Hybrid General Manager - Professional Services: Implementation Business Unit at Shakudo
Shakudo · Toronto, ON, United States Of America · Hybrid
- Office in Toronto, ON
**Location:** Toronto, Canada (Remote-friendly, Global Talent Welcome)
**Department:** Revenue Business Units
**Reports to:** CEO
**Salary Range:** $150,000 - $200,000 CAD
**Start Date:** Q3 2026* (*Conditional on continued scaling success*)
About Shakudo
Shakudo is the operating system for data and AI, providing enterprises with production-ready AI and data infrastructure that combines the flexibility of custom-built stacks with the reliability of managed platforms. Founded in 2021 by Yevgeniy Vahlis, Stella Wu, and Christine Yuen, our Toronto-based company has raised $11.1M in funding and serves enterprise customers across aerospace, automotive, financial services, healthcare, and technology sectors.
We're executing a strategic pivot from small-account software licensing to enterprise-scale platform deployments, targeting $10M+ ARR within 24 months. Our platform integrates 200+ best-in-class data and AI tools, enabling organizations to transition from notebook to production with zero DevOps overhead.
The Opportunity
As our **Professional Services - Implementation General Manager**, you'll lead the final business unit in our five-part revenue structure. This role is part of our NVIDIA-inspired organizational structure, where each GM operates with full P&L responsibility and autonomous decision-making authority.
The Professional Services - Implementation business unit focuses on **outsourced SRE and platform management, infrastructure operations, and maintenance** services. This represents a strategic opportunity to provide ongoing operational support to customers lacking internal DevOps/SRE capabilities, creating predictable recurring revenue streams.
Key Responsibilities
P&L Management
- Own complete P&L responsibility for the Professional Services - Implementation business unit
- Drive recurring revenue growth through managed services and operational support contracts
- Manage service delivery costs, pricing strategies, and profitability across implementation services
- Report directly to CEO with full autonomy over implementation services decisions
Managed Services Portfolio
- Define and scale comprehensive managed services offerings for Shakudo platform operations
- Develop service level agreements (SLAs) and operational frameworks for customer environments
- Create standardized implementation methodologies and operational runbooks
- Build predictable, recurring revenue models through ongoing managed services contracts
Operational Excellence
- Establish world-class SRE and DevOps practices for customer environment management
- Implement monitoring, alerting, and incident response systems for managed customer environments
- Ensure high availability, performance, and security across all managed Shakudo deployments
- Drive operational efficiency and automation to improve service margins and customer satisfaction
Team Building & Service Delivery
- Build and lead a team of SRE specialists, DevOps engineers, and implementation consultants
- Recruit senior-level operational talent capable of managing enterprise-scale deployments
- Establish service delivery processes, operational procedures, and customer success metrics
- Foster 24/7 operational capabilities and global service delivery models
Customer Success & Expansion
- Engage directly with enterprise customers requiring ongoing operational support
- Ensure successful long-term operations of customer Shakudo environments
- Drive service expansion within existing customer base through additional operational needs
- Maintain exceptional service quality that positions Shakudo as trusted operational partner
Service Innovation & Automation
- Drive innovation in managed services delivery through automation and operational tooling
- Develop proprietary operational capabilities that differentiate Shakudo's service offerings
- Create self-service customer portals and operational transparency tools
- Build scalable service delivery models that support rapid customer base growth
Required Qualifications
Ex-Founder Preferred
We strongly prioritize candidates who are **ex-founders** with either:
- Raised $1M+ in venture funding, OR
- Generated $500K+ in revenue for their company
Ex-founders align perfectly with our GM strategy because they're naturally autonomous problem-solvers accustomed to full P&L responsibility, experienced building from zero with limited resources, and understand the urgency required in venture-scale growth.
