in an intense, mission-driven startup environment. Legal experience is not required for this role.

What you’ll do

• Support the COO in attending executive reviews across myriad functions: tracking action items, codifying decisions, following up with teams, and managing priorities.

• Work with department leaders to prepare materials, agendas, and briefing documents for executive meetings.

• Drive decision speed and quality by turning ambiguous topics into crisp decision points, tradeoffs, and clear recommendations.

• Ensure COO decisions and priorities turn into outcomes by tracking commitments, unblocking execution, and driving accountability across owners.

• Help maintain clear communication between the COO and internal/external stakeholders, including drafting communications on behalf of the COO, such as speeches, Q&A, presentations, and emails.

• Prepare the COO for critical moments by ensuring the COO is fully briefed for key meetings.

• Support the Office of the COO with key initiatives such as annual planning and KPIs.

What you’ll bring

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.

• 2+ years of experience in strategy and operations, consulting, or similar fields.

• Prior experience at a major global management consulting firm.

• Clear, well-structured written and verbal communication.

• Skilled at synthesizing complexity into clear briefs, decisions, and action plans.

• Capable of managing multiple priorities in an intense, fast-paced environment without losing attention to detail.

• Demonstrated discretion and professionalism with a service-oriented mindset.

• Hungry to grow your responsibilities and impact as the company scales.

• Low ego, high EQ.

Preferred

• Track record of driving cross-functional alignment, exceptional internal communication, and workflow improvements.

• Prior experience in an early-stage or growth-stage venture-backed start-up is a nice-to-have.

Final compensation for regular full-time employees is determined by a variety of factors, including job-related qualifications, education, experience, skills, knowledge, and geographic location. In addition to base salary, regular full-time roles are eligible for equity. Benefits are tailored to local market standards and statutory requirements in the employee's country of employment, and may include health coverage, retirement or pension contributions, and paid time off. Specific benefit details will be shared during the interview process.