Strategy & Operations Associate

About the role

We’re looking for a thinker+builder Strategy & Operations Associate to take on some of the most important and often ambiguous projects within the Operations organization at Alaan. This is a role for a strategic generalist who is exceptional at execution. You could be improving a company-wide process, launching a new initiative, solving a cross-functional bottleneck, or building a system from scratch. You’ll need to be comfortable moving between thinking strategically and executing meticulously, building relationships across the organization, and stepping into whatever problem needs solving.

What you'll do

• Lead and execute high-impact, cross-functional projects impacting the company’s growth and operations.
• Take ambiguous problems and turn them into clear plans, workstreams, owners, timelines, and measurable outcomes.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and broken processes, get to the root cause, and build solutions that can scale.
• Partner with other functions, such as Product, Sales, Customer Success, Growth, to drive company-wide initiatives.
• Conduct analysis and research to bring data and clarity to complex business problems and support decision-making.
• Be a go-to generalist and problem-solver who can quickly step into unfamiliar areas, learn what’s needed, and drive the problem to resolution.
• Build systems, dashboards, SOPs, and operating rhythms that make the Operations organization more effective and efficient.

What we are looking for

• 1–3 years of experience, ideally at McKinsey, BCG, or Bain, or tier 1 start-up.
• Strong structured problem-solving, with the ability to turn ambiguity into clear actions.
• High ownership and bias for action — you identify problems, propose solutions, and drive them to completion.
• A curious, first-principles thinker with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable operating in a high-velocity, high-ambiguity environment where priorities can evolve quickly.
• Self-sufficient with large data sets using SQL; BI tools are a plus.

What's in it for you

• Contribute to building the Middle East’s most beloved fintech brand from the ground up
• Benefit from a role with significant ownership and accountability
• Thrive in a flexible hybrid culture with ample work-life balance
• Participate in exciting offsite events
• Competitive salary and equity
• Enjoy additional perks like travel allowances, gym memberships, and more

About Alaan

Alaan is the Middle East’s first AI-powered spend management platform, built to help businesses save time and money.
Our all-in-one solution combines smart corporate cards, real-time expense tracking, AI-powered automation, seamless accounting integrations, and deep financial insights- designed to simplify finance operations and maximize control over company spend.

Founded in 2022, Alaan is already the trusted partner of over 2000 leading businesses across the UAE and KSA, including G42, Careem, McDonald’s, Tabby, Al Barari, Rove Hotels, Rivoli, and CarSwitch. Together, our customers have saved over AED 100 million with Alaan.

In just three years, Alaan has become the #1 expense management platform in the Middle East- and we’ve done it while becoming profitable.

Alaan is also backed by Y Combinator and top global investors, including Peak XV (formerly Sequoia India & SEA), and built by a world-class team with experience from McKinsey, BCG, Goldman Sachs, Careem, Rippling, and other high-growth companies. This creates an environment where employees learn from top-tier talent while building at startup speed.

We’re not just building software. We’re reimagining how finance works for modern businesses across the region.