Chief of Staff / Founders Associate

About the Role

This is a high-leverage, generalist role sitting directly alongside the CEO of a fast-growing AI startup. You will operate across growth, hiring, finance, operations, and expansion, owning the most ambiguous and high-stakes problems that do not yet have a home. Think of it as a founder residency: you will shape how a category-defining company scales from the inside.

What You'll Do

• Partner with the CEO to translate high-level strategy into concrete execution across all business functions.

• Own the end-to-end hiring engine for the next wave of critical hires, from planning through closing candidates.

• Build and maintain financial reporting, budgeting, and KPI dashboards for founders and the board.

• Design the operating system: cadences, processes, and communication loops that let the company scale without losing speed, with AI automation built in by default.

• Lead strategic projects from zero to done, including market entry, pricing architecture, and partnership structures.

• Manage the fundraising process end-to-end: data rooms, investor narratives, updates, and board relations.

• Identify and solve problems nobody else can own yet, moving fast in ambiguous, high-pressure situations.

What We're Looking For

• 2+ years in a high-intensity environment such as top-tier strategy consulting, investment banking, a VC-backed startup, or as a founder.

• Deep fluency in business fundamentals: P&L, SaaS metrics, unit economics, and financial modeling.

• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing operational processes and communication systems at growing companies.

• Proven ability to own end-to-end hiring processes, including sourcing, evaluation, and closing.

• Experience managing fundraising processes, investor communications, and board reporting.

• Ability to develop and execute strategic projects from ambiguous briefs, including market entry and pricing strategy.

• Strong written communication skills: you write clear memos and build board decks that make complex topics accessible.

• AI-native mindset: you use AI tools daily and have a strong point of view on how an AI-first company should operate internally.

• Fluent in both English and German (C1+ level in each).

• Background in industrial operations, supply chain, or enterprise B2B sales is a plus.

Location

On-site in Berlin, Germany. Visa sponsorship is not available.