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Founder's Associate

About the Role

This is the first full-time, high-impact hire at an early-stage consumer nutrition beverage startup based in Berlin. Working directly with the founder, you will help shape the brand, product, and go-to-market strategy for a Germany-first launch. This is a generalist, high-ownership role for someone who moves fast, has strong taste, and thrives in a zero-to-one environment. A co-founder path is on the table for the right person.

What You'll Do

  • Ramp up quickly and support the founder across operations, brand, and product tasks day-to-day.

  • Own go-to-market execution focused on Germany — from strategy through to early customer acquisition.

  • Contribute meaningfully to brand building, product positioning, tone of voice, and overall style.

  • Coordinate and scale a small, lean team including a Werkstudent, an incoming intern, and a fractional performance lead.

  • Define early customer experiences and build feedback loops to inform product and brand iterations.

  • Execute ad-hoc projects with high autonomy and a bias for action.

  • Work on-site in Berlin and collaborate closely with the founder and external contractors.

What We're Looking For

Required:

  • German-language fluency — this is a hard requirement given the Germany-first go-to-market.

  • Berlin-based and fully available to work on-site.

  • Genuine affinity for consumer brands and lifestyle products — not a pure SaaS or analytics background.

  • Demonstrated taste and instinct for what makes a brand or product feel cool and authentic.

  • Proven ability to coordinate small teams and external partners (interns, vendors, contractors).

  • Track record of owning go-to-market activities — even at an early/small scale — including strategy execution across brand, positioning, and customer acquisition.

  • Ability to establish customer feedback loops and translate insights into product and brand action.

  • Strong generalist drive — comfortable switching between strategic thinking and operational execution.

Nice to have:

  • 0–4 years of experience in a consumer brand, startup, or brand-building environment.

  • Background in food & beverage, health, or lifestyle consumer goods.

  • Exposure to early-stage company building or founder-facing roles.

Compensation & Benefits

  • Salary: €24,000 – €36,000 per year

  • Equity: 5% ESOP

  • Co-founder path: Actively on the table for the right candidate

  • Visa sponsorship: Not available — candidates must already have the right to work in Germany

Location

On-site in Berlin, Germany. This role requires full on-site presence; remote or hybrid arrangements are not available.

What this application asks

ashby

Name, Email, Resume

  • LinkedIn optional
  • Do you have work authorization to work in that country? yes / no

See also

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