Core Requirements
- 8+ years of experience in SRE, DevOps, or managed services business leadership
- Proven track record of building and scaling managed services organizations generating $5M+ revenue
- Deep expertise in infrastructure operations, monitoring, and enterprise-scale system management
- Experience with service delivery management, SLA achievement, and customer operational success
- Strong understanding of cloud infrastructure, containerization, and platform operations
Technical Operations Expertise
- Advanced knowledge of Kubernetes, container orchestration, and cloud-native operations
- Experience with infrastructure as code, automation frameworks, and operational tooling
- Understanding of monitoring systems, observability platforms, and incident management
- Proficiency with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and on-premises infrastructure management
- Experience with security operations, compliance management, and enterprise operational requirements
Business & Leadership Skills
- Demonstrated ability to operate independently with full P&L responsibility for managed services business
- Experience pricing and delivering complex operational services with SLA commitments
- Strong communication skills for enterprise customer executives and operational teams
- Proven ability to build and manage 24/7 operational teams across multiple time zones
- Track record of scaling managed services organizations with strong unit economics
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience at major managed services providers or cloud operations companies
- Background in enterprise infrastructure services or platform operations companies
- Experience with multi-million dollar managed services contracts and enterprise SLAs
- Advanced certifications in cloud platforms, Kubernetes, or infrastructure management
- International operations experience and global service delivery management
Industry Experience
- Financial services, healthcare, or other highly regulated industries with strict operational requirements
- Experience with compliance frameworks (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI-DSS)
- Understanding of enterprise change management and operational governance
- Background in digital transformation and enterprise technology adoption support
What Success Looks Like
90 Days
- Complete analysis of managed services market opportunity and competitive positioning
- Define service portfolio, pricing models, and operational delivery frameworks
- Begin recruiting initial team of senior SRE and operational specialists
- Establish operational infrastructure and tooling for managed services delivery
6 Months
- Launch Implementation services business unit with first managed services customers
- Build team of 5-8 operational specialists covering global time zones
- Generate initial recurring revenue and establish service delivery metrics
- Create scalable processes for customer onboarding, ongoing operations, and service expansion
12 Months
- Achieve $3M+ ARR from managed services and implementation offerings
- Scale to manage 20+ customer environments with exceptional SLA performance
- Build reputation as premier operational partner for Shakudo platform customers
- Establish Professional Services - Implementation as highly profitable, growing business unit
Service Offerings & Capabilities
Core Managed Services
-**24/7 Platform Operations:** Round-the-clock monitoring, maintenance, and incident response
-**Infrastructure Management:** Complete infrastructure operations including provisioning, scaling, and optimization
-**Security & Compliance Operations:** Ongoing security monitoring, compliance management, and audit support
-**Performance Optimization:** Continuous performance tuning, capacity planning, and cost optimization
Implementation Services
-**Platform Deployment:** End-to-end Shakudo platform implementation and configuration
-**Migration Services:** Data platform migration and legacy system integration support
-**Environment Setup:** Custom environment configuration for specific customer requirements
-**Training & Enablement:** Operational training and knowledge transfer for customer teams
Specialized Capabilities
-**Air-gapped Environment Operations:** Specialized operational support for secure, isolated deployments
-**Multi-cloud Management:** Operations across multiple cloud providers and hybrid environments
-**Disaster Recovery:** Backup, recovery, and business continuity operational services
-**Compliance Management:** Ongoing compliance monitoring and regulatory requirement support
Our Culture & Values
NVIDIA-Inspired Organization
-**Flat, mission-driven structure** with minimal hierarchical layers
-**Autonomous leadership** with full accountability and decision-making authority
-**Operational excellence** as a core driver of customer success and business growth
Global Talent Strategy
-**Worldwide recruitment** to attract the best operational talent regardless of geography
-**Immigration support** through Canada's Express Entry program for strategic hires
-**Remote-friendly** culture with 24/7 operational capabilities across time zones
Service Excellence & Reliability
- Customer-first approach to operational service delivery and support
- Continuous improvement in operational efficiency, automation, and service quality
- Long-term partnership mindset with customers requiring ongoing operational support
Compensation & Benefits
-**Base Salary:** $150,000 - $200,000 CAD
-**Equity:** Meaningful equity package aligned with venture-scale growth
-**Performance Bonus:** Tied to Professional Services - Implementation revenue, SLA achievement, and customer satisfaction
-**Immigration Support:** Comprehensive visa and relocation assistance for international candidates
-**Professional Development:** SRE and DevOps conference attendance, operational certifications, and continuous learning budget
-**Health & Wellness:** Comprehensive health coverage and wellness programs
Next Steps
This role represents the opportunity to build and lead a managed services business unit within a high-growth data and AI platform company. You'll have the autonomy to create exceptional operational services while leveraging Shakudo's platform and customer relationships.
Ready to lead the Professional Services - Implementation business unit and drive meaningful recurring revenue through operational excellence? We want to hear from exceptional operational leaders.
**Apply now** or reach out directly to discuss how your managed services experience and operational leadership align with this strategic opportunity.
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*Shakudo is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and encourage international talent to apply for our comprehensive immigration support program.*
