Chief of Staff / Founders Associate

ABOUT THE ROLE This is a high-ownership operator role working directly with the CEO of a fast-growing AI company, sitting inside the leadership orbit and turning strategy into execution across every business function. You will own the most ambiguous, highest-stakes problems at the intersection of growth, hiring, finance, and operations. Think of it as a founder residency: you help build the company from the inside out. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Partner with the CEO to translate high-level strategy into concrete, cross-functional execution. - Own the end-to-end hiring engine for the next wave of critical hires, from planning through candidate closing. - Build and maintain financial reporting, budgeting, and KPI dashboards that give leadership and the board complete clarity. - Design the operating system, including cadences, processes, and communication loops, with AI automation built in by default. - Lead strategic projects from zero to done: market entry, pricing architecture, partnership structures, and other initiatives without existing owners. - Manage the fundraising process end-to-end, including data rooms, investor narratives, updates, and board relations. - Identify and solve problems that nobody else owns 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 fast-moving VC-backed startup, or founding your own venture. - Deep fluency in business fundamentals: P&L, SaaS metrics, unit economics, and financial modeling. - Demonstrated experience designing and implementing operational processes, cadences, and communication systems at growing companies. - Experience managing fundraising processes including data room preparation, investor communications, and board reporting. - Strong written communication skills; you write clearly in memos and translate complex technical or financial concepts into narratives for boards and investors. - AI-native mindset: you use AI tools daily and have a point of view on how an AI-first company should operate internally. - High agency and comfort with ambiguity; you write the playbook rather than waiting for one. - Fluent in both English and German (C1+ level in each). - Background in industrial operations, supply chain, or enterprise B2B sales is a plus. - Experience working in or advising AI/ML companies or early-stage technology startups is a plus. LOCATION On-site, five days per week in Berlin, Germany. Visa sponsorship is not available.