Founder Associate Intern

About the Role Join the founding team of a fast-growing, pre-seed AI startup that is rethinking how top talent connects with career-defining opportunities at leading VC-backed companies — many in AI. This is a rare chance to work shoulder-to-shoulder with founders in a high-intensity, high-ownership environment, contributing directly to the growth of a platform that is disrupting the $600B global recruiting industry. The company operates a talent-first model: using AI to match exceptional candidates with startups and making warm, direct introductions to founders and hiring managers — no cold applications. As a Founder Associate Intern , you will be at the center of this mission, helping hundreds of incoming candidates navigate their job search and connect with elite startups worldwide. What You'll Do Work directly with the founding team on day-to-day operations, candidate experience, and growth initiatives. Own end-to-end workflows: sourcing, screening, and managing relationships with exceptional candidates. Coordinate introductions and meetings between candidates and hiring teams at top VC-backed startups. Identify opportunities to improve and automate recruiting workflows and candidate-facing processes. Collaborate cross-functionally with founders, candidates, and client companies via written and verbal communication. Take on high-ownership projects with real, measurable outcomes from day one. What We're Looking For Required: Willingness and enthusiasm to live and work from a founder hacker-house in San Francisco (on-site, no commute). Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable engaging with founders, candidates, and clients. At least one prior internship of 3+ months in a fast-paced environment (e.g. consulting, sales, startups, VC). Demonstrated ability to deliver results with ownership in entrepreneurial or high-velocity settings. An outstanding profile — e.g. strong academic record, notable projects, active GitHub, or equivalent signal of excellence. Ready to commit fully, including working 6 full days per week. Thrives in ambiguity and can operate with minimal hand-holding. Nice to Have: Prior experience in a founder-led, zero-to-one startup environment. Exposure to recruiting, HR tech, or talent operations. Familiarity with AI tooling or workflow automation. Location & Work Arrangement This role is fully on-site in San Francisco, CA . The team currently lives and works together from a shared hacker-house — zero commute, tight feedback loops, and strong team bonding are core to the culture. This is an intensely in-person, immersive experience. Visa sponsorship is available. Compensation & Benefits Compensation details were not specified for this role. The primary value is direct, hands-on experience working alongside an early-stage founding team, with outsized learning velocity and ownership in a high-growth AI startup environment.