---
title: 'Chief of Staff at Terra AI'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/chief-of-staff-terra-ai-sunnyvale-cabnkjw1yemv'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-14'
---

# Chief of Staff at Terra AI

- **Company:** Terra AI
- **Location:** Sunnyvale, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2024-06-26
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-14
- **Apply:** https://jobs.gem.com/terraai-earth/am9icG9zdDpp5IIGA8zI_a97nmS0HPzr

## Job description

## About Terra AI

We are on a mission to provide the premier AI platform to accelerate and improve the development of critical natural resources. We are developing intelligent systems built on modern AI modeling, reasoning and optimization that can drastically improve performance, predictability and safety of reservoir, wind and mineral development projects.

Founded in 2023, we have raised seed venture capital from a top tier investor.

## About the Role

This is a full-time, hybrid role for a Chief of Staff at Terra AI located in Sunnyvale, CA. The Chief of Staff will work closely with the company's CEO to provide operational support and drive strategic initiatives.

## Responsibilities

- Strategic Planning & Execution (20%)
- Partner with CEO in setting and executing the company's strategic goals
- Define business development and sales strategy based on company level direction
- Drive Special Projects & Initiatives (50%)
- Drive sales pipeline processes including lead identification and outreach
- Drive PR & Marketing initiatives across LinkedIn posts, company website & event coordination
- Conduct research on market trends, competitors, and potential opportunities to inform strategic decisions.
- Assist in preparing materials for internal team meetings, external board meetings and fundraising.
- People & Operations (30%)
- Support CEO in recruiting, on-boarding and retaining top talent
- Drive on-going HR activities
- Identify and implement improvements to enhance operational efficiency by streamlining processes, introducing new tools, or refining existing workflows We are looking for someone who is
- Highly organized - ability to stay personally organized, ensure no balls are dropped and maintain a holistic view to prioritize effectively.
- Able to drive tactical execution - effective at pushing things over finish line, project management skills, clear written and verbal communication skills, brings clarity to drive towards decisions
- Entrepreneurial - bring spirit to promote speed & execution on the team. Willingness to jump in where needed. Able to work in ambiguous areas, identify and solve problems

## Requirements

- 3+ years in a relevant role at early stage B2B / AI / Tech startup (Chief of Staff, Business Development, Sales & Partnerships, People, Operations)
- Experience at high growth startup (post product-market fit) is a plus
- B.S degree in related field is a must
- Ability to come to co-working space (Sunnyvale, CA) 3 days / week is a must
- Proven track record of managing complex projects and driving organizational initiatives.
- Experience in Mineral Exploration & Mining or Geology is a plus

## Benefits & Perks

We offer a suite of benefits and perks for our team members, including:

- Company-subsidized medical, dental, & vision insurance plans.
- Mental health support
- 401k plan with company matching
- Flexible PTO plus company holidays
- Annual company-wide winter break (December 24 - January 1)
- Professional development budget to attend conferences or other events
- One-time home-office set up stipend
- Commuter benefits plan
- Paid parental Leave

Terra AI is an equal opportunity employer. At Terra AI, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, because inclusion and diversity are essential to achieving our mission. We encourage you to apply if you are excited about Terra and this role even if your past experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description.

## About Terra AI

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Terra AI builds frontier artificial intelligence to accelerate subsurface resource development for a clean energy future, helping mining and energy companies model uncertainty and optimize drilling decisions.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series A)
- **Headquarters**: Palo Alto, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2023
- **Founders**: John Mern (CEO), Anthony Corso (CTO), Markus Zechner (General Manager of Reservoirs)

## Core Business
- Primary industry/industries: Geoscience AI, Mining & Mineral Exploration, Geothermal Energy, Carbon Storage
- Target customers: Mining companies, reservoir/energy companies, geothermal developers, carbon storage project operators (B2B, Enterprise)
- Mission or purpose statement: To turn subsurface uncertainty into better decisions, bringing critical resources to markets faster to meet energy transition needs.

## Products & Services
- **Terra AI Platform**: A patented, purpose-built AI system that models subsurface uncertainty, characterizes deposits, and optimizes drill planning. It goes beyond data collection to answer critical questions like "Where should we drill to reduce the most resource uncertainty?" and "How many drills do we need to characterize this deposit?" The platform claims to reduce drilling meters by 50-60% and deliver 2-3x more precise resource estimates.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding of $26.8 million across multiple rounds
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Khosla Ventures (lead investor in Series A), Founders Factory (lead in Convertible Note), and other undisclosed investors. The company works with mining and reservoir companies globally.
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount of 25 employees with a monthly growth rate of +20.8%. LinkedIn followers at 2,649 with +32.9% monthly growth. Active job postings on both [terraai.com](https://www.terraai.com/careers) and [jobs.gem.com](https://jobs.gem.com/terraai-earth). The company was founded in 2023 and has already raised a Series A, indicating strong investor confidence.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Patented, purpose-built AI** specifically designed for subsurface uncertainty quantification, a notoriously difficult problem in geoscience.
- **Founding team with deep domain expertise**: The CEO and CTO hold PhDs from Stanford's Intelligent Systems Lab (SISL), and the General Manager of Reservoirs is a Stanford adjunct professor with 20+ years in industry.
- **Proven metrics**: Claims of 50-60% fewer drilling meters and 2-3x more precise resource estimates provide a strong value proposition to cost-conscious mining and energy clients.
- **Focus on the energy transition**: Directly addresses the growing demand for critical minerals, geothermal energy, and carbon storage, positioning the company in a high-growth, mission-critical sector.

## Strategic Focus
- **Accelerating exploration for energy transition**: The company is explicitly focused on meeting the rapidly growing demand for subsurface resources needed for clean energy.
- **Expanding commercial operations**: The active hiring for a Head of Commercial, Business Development Manager, and Business Development Representative signals a push to scale sales and client acquisition.
- **Deepening AI capabilities**: Continued hiring for Senior/Staff Machine Learning Researchers and Engineers indicates a commitment to advancing their core AI technology.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven work**: Employees directly contribute to solving critical challenges in clean energy, mineral discovery, and carbon storage, making a tangible impact on the energy transition.
- **World-class team**: Work alongside PhD-level AI researchers and geoscientists from top institutions like Stanford, NASA JPL, and Amazon.
- **Strong benefits package**: Includes company-subsidized medical, dental & vision insurance, mental health support, 401k with company matching, flexible PTO, an annual company-wide winter break (Dec 24 – Jan 1), a professional development budget, a one-time home-office setup stipend, and paid parental leave.
- **Flexible work environment**: Some roles (e.g., Full Stack Engineer) are listed as remote, while others (e.g., Head of Commercial, Senior Geologist) are based in Redwood City, CA. The company appears to offer a hybrid or remote-friendly culture depending on the role.
- **Fast-growing startup**: With 25 employees and rapid headcount growth (+20.8% monthly), new hires can expect significant ownership, impact, and career growth opportunities.

## Sources
1. [terraai.com - Company Homepage](https://www.terraai.com/)
2. [terraai.com - About Page](https://www.terraai.com/about)
3. [terraai.com - Careers Page](https://www.terraai.com/careers)
4. [LinkedIn - Terra AI Company Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/terra-ai-sys)
5. [CB Insights - Terra AI Profile](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/terra-ai)

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