Founder's Associate

Job description

We're building the AI-native operating system for logistics. For an industry that moves the world, logistics still runs on spreadsheets, PDFs, and manual work. Decades of unstructured data and disconnected systems kept logistics work manual. AI unlocks what the industry has been missing: a platform that does the heavy lifting in the background so teams can focus on what truly matters. Today, our AI platform helps retailers and logistics operators save millions by automating their cost management and transforming messy data into a clean, reliable source of truth. We're venture-backed, growing fast, and working with some of the most innovative names in digital retail. Aufgaben You will work directly with the founding team as a force multiplier across the entire business. This is a hands-on, high-ownership generalist role with real responsibility from day one — designed for someone who wants to learn how an early-stage AI company is built, operated, and scaled from the inside out. Rather than focusing on a single department, you will tackle the highest-impact challenges facing the company at any given moment: building the smart automations that make the whole team more effective, driving commercial momentum, and keeping operations running like a well-oiled machine. Key Responsibilities: AI Automation & Systems: Identify manual or repetitive processes across the company and replace them with smart, automated workflows. You'll be hands-on with tools like Claude (for AI-powered automation and internal tooling) and Lovable (for rapidly spinning up functional internal apps) — as well as workflow tools like Make or n8n. You'll own the automation layer of how Mello operates, turning one-off tasks into scalable systems. Commercial Growth: Support go-to-market initiatives by sharpening our positioning, refining our ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) based on market data, and helping turn early traction into repeatable commercial processes. Operational Excellence: Help build the "Mello Playbook" — structured processes for everything from customer onboarding to team workflows — so that what works once, works every time. Product & Customer Success: Act as the bridge between our early customers and the engineering team, ensuring feedback is translated into product features that drive real value. Founder Support: Assist the founders with strategic topics, including investor relations, board preparation, and key hiring decisions. Qualifikation Mindset You take full ownership and pride in execution You enjoy solving a wide range of problems in fast-moving environments You're curious about startups, AI, and how companies are built You aspire to build something meaningful, potentially your own company one day Experience 1–2 years in generalist or high-agency environments (early-stage startups, consulting, venture, or operations) Hands-on experience with automation tools (Claude, Lovable, Make, n8n, or similar) — or a strong drive to go deep on them fast Strong intuition for software, data, and AI (technical background is a plus, not a must) Comfortable working with incomplete information and figuring things out independently High integrity, strong work ethic, and a strong sense of urgency Clear and confident communication skills in German and English Benefits Attractive compensation with meaningful early equity upside A high-ownership role with real responsibility and direct exposure to company-building Close collaboration with the founding team in a small, fast-moving environment Direct access to customers and the full loop from problem discovery to deployment The opportunity to help build a product that redefines how logistics teams work We move fast - end to end in ~2 weeks. Application review → every application is reviewed by the team Intro call → 30-minute conversation with a founder On-site → meet the team, work on a real problem together, and get a feel for how we operate Offer → clear decision and fast feedback