---
title: 'Forward Deployed Operations at Harper'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/forward-deployed-operations-harper-san-francisco-rm977gm0ysxr'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-05'
---

# Forward Deployed Operations at Harper

- **Company:** Harper
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Compensation:** $125k–$175k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-06-19
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-05
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/harperinsure/585d2c4a-06c4-4bb1-91cc-5f70c2a04b18

## Job description

## FORWARD DEPLOYED OPERATIONS

Harper is an AI-native commercial insurance company in San Francisco. We're not bolting AI onto insurance — we're rebuilding the entire business as software, on a simple bet: turning expert human judgment into compute is one of the largest transitions left to make, and a trillion-dollar industry still run 90% by hand is the place to prove it. We've grown ~100x in the last year and we move at that speed — on-site, in person, long days, very high standards. Almost no one joins Harper for insurance; they join to build the company that replaces how it works.

## THE ROLE

A trillion-dollar industry runs on knowledge nobody wrote down — what the data means, what the operation actually needs, what users are motivated by, and where the leverage hides. This role synthesizes those disconnected streams into one thing: a clear read on the most important problem to solve next. Then you build the thing that solves it.

You'll embed with the operators who run Harper — sales, service, underwriting, carrier relations — learn the operation end-to-end, find the 20% of friction causing 80% of the drag, and ship the thing that removes it. One day you're chasing a stalled quote with an underwriter. The next you're shipping the automation that makes sure no quote stalls again. The day after, you're on a customer call, feeding what you heard into a product spec. You run the operation and you improve the operation — both, always. It takes a curious, analytical mind, sharp product intuition, and genuine empathy for the people doing the work.

## WHAT YOU'LL DO

- Find the leverage. Sit with operators, watch the work, and surface the automations nobody built because nobody knew they were possible yet.
- Run the operation. Underwriter follow-ups, carrier communications, customer calls, keeping deals moving through the pipeline. You're in the work, not above it.
- Build fast. AI agents, internal tools, workflow automations — prototype in days, ship in weeks.
- Instrument everything. Write SQL, pull the data, build the dashboard. Prove what you shipped moved a number — in business terms, not feature terms.
- Shape what gets built next. Translate operational pain into product requirements. The patterns you spot become the things engineering builds next.
- Move where it's urgent. Context-switch across functions based on what matters most this week. Scope doesn't respect org charts here.

## WHO YOU ARE

- You've shipped internal tools or automations end-to-end — not just designed them.
- You've also run real operations: customer-facing, process-heavy, or both. You know what it feels like when a system breaks at 7 AM.
- You measure yourself in business outcomes: "conversion went up 15%," not "the feature shipped."
- You can walk into a room of non-technical operators, explain why a number moved, and have them trust you.
- You'd rather own a messy problem end-to-end than execute a clean task someone handed you.
- You've been exceptional at something before, and you're looking for the place that finally matches your ceiling.

Requirements: 2–4 years in a high-pace environment (startup, operations, consulting, or engineering); a track record of building and shipping things that ran in production — internal tools, automations, workflows; comfortable in SQL and at least one of Python or TypeScript; hands-on with AI coding tools (Cursor, Claude Code, or equivalent), not just aware of them; strong written and verbal communication with both technical and non-technical audiences; based in San Francisco or willing to relocate immediately.

Nice to have: LLMs, AI agents, or voice AI experience; a background in insurance, fintech, or another regulated, high-stakes industry; prior startup or founder experience; solutions engineering, operations, or customer success experience.

## THE REALITY

This is on-site in San Francisco, in person, long days, high standards. A real share of the week is follow-ups, chasing, coordination, and cleanup — the operational backbone, done well. The system-building is earned by doing the unglamorous work first.

Ambiguity is the job, not a phase. Scope shifts week to week. If you need a fixed lane and a clean spec, you'll be uncomfortable here.

The ceiling is high and real. People who are exceptional here go on to run functions, lead teams, or start companies — because they've seen how the whole business works. That's the payoff, and it's on the other side of the grind.

## COMPENSATION & LOGISTICS

- Salary: $125,000–$170,000 depending on experience + performance bonuses & equity
- Location: San Francisco, in-office. Based in SF or willing to relocate.
- Schedule: Monday–Friday, very early morning start, in-office five days a week.
- Benefits: Uber commuter benefits; breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided; snacks, drinks, and coffee daily; free gym membership; health, dental, and vision insurance.

