GLĪD TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

JOB DESCRIPTION

Head of Operations, Austin

Reports To: Mike Garlington, VP of Defense and Strategy

Location: Austin, Texas (Capital Factory)

Classification: Full-time, Exempt

Travel: Approximately 25 to 40 percent (Riverside HQ, Shaver Lake R&D, Detroit, DC corridor, customer and partner sites)

Direct Reports: Initially none. Role is responsible for building the Austin team over the first 12 to 18 months.

About Glīd Technologies

Glīd Technologies builds sovereign mobility infrastructure for America. Our work begins with a simple thesis: the United States has more than 140,000 miles of underutilized rail infrastructure, and the right vehicles, autonomy software, and operating model can turn that network into a strategic asset for commercial freight and for the defense of the nation.

We design and manufacture US-made dual-mode road-to-rail vehicles, trucks that drive on highway and then operate on rail without modification, and the AI orchestration software that runs them. Our products are:

• GlīderM. A commercial dual-mode vehicle built on the Peterbilt 567 chassis, designed for human-operated freight, industrial logistics, and shortline rail customers.
  

• Rāden. A defense-grade autonomous dual-mode platform engineered for contested logistics, GPS-denied environments, and rapid movement across road and rail.
  

• EZRA-1SIX. The AI logistics orchestration software that plans, dispatches, and monitors dual-mode fleet operations end to end.
  

Glīd is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). We hold US Patent 12,036,833. We won the 2025 TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield. We operate facilities in California, Michigan, and Texas, and we are actively delivering against programs across the Department of War, federal agencies, and commercial customers in oil and gas, shortline rail, and industrial logistics.

Glīd was founded in 2022 by Kevin Damoa, a US Army and Air Force combat veteran with rail and logistics experience in theater, and a former SpaceX Flight Module Logistics Manager. The company is built by veterans, operators, and engineers who care about doing serious work for a serious country. We hire for character first, technical rigor second, and we expect every leader to put mission and team ahead of themselves.

The Role

The Head of Operations, Austin is Glīd's senior leader in Texas. The role exists for three reasons. First, Glīd's defense and federal pipeline is growing and we need a credible operator in the Texas corridor to convert that pipeline into executed programs. Second, we need a forward operating presence at Capital Factory in Austin where Glīd already has investor, ecosystem, and customer relationships. Third, our commercial mobility work in oil and gas and shortline rail increasingly touches Texas, and we need someone on the ground who can support the team executing that work.

This is a builder seat. You will stand up the Austin operation from a desk and a laptop, run proposal capture and contract execution for federal programs, support commercial mobility growth in the region, and serve as Glīd's professional face across the Texas defense and innovation ecosystem. You report to Mike Garlington, VP of Defense and Strategy, and you work closely with the Head of Mobility Solutions, the engineering leadership, and the executive team.

What You Will Do

Stand up and run Glīd's Austin operation

• Establish Glīd's professional presence at Capital Factory: workspace, vendor relationships, supplier accounts, day-to-day operating cadence.
  

• Own procurement, hiring, finance coordination, safety, and quality for the Austin footprint.
  

• Hire and develop the Austin team over time, starting with the highest-leverage capture, program, and operations roles.
  

• Manage the Austin operating budget, headcount plan, and reporting back to executive leadership.
  

Lead federal program capture and execution

• Drive proposal capture across the Department of War, including AFWERX, ONR, USTRANSCOM, Army Futures Command, and adjacent agencies.
  

• Manage proposal development end to end: opportunity qualification, teaming decisions, response drafting, pricing coordination, submission, and post-award negotiation.
  

• Serve as the named operator and primary customer interface on awarded contracts in the Texas corridor, owning milestones, deliverables, invoicing cadence, and customer relationships.
  

• Maintain proposal pipeline visibility, CRM discipline, and a weekly capture review with Mike Garlington.
  

• Coordinate with engineering and product leadership to ensure proposed work is technically deliverable and resourced.
  

Support commercial mobility growth in Texas

• Provide operational and contract execution support to the Mobility Solutions team on commercial programs that touch Texas, including oil and gas (T11 and adjacent partners), shortline rail, and industrial logistics.
  

• Be the on-the-ground operator for commercial customer engagements in the region when the Mobility Solutions team needs forward presence.
  

• Strategic direction, commercial customer ownership, and solution design remain with the Head of Mobility Solutions. Your job is to make their work easier in the Texas market.
  

Represent Glīd across the Texas ecosystem

• Build and maintain working relationships with prime contractors, system integrators, partners, customers, and government counterparts across the Texas corridor.
  

