Venture Architect

Roadrunner Venture Studios is the nation’s leading platform for founding breakthrough ventures in deep technology. Our mission is to turn frontier tech into breakthrough companies for the benefit of the American people. Together with engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs, we build products, create business models, recruit teams, align companies with their first customers, and provide initial funding. Our Venture Studios focuses on advanced energy, advanced materials, advanced manufacturing, and quantum technologies. At Roadrunner, the future doesn’t just happen — we make it happen. We take our work seriously, without taking ourselves too seriously. We believe progress must be imagined and built — and we build it together. The Role Reporting to the Head of Venture Studios, the Venture Architect is the single accountable owner of each new venture’s commercial viability. You’ll operate at the intersection of technology, market, and team—taking ideas from zero to seed-ready companies. This is an accountable hands-on leadership role. You set strategic direction, lead specialists through a rigorous business building methodology, and make the judgment calls that determine whether a technical innovation becomes an investable company. You’ll join a team that moves fast, experiments often, and believes conviction beats consensus. Every company you build contributes to something bigger: building meaningful, durable companies in deep tech. What You’ll Do The Venture Architect is accountable for 2–3+ ventures simultaneously, from concept through seed readiness, within a pod structure. You are the single point of accountability across each company — integrating product, technical, commercial, and team efforts. Your team executes within their domains; you set direction, ensure coherence, and make the calls. Venture Design & Validation Accountable for the commercial thesis and vision behind each venture. Define what must be true at each stage and direct teams toward real validation, not theory Commission and oversee customer discovery; engage directly with buyers when required to validate demand and secure early traction Direct the development of business models, unit economics, and pathways to first revenue and scale Partner with technical leads to evaluate feasibility and guide product direction Evaluate inbound opportunities and determine fit within the studio model Pod Leadership & Strategic Direction Accountable for cross-functional velocity, coherence, and judgment. Orchestrate pod execution: lead weekly pod meetings, run 1:1s, and ensure alignment across functions (product, GTM, talent) Think ahead across venture development dimensions (technology, market, business model, team) — anticipating risks and opportunities 1–2 phases in advance Serve as the primary thought partner to founders and internal leads; the first call when decisions need to be made Work directly with founders in a CEO-like partnership to shape strategy, execution, and outcomes Make clear calls on resource allocation, priorities, pivots, and when to stop pursuing a path Drive structured stage-gating with clear criteria, timelines, and evidence Capital, Team & Venture Transfer Accountable for making each venture investable, leadable, and independent. Architect the Series Seed funding strategy; direct preparation of investment materials and data rooms Define the commercial launch strategy including regulatory navigation and lighthouse customer acquisition Execute a structured handoff from studio to standalone entity, ensuring continuity of strategy, governance, and key relationships through the transition Who You Are You’re a builder. You’ve helped create something from zero and know what it actually takes to get to traction. You’re comfortable operating across product, commercial, and team—and you take accountability for outcomes. You’re also: Experienced with 8+ years in a combination of entrepreneurial execution (startups, venture, venture capital, venture studios), top-tier consulting, or operating roles Hands-on, with a bias toward action—you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and do the work Able to manage through others while staying close enough to execution to ensure quality Comfortable being prescriptive and having a strong point of view when needed Skilled at navigating ambiguity and making decisions with imperfect information Familiar with deep tech domains such as energy, manufacturing, or compute Capable of working across startups and corporate partners, including engaging incumbents and piloting solutions Strong in both quantitative and qualitative thinking — from market sizing to business model design Financial modeling depth: able to direct, review, and stress-test driver-based financial models, and build from first principles when required Why Roadrunner We earn trust through fairness, integrity, and consistent delivery. We win together, own together, and run together. We’re building companies that matter—and having a blast doing it. Roadrunner Venture Studios sits at a unique intersection of frontier research and real-world deployment. We work closely with national labs like Sandia and Los Alamos, alongside the New Mexico state ecosystem—including NM SIC and EDD—to translate breakthrough science into venture-backable companies. This positioning gives us privileged access to technologies, partnerships, and non-dilutive capital that most early-stage builders never see. Roadrunner Venture Studios is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer that proudly pursues and hires a diverse workforce. We do not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion or religious belief, ethnic or national origin, nationality, sex, gender, gender-identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws or prohibited by Company policy. We strive for a healthy and safe workplace and strictly prohibit harassment of any kind.