## PROCESS

1. 15-min founder call — alignment on mission and pace.
2. Technical screen — a real operations and build problem; we want to see how you diagnose and what you'd ship.
3. Super Day on-site — meet the team, sit in on the operation, do real work alongside us.

## TO APPLY

Send your resume and tell us about something you built that moved a measurable business number — and a broken process you've fixed. Both matter here.

## About Harper

## Company Overview

- **One-liner**: Harper is an AI-native commercial insurance brokerage that uses data and automation to help mid-sized businesses secure optimal coverage faster and at lower cost.
- **Entity Type**: Private startup (Y Combinator Winter 2025, raised $47 million)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2024
- **Founders**: Dakotah Rice (CEO) and Tushar Nair (CTO)

## Core Business

- Primary industry: Commercial insurance (Excess & Surplus lines brokerage)
- Target customers: Mid-sized businesses with complex insurance needs, spanning technology, life sciences, aerospace, construction, and consulting
- Mission: "We want to become the largest insurance brokerage in the world with the best NPS." (Source: [Y Combinator](https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/harper))

## Products & Services

- **Harper Hub**: Proprietary AI-native platform that automates form filling, carrier matching, and client communications, cutting weeks from the traditional quoting timeline.
- **Brokerage Services**: Comprehensive commercial insurance products including General Liability, Professional Liability (tech E&O with no AI exclusions), Cyber Insurance, Commercial Auto, Commercial Property, Umbrella, and Bonds – all placed through an AI-enhanced workflow.
- **Specialty Expertise**: Deep coverage for regulated industries such as FDA‑regulated labs, aerospace contractors, and security guard firms.

## Market Standing

- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding of **$47 million** (confirmed on company website and Y Combinator profile; some third‑party sources list a lower figure but official sources indicate $47M)
- **Notable Investors**: Y Combinator (pre‑seed lead); other investors not publicly detailed
- **Growth Signals**: Writing over **$6 million in annualized premiums** across 35 states (as of early 2025); **6,000+ clients** with **98.78% client retention**; headcount of 39 employees growing **353% year‑over‑year**; **19 open positions**; 100% success placing tech E&O without AI exclusions.

## Competitive Advantages

- **AI‑native infrastructure**: Proprietary technology automates quoting, binding, and service, enabling faster turnaround and lower overhead compared to traditional brokers.
- **Deep niche expertise**: Focus on complex, regulated industries (tech, life sciences, aerospace) where incumbents often struggle.
- **High retention**: 98.78% client retention rate and proven ability to place hard‑to‑cover policies (e.g., tech E&O with AI exclusions) signal strong customer trust.
- **Data‑driven underwriting**: Real‑time analysis of prior interactions and quote intelligence to match businesses with the best carrier.

## Strategic Focus

- Scaling the AI‑native brokerage to serve the mid‑market today and eventually all businesses (commercial insurance commissions represent a $100B+ market).
- Aggressively hiring across engineering, sales, operations, and partnerships to support rapid growth.
- Expanding carrier partnerships and geographic reach (currently licensed in 35 states).

## Why Work Here

- **Early‑stage impact**: Join a Y Combinator‑backed startup at its inflection point, building the AI‑native future of insurance.
- **High‑leverage roles**: Engineers and GTM professionals work directly on systems (LLMs, automation) that drive measurable business outcomes.
- **Culture**: "Human expertise amplified by AI" – domain knowledge meets cutting‑edge technology; teammates from Goldman Sachs, Coinbase, and other top firms.
- **Work environment**: San Francisco headquarters with both in‑office and remote roles available depending on the position.
- **Compensation**: Competitive startup salaries (e.g., $160K–$230K for engineering roles per job listings).
- **Career growth**: Fast‑growing company (353% headcount growth) with opportunities to shape processes and take on ownership early.

## Sources

1. [harperinsure.com](https://harperinsure.com/) – Company website (home page)
2. [jobs.ashbyhq.com/harperinsure](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/harperinsure) – Careers page
3. [ycombinator.com/companies/harper](https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/harper) – Y Combinator company profile
4. [linkedin.com/company/harperinsure](https://www.linkedin.com/company/harperinsure) – LinkedIn company page
5. [builtin.com/company/harper-harperinsurecom](https://builtin.com/company/harper-harperinsurecom) – Built In company profile

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