Chief of Staff and Product Specialist

KNR <> ZORPA.Ai

Position: Chief of Staff & Product Specialist

Onsite Location: Gurgaon, India

About KNR & Zorpa.ai

KNR is an executive search firm built on deep specialization in senior talent placement. Zorpa.ai is KNR's venture, an early-stage, AI-native HR tech startup building an end-to-end platform spanning HRIS, ATS, sourcing & recruitment, video interviewing, and employer branding. KNR serves as Zorpa's design partner and early customer, which gives this role a direct line between real-world search operations and product development.

About the Role

We're looking for a versatile operator to serve as Chief of Staff at KNR while also acting as a Product Specialist for Zorpa.ai. You'll split your time between running point on strategic and operational priorities at KNR, and translating that on-the-ground recruitment expertise into product input for Zorpa. This is a rare dual-vantage-point role for someone who wants direct founder access, real ownership, and exposure to both a specialized services business and an early-stage AI product.

Key Responsibilities:

As Chief of Staff, KNR

• Partner directly with the founder on strategic priorities and special projects
• Drive operational efficiency and process improvement across the search practice
• Own key internal reporting, planning, and cross-functional coordination
• Represent leadership in select client and partner conversations
• Support research, business development initiatives regularly

As Product Specialist, Zorpa.ai

• Translate KNR's recruitment and executive search expertise into product requirements and feedback for Zorpa
• Support product research, specification, and testing across the modules in Zorpa
• Help pilot new Zorpa features within KNR's own workflows as an early design-partner testing loop
• Conduct competitive and market research across HR-tech and AI recruiting
• Enable the GTM strategy for the launch and include in the core team
• Turn customer and user feedback into structured input for the product roadmap

What We're Looking For

• Experience in an operational, chief-of-staff, or business-operations role; ideally in professional services, search/staffing, or a startup
• Strong interest in product, technology, or HR-tech specifically
• Excellent communication, organization, and stakeholder management skills
• Comfort working directly with founders and switching context between two organizations
• Analytical mindset and comfort with ambiguity
• Bachelor's degree; MBA a plus, not required

Nice to Have

• Prior experience in recruitment, executive search, or HR-tech
• Experience contributing to product development: specs, user research, or beta testing
• Familiarity with AI-native SaaS products

What We Offer

• A rare dual-vantage-point role: real operational ownership at KNR plus early-stage product exposure at Zorpa
• Direct access to founder and leadership across both ventures
• Competitive salary plus equity in Zorpa
• Fast-paced, high-ownership environment