Founder's Associate

About the role

Mello HQ is creating an AI-first operating system for logistics. The aim is to replace spreadsheet-heavy, PDF-driven, manual work with a platform that automates the unstructured parts of the workflow and turns fragmented information into a dependable single source of truth. The company is venture-backed, expanding quickly, and already working with leading names in digital retail.

Role overview

This position is a direct partnership with the founding team and touches many parts of the business. It is a practical, high-responsibility generalist role intended for someone who wants to see how an early-stage AI company is built, run, and scaled from the inside.

Instead of being limited to one function, you will tackle the most important priorities as they arise: building automations that improve team efficiency, supporting commercial progress, and helping keep operations organized and effective.

Key responsibilities

• Spot repetitive or manual work across the company and replace it with smart automated workflows.
• Build internal tools and automations using AI and workflow platforms such as Claude, Lovable, Make, and n8n.
• Take ownership of the automation layer that supports how the company operates, converting one-off tasks into repeatable systems.
• Support go-to-market efforts by improving positioning, sharpening the ideal customer profile using market insights, and helping turn early traction into scalable commercial routines.
• Help create the Mello Playbook, covering structured processes for areas like customer onboarding and internal team workflows.
• Serve as a connector between early customers and the engineering team so customer feedback becomes product improvements that deliver real value.
• Assist the founders with strategic work such as investor communications, board preparation, and key hiring decisions.

What success in this role looks like

You will be expected to operate with a high level of ownership, work through ambiguity, and move quickly across a broad range of priorities. This role is especially suited to someone who enjoys startup environments and wants to contribute meaningfully to building something from the ground up.

Requirements

• 1–2 years of experience in a broad, high-agency environment such as an early-stage startup, consulting, venture, or operations.
• Practical experience with automation tools like Claude, Lovable, Make, n8n, or comparable platforms, or the ability and motivation to learn them quickly.
• Strong understanding of software, data, and AI; a technical background is helpful but not mandatory.
• Comfort with incomplete information and the ability to work independently to find solutions.
• Strong personal standards, reliability, and a strong sense of urgency.
• Confident written and verbal communication in both German and English.

Mindset

• You like taking full responsibility and care deeply about execution.
• You enjoy solving varied problems in a fast-changing environment.
• You are genuinely interested in startups, AI, and how businesses are created and scaled.
• You may aspire to found your own company in the future and want to learn from the inside.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation with meaningful early equity potential.
• A role with substantial ownership and direct exposure to company-building.
• Close collaboration with the founding team in a compact, fast-moving setting.
• Direct access to customers and the full cycle from problem discovery through deployment.
• The chance to help build a product that changes how logistics teams operate.

Hiring process

The hiring process is designed to move quickly and typically concludes within about two weeks.

• Application review: every application is assessed by the team.
• Intro call: a 30-minute conversation with one of the founders.
• On-site: meet the team, work through a real problem together, and experience the company’s working style.
• Offer: a clear decision with prompt feedback.