Head of Ventures and Innovation for Foundry by Aviture/The Garage

Foundry by Aviture / The Garage

Foundry exists to turn consequential problems into durable companies. Across The Garage (venture build), The Lab (R&D), The Good (civic tech), and The Signal (thought leadership), we combine Aviture’s engineering depth with operator discipline to create products that matter—and businesses that last. As Head of Ventures & Innovation, you will lead the formation of new companies inside The Garage: select and shape theses, assemble founding teams, architect clean governance and incentives, and drive the zero-to-one arc from concept to pilots to first revenue. Your mission is both strategic and hands-on—standing up the operating cadence, securing lighthouse customers, and structuring early capital so each company is set up to compound. Success is measured in real users, paying customers, and mission outcomes across the Midwest and beyond. foundry.aviture.us.com

Key Responsibilities

• Thesis-aligned pipeline: Source, evaluate, and champion opportunities with clear paths to product-market fit and revenue.
• Company creation: Convert theses into prototypes, pilots, and paying customers; establish a weekly operating cadence and transparent dashboards.
• Deal architecture: Structure co-builds, revenue-share, and seed investments that align incentives and protect fundamentals.
• Go-to-market leadership: Stand up initial sales motions, secure lighthouse customers, and form partnerships that accelerate trust.
• Decision rigor: Produce concise go/hold/stop memos; run pre-mortems; discontinue non-performing efforts early.
• Ecosystem building: Publish Foundry’s point of view, convene partners, and strengthen our Midwest presence.

Ways of working

• Cadence: Weekly pipeline and build reviews; monthly operating reviews covering P&L, funnel, and runway.
• Mechanisms: Living scorecards, lightweight data rooms, explicit commit/hold/stop gates.
• Culture: Substance over theatrics; low ego, high signal; bias to action.

Location & travel

Omaha-centric with flexibility; travel for founders, customers, and events (~20–30%).

Compensation / Benefits

Competitive salary plus meaningful upside via portfolio participation.

Why You’ll Love It Here

• You’ll be at the center of Foundry by Aviture’s next chapter, building not just companies but an entire platform for Midwest innovation.
• You’ll work with founders, engineers, and investors who believe in creating companies that matter.
• You’ll live the Garage culture: freedom to pursue ideas, trust to lead, and a team that backs execution over talk.
• You’ll get to shape how deals get done, how companies get built, and how the Foundry brand shows up in the world.

Requirements

• Prior role as Founder, GM, COO, or BU Head with direct accountability (e.g., $3–30M P&L or zero-to-first revenue).
• Reputation for being future-focused, pragmatic, and disciplined; comfortable with plan → measure → adjust.

• Fluency across product, finance, and GTM; able to engage engineers in the morning and negotiate terms in the afternoon.
• Preference for durable, compounding businesses over speculative bets.
• Venture studio, corporate innovation, or product leadership with measurable outcomes.
• Working knowledge of term sheets, cap tables, and commercial contracts (and judgment on when to involve counsel).
• Familiarity with our domains (gov/mil, healthcare, aviation, logistics, data/AI).

Benefits

• PPO or a High Deductible Health Plan, HSA eligible plan, Dental, Vision, and Supplemental Life.
• Generous paid time off that starts accruing on day one.
• Hybrid work environment with quarterly Castaway Week events in the Omaha HQ Office, all expenses paid, from across the country to participate in team-building, collaboration, and fun events.
• Company vacations!!! Previous destinations have included Napa Valley, Cancun, Cabo San Lucas and Aspen.
• Matching 401k with 100% vesting in six months.
• Pick your preferred workstation! Mac? PC? We’ll support you with the tech you need to do your best work.
• Get paid to go to national and international conferences and training, so that you can stay up to date with the latest innovations.
• Flexible work schedules: Work the times that fits your schedule, with all meetings required to be scheduled between 9 am and 3 pm CST.
• Free lunch every Friday and recurring team events for you and your family to enjoy.
• Incentive and bonus pay.
• Opportunities for connection and growth through peer coaching, recurring Lightning Talks to share things we’re passionate about, and a bi-weekly company-wide All Hands.