• Be Glīd's professional face at Capital Factory, Army Futures Command, AFRL Texas presence, the Austin venture and defense communities, and select industry events.
  

• Represent Glīd at investor, partner, and government meetings in the region when senior presence is required.
  

• Travel regularly to Riverside HQ, Shaver Lake R&D, Detroit manufacturing, customer and partner sites, and the DC corridor.
  

Partner with company leadership

• Report directly to Mike Garlington and contribute to the broader executive leadership operating cadence.
  

• Coordinate with the engineering, mobility solutions, finance, and executive teams on cross-functional work that touches Austin.
  

• Bring the voice of the customer, partner, and ecosystem back into Glīd's strategy, roadmap, and operating decisions.
  

What You Bring

Required

• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, supply chain, operations management, or a related field.
  

• Three or more years of operating experience at a venture-backed defense, hardware, advanced manufacturing, or industrial technology company.
  

• Demonstrated experience standing up or running a facility or operating site, including procurement, hiring, finance coordination, safety, and quality.
  

• Direct experience with Department of War capture, proposal development, and contract execution (AFWERX, ONR, Navy, Air Force, Army, or equivalent).
  

• Demonstrated ability to lead technical teams in a program execution context, even where those team members do not formally report to you.
  

• US Citizenship and ability to access information controlled under ITAR and EAR.
  

• Active US Department of War Secret clearance, or eligibility to obtain a Secret clearance within six months of hire. Glīd will sponsor SF-86 submission as required.
  

• Based in Austin or willing to relocate. Willingness to travel 25 to 40 percent.
  

Preferred

• MBA, MS in engineering or operations, or equivalent advanced degree.
  

• Background combining capital markets, venture capital, or investor exposure with operating experience.
  

• Existing relationships across the Austin venture, defense, and innovation ecosystem.
  

• Familiarity with SDVOSB contracting, OTA mechanisms, SBIR or STTR pathways, and federal grant or cooperative agreement programs.
  

• Veteran, Eagle Scout, or service-adjacent background.
  

First 90 Days

By Day 30

• Austin presence is operational at Capital Factory.
  

• Weekly reporting cadence with Mike Garlington is established and running.
  

• You have a complete inventory of active and pending federal programs and commercial mobility programs that touch Austin.
  

• You have established working relationships with the Head of Mobility Solutions, engineering leadership, and the executive team.
  

By Day 60

• Federal capture pipeline has visibility, discipline, and a defined cadence.
  

• First wave of Austin ecosystem engagements is complete, including Army Futures Command, AFWERX presence in Texas, defense primes with Texas operations, and key venture partners.
  

• Operational support cadence with the Mobility Solutions team is running and producing value.
  

By Day 90

• You have demonstrably contributed to at least one captured or materially advanced federal pursuit.
  

• You have presented and gained approval on the Austin team hiring plan.
  

• You have delivered a forward 90-day operating plan for Austin to Mike Garlington and executive leadership.
  

Security and Compliance

This position requires access to technical data, software, and information controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR, 22 CFR §§ 120 to 130) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR, 15 CFR §§ 730 to 774). US person status as defined under 22 CFR § 120.62 is required. Glīd Technologies will not sponsor employment authorization for this role.

As a federal contractor and SDVOSB, Glīd Technologies maintains a drug-free workplace and participates in E-Verify. Employment is contingent on successful background investigation and ongoing compliance with applicable security, export control, and federal contracting requirements.

Work Environment

This role operates primarily from Capital Factory in Austin, Texas, with regular travel to Glīd facilities in California (Riverside and Shaver Lake) and Michigan (Detroit), to customer and partner sites, and to the DC corridor. Occasional exposure to manufacturing floor, test sites, rail yards, and outdoor field conditions. Must be able to sit or stand for extended periods, lift up to 25 pounds occasionally, operate standard office equipment, and travel via commercial air on a regular basis. Reasonable accommodations available in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Compensation and Benefits

Base salary commensurate with role and experience. Performance bonus tied to Austin operating milestones and federal program capture. Equity participation administered via Carta under the company's Equity Incentive Plan. Competitive medical, dental, and vision coverage. Paid time off, federal holidays, and Veterans Day observance. Detailed terms provided in the offer letter.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Glīd Technologies Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. As an SDVOSB and federal contractor, Glīd Technologies complies with all applicable affirmative action and equal employment opportunity obligations, including Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act.

Glīd Technologies Corporation

3600 Lime Street, Building 7, Suite 725, Riverside, CA 92501

SDVOSB | CAGE 14LC1 | UEI C2FFEWA8CD85