Seed to Series B  ·  San Francisco

Hire like an
Operations Expert.

Your recruiters shouldn't just match keywords. They should understand the job. We build operational teams with the grit to scale — backed by real operational experience.

C
H
K
S
P
Operator background: Cruise, Hivemapper, Kyte, Spin & Plato
Why It Matters

Senior ops talent.
Hired by operators.

90%
Placement success rate
90-day
Replacement guarantee
Roles We Place
Warehouse Lead / Site ManagerField
Fleet ManagerField
Head of OperationsLead
COO / General ManagerExec
Book Free Intro Call
No fee until you hire  ·  Same-week start
Operator background from
Cruise Hivemapper Kyte Spin Plato Systems
The Real Problem

Most recruiters have never run ops.

They match job descriptions to resumes. They don't know what a warehouse lead actually needs to survive their first 90 days. They can't assess whether a Head of Ops has real P&L experience or just talks about it.

The wrong ops hire doesn't just slow you down — it breaks the whole machine. Wilkins Staffing was built by operators, for operators.

  • Recruiters who've never managed a warehouse or fleet
  • Candidates who look great on paper but buckle under ambiguity
  • Agencies that treat every ops role like a software hire
  • No replacement guarantee when the hire doesn't stick
  • Slow pipelines that stall operations for months
  • No real understanding of what "scaling ops" demands
Our Expertise

The "Growth Pain" Specialist

Most agencies have never managed a P&L or a warehouse. We have. We understand the specific chaos of scaling a startup — because we've lived it.

01
🅳

The "First 10" Employees

The first hires define your culture. We identify generalists with high agency who build processes from scratch — people who thrive in ambiguity.

  • Operations Associate
  • Chief of Staff
  • Ops Generalist
  • Business Operations Manager
02
🚚

Fleet & Field Ops

Hiring for the real world is harder than hiring for Slack. We find candidates who've done the job in the field — not just described it on a resume.

  • Warehouse Lead / Site Manager
  • Fleet Manager
  • Logistics Coordinator
  • Field Operations Manager
03
📈

Operational Leadership

Need a COO, Head of Ops, or GM? We find leaders who understand P&L responsibility and real efficiency — not just candidates who've held the title.

  • Head of Operations
  • VP of Operations
  • General Manager
  • COO
How It Works

Intro call to hired operator — fast

We move at startup speed because your hiring can't wait.

1

Free Intro Call

30 minutes to understand the role, your culture, and what great looks like for your stage.

2

Role Brief

We build a precise operator profile — not just a job description. We align on grit, not resume keywords.

3

Vetted Shortlist

Candidates from our operational network — pre-screened for real-world experience and culture fit.

4

Hired & Guaranteed

You hire only if you love the candidate. 90-day replacement guarantee on every placement.

Pricing

Aligned with your runway

We align incentives with your growth stage. No upfront fees unless you're hiring for a critical leadership role.

Contingency Search
Risk-Free Hiring
For ICs and rapid scaling

Zero upfront cost. You pay a fee only if you hire a candidate we present — perfect for individual contributors and fast-moving roles.

  • No upfront costs, ever
  • Access to our vetted operator network
  • 90-Day Replacement Guarantee
  • Ops-fluent candidate assessment
Book Intro Call
Recommended
Retained Search
Critical Hires
Head of Ops  ·  GM  ·  VP  ·  COO

A dedicated partnership for high-stakes leadership roles. We act as your internal talent partner — priority sourcing, deep vetting, full accountability.

  • Dedicated priority sourcing
  • Deep operator vetting & assessment
  • Extended guarantee period
  • Executive-level intake process
  • Direct access to Gino throughout
Book Intro Call

No placement fee until you hire  ·  90-day replacement guarantee  ·  Startup-aligned pricing

What Founders Say

Operators hiring operators

★★★★★

"Every recruiter we tried before Wilkins sent us software resumes for ops roles. Gino sent us three candidates who had actually run warehouses. We hired on the second interview."

A
Alex M.
CEO, Seed-Stage Logistics Startup
★★★★★

"We needed a COO who understood physical operations, not just SaaS. Wilkins found someone who'd scaled a fleet from 50 to 500 vehicles. A normal recruiter wouldn't even know to screen for that."

P
Priya S.
Co-founder, Series A Mobility Co.
★★★★★

"The 90-day guarantee isn't just policy — it signals how confident they are in their placements. We've used Wilkins for three hires now. All three are still with us."

J
James K.
Head of Operations, Series B Startup
Our DNA

We've done the jobs
we hire for.

Most staffing agencies are built on relationship databases and keyword matching. Wilkins Staffing was built on operational experience — managing P&Ls, running warehouses, scaling fleets, and hiring the ops teams that kept those companies moving.

That background means we assess candidates the way an operator would: for grit, ambiguity tolerance, and real execution ability — not just title matches.

5+ cos.
Ops scaled first-hand
90-day
Replacement guarantee
Where We Scaled Ops
Cruise
Autonomous vehicle operations
Fleet
Hivemapper
Decentralized mapping network
Field Ops
Kyte
On-demand car rental
Logistics
Spin
Micro-mobility / e-scooters
Fleet
Plato Systems
Autonomous trucking
Field Ops
FAQ

Common questions

Most searches begin within days of the intro call. We'll do a role brief, align on the ideal candidate profile, and start sourcing immediately. Contingency searches can be active within 48 hours.
If a placed candidate leaves or doesn't work out within 90 days of their start date, we'll replace them at no additional cost. We stand behind every placement because we're confident in our vetting process.
Contingency search means you only pay a fee if you hire — zero upfront cost, no commitment. Retained search is for high-stakes leadership roles where you want dedicated, prioritized effort and deeper vetting from day one. We'll recommend the right model after your intro call.
Yes. We specialize exclusively in operational talent — from warehouse leads and fleet managers to Heads of Ops and COOs. We don't place engineers or sales roles. Our narrow focus is exactly what makes us better at what we do.
We primarily serve seed-to-Series B startups with physical operations: logistics, mobility, field services, marketplaces, and tech-enabled operations companies. Our background is strongest in fleet and field ops.
Most recruiting agencies are built on relationship databases. We're built on operational experience — having personally scaled ops at Cruise, Hivemapper, Kyte, Spin, and Plato Systems. We assess candidates the way an operator would: for grit, ambiguity tolerance, and real execution ability — not just title matches.
Ready to build your ops team?

Stop sifting
through resumes.
Start building.

Book a free 30-minute intro call. We'll learn the role, align on the operator profile, and tell you exactly how we'd approach the search — no commitment required.

No fee until you hire 90-day guarantee Same-week search start