Founders Associate

Adaptyv; Vaud; On-site; CHF 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Adaptyv is building an automated lab where AI agents design and run biology experiments. We are expanding our Lausanne lab and seek a Founders Associate to own the operating backbone as we scale.

This high-ownership generalist role spans finance, operations, onboarding, supplier relations, and lab logistics. You’ll turn manual work into scalable systems and automation, thriving in ambiguity with strong ownership.

Qualifications

• Track record of getting things done in startups or projects.
• Entrepreneurial and ownership mindset.
• Self-directed in ambiguous environments.
• Strong with AI tools like Claude Code or Codex.
• Hands-on, organized, reliable.
• Thrives in dynamic role with shifting priorities.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end operational workstreams with outcomes focus.
• Rebuild workflows using AI tools to automate processes.
• Own customer onboarding and scale the client base.
• Manage finance and administrative operations with accountants.
• Manage supplier relationships and follow through.
• Drive Lausanne lab expansion logistics.
• Coordinate internal operations, events, and visits.
• Build lightweight tools using Claude Code, Python, Notion.
• Design new processes and systems for scale.

Skills

Entrepreneurial mindset

Ownership

Self-directed

AI tools (Claude Code)

Organized

Ambiguity tolerance

Tools

Claude Code

Python

Notion

No-code tools

Job description

Adaptyv is building an automated lab that lets AI agents run biology experiments.

We're entering the era of agentic science where AI models can now design novel proteins, propose hypotheses, and iterate on experimental results. But they can't run the experiments themselves - that's still a manual, months-long process. We're building the infrastructure that gives AI agents access to the physical world.

We are one of the fastest growing biotech companies, trusted by leading biopharmas, frontier AI labs, and the techbio companies pushing the field forward. This is a rare chance to help advance some of the most important work happening in biotech today.

Our automated lab is powered by a deep software + hardware stack: lab instruments worth millions of USD reverse-engineered into API-controllable hardware, dozens of devices orchestrated through complex workflows, full observability on everything that happens in the lab, processing pipelines for messy physical-world data, and AI systems that troubleshoot production results and accelerate assay development.

We’re growing rapidly and are hiring for talented people to scale and support the massive demand for AI-driven wet lab experimentation.

About The Role

Adaptyv is growing fast. We are significantly expanding our lab this year, onboarding more and more customers every week, and building the systems needed to keep the company running smoothly as we scale.

We are looking for a Founders Associate to own and build the operational backbone of the company as we scale. This is a high-ownership generalist role: you'll take entire problems and run them end-to-end, from messy first draft to a process that runs cleanly without you.

You'll move between finance, customer operations, hiring, supplier relationships, and lab logistics — owning whatever is most important that week, not just supporting it. Most of what you'll work on is still manual, ad hoc, or held together by hand; your job is to turn it into systems and automations that scale, then move on to the next hardest thing.

This role requires exceptional agency and an entrepreneurial mindset. You should be comfortable being handed an ambiguous goal with no playbook and coming back with it solved.

What You'll Do

• Own complete operational workstreams end-to-end — you're accountable for outcomes, not tasks
• Use AI tools to rebuild workflows that are still too manual, messy, or slow, and turn them into systems that run without you
• Own customer onboarding and help keep our growing customer base happy as we scale
• Run finance and administrative operations, working closely with our accountants and service providers
• Manage supplier and service-provider relationships, including negotiation and follow-through
• Drive lab expansion logistics for our new lab in Lausanne
• Own internal company coordination: events, customer visits, team operations, and the day-to-day rhythm of the company
• Build lightweight tools and automations using Claude Code, Python, Notion, no-code tools, or whatever gets the job done
• Design the processes and systems the company doesn't have yet — and make them happen

What We're Looking For

• A track record of getting things done: you've started something, run something, or owned something meaningful, whether at a startup, a side project, a club, or your studies. A background in biology is not a hard requirement. If you're coming from a different field, a genuine interest in the life sciences is important to us.
• Exceptional agency and ownership. You spot problems before anyone asks, take action, and don't stop until they're solved
• Entrepreneurial and self-directed — you're comfortable with ambiguity and no playbook, and you'd rather build the system than just run the task
• Strong with AI tools, especially Claude Code or Codex. You use them to build real workflows and tools, not just draft emails
• Hands-on, organized, and reliable. You follow through, keep things tidy, and don't let things fall through the cracks
• You thrive in a dynamic role where priorities change quickly, and you're comfortable jumping between projects, responsibilities, and urgent operational needs

Details

• Location: Lausanne, Switzerland (on-site)
• Type: Full time
• Start Date: ASAP

Application deadline

We are reviewing applicants on a rolling basis.