Founders Associate

Xaver Group; Köln; Hybrid; EUR 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Gym memberships

Professional advancement opportunities

Collaborative work culture

Job summary

A fast-scaling FinTech seeks a Founders' Associate in Cologne to work with the founding team on strategic initiatives and business development. The role involves evaluating markets, managing partnerships, and ensuring successful product deployment. Candidates should have a relevant degree, 2-4 years of experience in strategic roles, and strong analytical skills. The position offers competitive remuneration and opportunities for career advancement within an evolving company.

Qualifications

• 2-4 years of experience in strategic roles within startups, consulting, or financial services.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, able to build financial models.
• Fluency in English; German is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Work directly with founders on strategic questions.
• Drive go-to-market strategies for product deployment.
• Identify potential business partners and lead negotiations.
• Build KPI and reporting frameworks.
• Monitor financial KPIs to enhance profitability.
• Support daily operations and key decisions.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Self-driven

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, or related discipline

MBA

Job description

We’re a fast‑scaling FinTech, founded by an experienced team that has previously built multi‑million Euro companies. Over the past three years, we have established ourselves in a regulated €100bn+ market and are backed by leading unicorn founders, senior industry executives, and top‑tier global VCs.

You will join a growing team at a pivotal stage and work closely with the founders to scale the company further.

We are looking for a Founders' Associate to join us full‑time starting asap.

Your Role:

• Join our journey as a Founder's Associate, a linchpin role offering an exceptional opportunity to work alongside our founding team. Your insights, expertise, and dedication will shape the company's trajectory, ensuring our mission and vision come to life.
• You will get a unique opportunity to work alongside experienced founders building up an early stage venture, while already being backed by renown investors.
• This role is designed to evolve. As we scale, we expect the right person to grow into a leadership position shaped by their strengths – whether that's heading up operations, partnerships, or a new business line.

Your Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Analysis & Implementation:

• Work directly with founders on the highest‑priority strategic questions – whether that's evaluating a new market, structuring a partnership, or pressure‑testing a go‑to‑market approach.
• Drive go‑to‑market strategies, ensuring successful product deployment and market acceptance.
• Support strategic decision‑making through structured analyses, market research and competitive benchmarking.

Business & Partner Development:

• Proactively identify potential business partners and foster negotiations to bolster our B2B offerings.
• Cultivate and sustain existing partner relationships, ensuring alignment with mutual growth objectives.
• Lead and support partnership discussions and negotiations from first contact to deal execution.
• Build, manage and grow long‑term partner relationships with insurers, banks and financial distributors aligned with mutual growth objectives.
• Monitor and optimize financial KPIs, working with finance to enhance company profitability.

Performance Management:

• Build and maintain the KPI and reporting frameworks that keep the founding team and the wider company aligned on what matters.
• Present analytical findings and strategic recommendations to the founding team, propelling informed decision‑making.

Operational Support:

• Provide essential support in daily operations and key decisions, ensuring seamless company functioning.
• Monitor and optimize financial KPIs, working with finance to enhance company profitability.
• Act as an integrative force between founders and various departments, promoting transparent communication and collaboration.

Your Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, natural sciences or a related discipline. MBA is an advantage.
• 2-4 years of experience in strategic roles within startups, consulting, banking or financial services companies.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills – you're comfortable building a financial model in the morning and jumping on a partner call in the afternoon. Clear communicator who can operate independently without waiting to be told what to do next.
• Stellar communication and interpersonal skills.
• A self‑driven approach with a fervor for innovation and agility in a dynamic setting.
• Fluency in English, German is an advantage.

Reporting to:

CEO / Founders

Location:

Company Headquarters in Cologne

What We Offer:

• A paramount opportunity to shape the strategy of an industry‑redefining venture from an early stage, working alongside experienced founders and being backed by internationally renowned investors from the start.
• A role which offers continuous avenues for professional advancement and the outlook to take over a leadership in the company.
• Empowerment and trust to let you drive your own projects from day one.
• Competitive remuneration. Additional company perks such as gym memberships round up an individual package.
• An amazing office in the center of Cologne.
• A collaborative, inclusive, and forward‑thinking work culture.

Note: We are staunch believers in equal opportunities and celebrate diversity. Discrimination on grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or any other factor is against our core principles.