Location: Palo Alto, CA
Employment Type: Part-Time, Non-Exempt
Hours: Approximately 20 hours/week to start
Work Arrangement: On-site at least 3 days/week
Compensation: $30–$50/hour, depending on experience
Target Start Date: Mid-October 2026
Position Summary
A growing medical device company in Palo Alto is seeking a part-time Operations Support Specialist to support its day-to-day business operations as the company expands its commercial activities. This is a hands-on, generalist role for someone who enjoys keeping things organized, following up on open items, maintaining accurate records, and making sure operational tasks are completed on time. You will work closely with the CEO and other team members and support a variety of functions, including administration, contract and document management, inventory and shipping, customer support, finance documentation, and office operations. Business-level proficiency in both Japanese and English is required for this position. This is not a specialized medical, engineering, accounting, or regulatory position. Training and written procedures will be provided for regulated activities.
Key Responsibilities
Operations & Administrative Support
- Track open tasks, commitments, deadlines, and follow-up items across the company
- Turn meetings, calls, and email discussions into clear action items and follow up with responsible team members
- Prepare updates on outstanding, completed, and overdue items
- Maintain operating plans and task lists as priorities, deadlines, and owners change
- Provide general administrative and executive support as needed
- Coordinate meetings, visitors, travel, and other office activities
Contract & Document Management
- Coordinate contracts and other documents through the signature process
- Maintain organized electronic records of fully executed agreements
- Track important contract dates, renewals, deadlines, and required follow-ups
- Maintain accurate document versions and track outstanding documents
- Coordinate document exchange with external parties, including outside counsel
- Organize records and documentation for internal, customer, regulatory, or audit requests
Finance & Business Records
- Prepare and send customer invoices according to established procedures
- Track outstanding invoices and assist with follow-up
- Process incoming vendor invoices and expense documentation
- Organize receipts, statements, vendor records, W-9s, certificates of insurance, and other business documents
- Prepare documentation needed by the company's finance team for monthly closing and reporting
- Assist in preparing document packages for investor reporting and diligence requests
Inventory, Shipping & Office Operations
- Receive, organize, and track incoming components and finished products
- Maintain accurate inventory records and stock counts
- Prepare outbound shipments, including labels, couriers, tracking information, and delivery confirmation
- Track shipments through delivery and coordinate product returns when necessary
- Maintain organized storage areas and appropriately separate returned or out-of-spec products
- Order office, laboratory, shipping, and other operational supplies as needed
- Keep office and storage areas organized and inspection-ready
Customer Support
- Serve as a first point of contact for routine customer questions
- Respond to basic inquiries regarding orders, shipping, setup, and general product use
- Route technical or specialized questions to the appropriate team member
- Track open customer issues through resolution and follow up as needed
- Identify recurring questions that could be addressed through FAQs or standardized information
- Escalate potential product complaints, adverse events, or other sensitive matters according to established procedures
Product & Regulatory Documentation Support
- Maintain accurate records related to device receipt, shipment, training, and controlled documents
- Assemble documentation packages using established procedures and checklists
- Maintain accurate document versions and archive superseded documents appropriately
- Assist engineers with product assembly, inspection, and functional testing under supervision
- Follow written procedures carefully and accurately record results
- Escalate discrepancies or unusual issues to the appropriate team member
Qualifications
Required
- Business-level proficiency in both Japanese and English
- 1–3 years of experience in operations, office administration, executive assistance, customer support, lab support, warehouse operations, or a similar role
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and follow up on deadlines independently
- Comfortable working with documents, spreadsheets, records, and checklists
- Ability to follow written procedures consistently and accurately
- Good judgment about when to handle an issue independently and when to escalate
- Clear written and verbal communication skills
- Proficiency with Google Workspace and/or Microsoft 365, including spreadsheets
- Ability to work independently in a small office environment
- Reliable availability to work on-site in Palo Alto at least three days per week
- Authorized to work in the United States and able to perform all work from within the United States
Nice to Have
- Experience supporting a startup, founder, or executive
- Contract administration, paralegal support, or document-control experience
- Accounts payable/receivable or basic finance administration experience
- Experience in healthcare, medical device, biotech, pharmaceutical, or another regulated environment
- Customer support or helpdesk experience
- Experience with tools such as Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom, or HubSpot
- Shipping and logistics experience, including FedEx, UPS, ShipBob, or similar platforms
- Inventory management or ERP experience
- Experience supporting quality inspections or product testing
- Experience using AI productivity tools
Schedule
- The position will start at approximately 20 hours per week, with flexible scheduling during normal business hours.
- On-site presence is required at least three days per week because the position involves physical inventory, shipping, storage, and device-related activities.
- Hours are expected to increase as the company grows
