Founder Associate

Humaans is a next-generation HRIS supporting globally distributed organisations. Powered by a flexible data model, deep integrations, fast APIs, and enriched by AI, Humaans removes manual work, reduces compliance risk, and improves the employee experience at scale.

What started as a modern system of record has evolved into a broader platform for operating people globally. With Athena, our agentic AI layer, Humaans moves beyond data management into intelligent orchestration - connecting workflows across HR, IT, Finance, and Operations to help organisations act faster and with greater confidence.

We work with ambitious teams across Europe and the US, from AI-native companies like Lovable, Poolside, Fyxer AI, and Tandem Health, to established, high-growth organisations scaling internationally and through acquisition, including Quantexa, Sellpy, Croud, and Threecolts.

To date, we’ve raised $20m in venture funding from some of the most respected founders and operators in technology, including Lachy Groom, Stewart Butterfield (Slack), Tobias Lütke (Shopify), Dylan Field (Figma), Jeff Weiner (LinkedIn), Claire Johnson (Stripe), Oliver Jay (Asana), as well as Y Combinator, Moonfire, Frontline Ventures, and Exor.

We’re hiring a Founder Associate to work directly with our Co-Founder and CEO, Giovanni, and act as a force multiplier across decision-making, execution, and company-wide problem-solving.

This is a high-trust, high-intensity role at the centre of a scaling business. You’ll help turn ambiguous problems into clear decisions and ensure important initiatives move forward. You’ll be expected to think clearly, write exceptionally well, and operate with urgency.

You’ll act as an extension of Giovanni’s capacity: informing decisions, preparing context, driving follow-through, and raising the quality bar across how we operate. The scope is broad and will evolve over time based on where you can create the most leverage.

You’ll be exposed to a high volume of context, frequent context-switching, and time-sensitive decisions. We’re looking for someone comfortable operating under pressure, prioritising ruthlessly, and delivering high-quality output quickly.

• Partner closely with the CEO on mission-critical initiatives and problems

• Turn strategy and discussion into clear next steps, owners, and outcomes

• Drive follow-through on priorities that span Customer Success, Sales, Product, Engineering, Marketing, and RevOps

• Surface risks, misalignment, and gaps early, and propose clear ways forward

• Turn messy, incomplete inputs into clear, structured recommendations

• Write concise internal memos outlining options, trade-offs, and decisions

• Synthesise context, data, and perspectives to prepare the CEO for key decisions

• Act as a second brain on complex topics that cut across the business

• Support commercial discussions and decision-making

• Help prepare business cases, ROI narratives, and clear decision context for customers and internal stakeholders

• Sense-check commercial consistency and flag edge cases as the business scales

• Support hiring where it creates leverage for the CEO and leadership team

• Help shape role briefs, interview loops, and candidate evaluation where needed

• Produce clear written assessments to support hiring decisions

• Represent and liaise with internal and external stakeholders on behalf of the CEO when appropriate

• Proactively gather inputs and prepare materials for all-hands communications, key updates, board and investor discussions, and strategic partner touchpoints

• Help surface key issues, risks, and decision points in complex or sensitive situations

• Coordinate inputs with internal teams and external advisors when needed to keep momentum

• Decisions are made faster and with better preparation

• Important initiatives move without constant CEO involvement

• The CEO spends less time on coordination and more time on direction and decisions

• The business operates with consistency, alignment, and urgency

You may come from:

• Management consulting (MBB or equivalent), ideally with startup or operating exposure

• Business Operations, Strategy, or similar roles in a fast-growing, VC-backed B2B SaaS company

• Venture capital or growth equity roles with strong written analysis and operating exposure

• Early-stage startup or founder roles with real ownership and accountability

What matters most:

• Unreasonably high standards and ambition

• Exceptional written communication and structured thinking

• High ownership, low ego, and intellectual honesty

• Strong analytical ability and comfort working with complexity

• Ability to operate in ambiguity and switch context quickly

• Confidence to challenge assumptions and defend a point of view clearly

This is an in-person role based at our Central London office (Chancery Lane). Our team comes together in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays to fuel collaboration and connection.

Early stage startups can be messy – we know that. We're putting effort in providing you with the best employee experience and a quality driven environment in exchange for trusting us.

💰 Salary. Competitive compensation.

📈 Equity. Meaningful equity so that you own part of the company.

🏝️ Time off. 25 days of paid time off per year plus public holidays.

🆘 Health. Bupa Private health and dental insurance.

💻 Technology. A brand new MacBook.

🎒 Learning and development. Budget for books and other resources you need.

🚀 Transform an Entire Industry. HR tech is ripe for disruption, and we're leading the charge. Traditional HR products are clunky, slow, and fail to deliver a seamless experience. Businesses are tired of outdated, fragmented solutions that don’t scale. Humaans is here to disrupt that status quo with powerful, scalable solutions that work for every part of the organization.

🌍 Tackle a Game-Changing Challenge. HR Tech used to be overlooked – not anymore. The way people work is evolving faster than ever, and the needs of global companies are changing in real-time. Humaans is at the forefront of this change, reshaping how businesses operate and empowering teams everywhere.

🔥 Work in a Quality-First Culture. At Humaans, we’re obsessed with delivering top-notch user experiences. Every decision we make is guided by our dedication to design, performance, and customer experience.

⚡ Accelerate Your Career. Joining us at this stage means you’ll be growing alongside the company. We’re learning together, shaping the future of HR tech, and offering you an unmatched opportunity for personal and professional growth.

💎 Backed by the Best. We’re proud to have the support of legendary investors and tech leaders, including Y Combinator and Lachy Groom, the founders of Slack, Shopify, and Figma, Asana’s former CRO, the former CEO of LinkedIn and more. With this powerhouse backing, we’re set to building something truly special.

At Humaans we’re looking for genuinely good people that are transparent and emphatic. We’re committed to providing equal opportunities, a diverse and inclusive work environment, and ensuring a fair interview process for everyone. You’re welcome to apply no matter your gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, civil or family status, age, disability, or race.

We care about your privacy. When you apply for a role at Humaans, we’ll collect and process your personal data as part of our recruitment process. This includes things like your CV, contact details, and any other information you choose to share. We may also contact you about future opportunities. You can ask us to delete your data at any time. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.