Founder Associate

HIGHCAT builds technology that protects those who protect us. We develop advanced systems for military units, emergency responders, governmental authorities and critical infrastructure teams, delivering tools that enhance situational awareness, improve decision-making, and save lives in high-stakes environments. Our customers operate in conditions where technology failure means mission failure, and mission failure can mean loss of life. We take that responsibility seriously.

We’re backed by leading venture capital and strategic partners who understand that defense, public safety, and critical infrastructure represent not just massive markets, but moral imperatives. Our team combines deep technical expertise with operational experience in the domains we serve. We’re building at scale while staying primarily focused on the people who depend most on our technology. If you believe that technology should serve those who serve, and that operational excellence is how mission-driven companies turn vision into reality, HIGHCAT is where you belong.

Role

We are looking for a sharp, versatile Founder's Associate to work directly with our CEO across strategy, operations, and execution. This role is built for someone who wants broad exposure to how a fast-scaling defense-tech company is actually run, from the inside.

You'll move fluidly between market research, internal communication, project management, and stakeholder coordination, often within the same week. One day you might be building a decision template on a new market entry, the next you're coordinating with a VC ahead of a board meeting, or running point on a trade show. The common thread: high ownership, high trust, and the expectation that you bring structure to ambiguity.

This role is ideal for someone with a background from a field that trains broad thinking, like consulting, VC, or a similarly demanding environment. We want someone who is hungry to learn, comfortable operating without a fixed playbook, and ideally has already seen what a fast-scaling startup looks like from up close.

Core Tasks and Responsibilities

• Operational Management: Drive the CEO's operational agenda, from testing and launching new tools and processes to organizing project management across teams, ensuring execution stays on track even as priorities shift.

• Communication & Liaison: Act as the connective tissue between the CEO and internal teams, and organize communication with external parties like partner companies, customers, VCs, and trade fairs/conferences.

• Decision Support: Conduct market and competitor research, and translate findings into clear analyses, presentations, and decision templates that directly inform strategic calls.

• Interface Management: Work closely with all relevant departments to ensure smooth implementation of strategic direction, including investor reporting and cross-functional project ownership.

About You

• Strong academic background (Bachelor's or Master's degree) with excellent analytical and quantitative skills.

• Experience in a field that trains broad, structured thinking like consulting, venture capital, or a comparably fast-paced environment.

• Genuinely hungry to learn: you pick up new domains quickly and aren't afraid to be a generalist.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in German and English (C1+).

• High level of professionalism, discretion, and integrity when handling confidential information.

• Proactive, resourceful, and adaptable. Comfortable managing shifting priorities in a fast-paced setting.

Nice-to-Haves

• Background in politics, Public Affairs or Government Relations

• Ideally, you've already seen a fast-scaling startup from the inside and know what that pace and ambiguity feel like.

What we offer

• Competitive compensation with meaningful equity reflecting the strategic importance of the role

• On-site work in beautiful Konstanz

• Flexible working hours

• Hansefit Subscription

• Choose your own device policy

• 30 days vacation.

• Direct impact on critical missions across private and public‑sector customers