Founder Associate - Portfolio Opportunities

We know what it's like working with founders at Atlantic and FoodLabs. When they're building something genuinely new - whether it's the future of food systems or the next breakthrough in tech - they move at a pace that doesn't always sync with traditional hiring timelines. When they need someone brilliant to join them, they need them now.

And we've met so many of you - sharp, ambitious people just starting your careers - who are doing everything right. You're tailoring cover letters, tracking applications in spreadsheets, refreshing job boards. But here's the frustrating part: by the time a role gets posted publicly, the founder might have already been looking for weeks. You're often one step behind through no fault of your own.

We think there's a better way.

We're building a direct connection between exceptional early-career professionals and founders across our network looking for Founder Associates. Here's how it works: you apply once, tell us your story, and we make sure the right founders see your profile when they're ready to hire - often before they've even written a job description. It's like getting early access to opportunities that are tailor-made for someone like you...

How It Works

You submit one application. Your profile gets reviewed by our team, then shared selectively with founders who are actively hiring for these roles. When there's a strong match, they reach out directly.

This includes both publicly listed roles and stealth opportunities that haven't been announced yet.

What You're Signing Up For

Founder Associate roles are high-impact, high-ownership positions for people who want to operate close to the core of a business. You'll work directly with founders on their highest-priority problems—the kind that don't fit neatly into a function or department.

The scope varies by company, but typically includes:

• Driving strategic projects across ops, growth, fundraising, or partnerships
• Owning end-to-end execution on critical work streams
• Building financial models, dashboards, competitive analysis, or internal systems
• Acting as a trusted operator and thought partner to the founding team
• Moving between problems quickly—solving what matters most, not what's clearly defined

This is for people who thrive in ambiguity, want broad exposure, and prefer building to optimising.

What Strong Candidates Bring

• A solid academic background (business, economics, engineering, or adjacent fields)
• Early experience in consulting, banking, venture, startups, or high-growth tech
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills
• High ownership, initiative, and follow-through
• Clear, concise communication
• Strong organisation and prioritisation
• Comfort with pace, ambiguity, and lightly structured environments
• A bias toward execution

Why Apply This Way

Early access to roles before they're publicly listed

Direct founder outreach when there's a strong fit

Tailored matching by role type, sector, and stage

The Process

1️⃣ You apply -

share your background, skills, interests, and availability (internship or full-time)

3️⃣ Founders connect

- your profile is shared with relevant founders who are actively hiring, and they reach out directly if interested.

You can still apply independently to any open roles - this simply increases your visibility earlier in the process.