Venture Associate

Job description

Breakwater is a Los Angeles-based PropTech studio operating at the intersection of real estate and modern hospitality. They combine technology with creator-driven distribution to unlock new ways to own, operate, and scale hospitality assets. The company builds AI-native software that delivers immediate, measurable ROI for prosumer hospitality operators —those running short-term rentals, vacation rentals, and independent hotels. Today, Breakwater is a 14-person team scaling rapidly in close partnership with global venture builder Bifrost Studios . We are hiring a Venture Associate to serve as the operational backbone of Breakwater. This is described internally as our most important and impactful hire. The role exists to free up the founders to focus on strategy, product, and fundraising by providing execution firepower and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. You will own studio operations end-to-end, run our GTM pipeline, and keep our fundraising machine investor-ready at all times. Without this role, operational bottlenecks constrain founder bandwidth and slow everything down. With you in the seat, the entire studio moves faster. Tasks Own and run studio-level operational projects: build the execution hub, set the weekly cadence, and drive accountability across the team. Manage the full GTM pipeline. Track every inbound and outbound lead, stage deals, assign next steps, and ensure nothing goes cold. You'll run weekly pipeline reviews and hand off warm opportunities to founders for closing. Keep all fundraising materials investor-ready: pitch deck, one-pager, metrics sheet, data room, and outreach tracker, updated and organized so the team can take investor meetings at a moment's notice. Create SOPs, spreadsheets, briefs, and documentation that bring structure to a fast-moving studio environment. Coordinate across teams, including overseas team members, implementing daily standups and weekly planning to keep execution tight. Support venture validation and spinout execution for Breakwater's portfolio companies. Requirements 1-3 years of experience in an ops role at a fast-paced startup (BizOps, Founder's Associate, Chief of Staff, or similar). Strong communication skills. You'll be the connective tissue between teams, founders, and external stakeholders. High initiative and ownership mentality; you operate without oversight and take accountability for outcomes, not just tasks. Extreme proficiency in the startup ops toolstack: Notion, Slack, Asana, Google Suite, Figma, and similar tools are second nature to you. A willing, hungry attitude and genuine commitment to an intense work culture. Comfort with ambiguity, rapidly changing priorities, and detail-oriented execution across multiple workstreams. High agency and the ability to generate ideas beyond assigned tasks. Availability for late hours to coordinate with the overseas team when needed. Experience in consulting (especially MBB), investment banking, VC, or hospitality is a plus. The Process Initial conversation to explore fit and background. Interview focused on your execution approach, analytical thinking, and how you work with senior stakeholders. Case assessment involving a concrete operational or GTM problem relevant to studio operations. Final interview with founders and offer. Location: Los Angeles (strong preference for in-person; remote acceptable initially, open to anywhere for the right candidate) If you thrive in high-ownership, high-ambiguity environments and want to be the person who makes a fast-growing PropTech studio actually run, we'd love to hear from you.