Founders Associate Intern

Ark Software GmbH; München; On-site; EUR 13,000 - 20,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellpass/Urban Sports Club

Office Munich & Berlin

Team events

Discounts on sustainability brands

Job summary

Ark Climate in Munich/Berlin is seeking a Founders Associate Intern to work with our Chief of Staff and CEO on a mix of growth, strategy, and company initiatives. You will split your time between supporting sales with municipalities and driving internal projects that shape our team and product roadmap.

You will gain hands-on experience in a fast-growing GovTech startup, handling recruiting, planning, budgeting, and initiatives that move Ark forward.

Qualifications

• First internship in a fast growing startup, consulting, VC or ops role.
• Drive in sales; enjoy talking to people; learn how to win customers.
• Structured way of working; manage multiple topics.
• Analytical mindset; comfortable with numbers and spreadsheets.
• Communication skills; engage with municipalities, partners and team.
• Entrepreneurial spirit; thrive in fast-paced startup; hands-on.
• Language: Excellent German and English skills.

Responsibilities

• Growth: collaborate with the sales team, qualify leads, book meetings, and prepare customer conversations; bonus for qualified demos.
• Strategy: partner with the Chief of Staff on analyses and decision papers; translate decisions into actions.
• Company Initiatives: own projects from webinars to legal and administrative topics.
• People & HR: assist recruiting, onboarding, and culture initiatives.
• Finance: support budgeting and investor updates.

Skills

Startup exposure

Sales mindset

Structured work approach

Analytical mindset

Strong communication

Entrepreneurial spirit

German and English fluency

Job description

Join Ark at an exciting stage and learn first‑hand how a startup is built.

Ark builds platforms for public administrations. We entered the market about a year ago with our best‑known tool, a platform for local climate action, and now work with more than 60 cities, counties and states, from Schleswig‑Holstein, Munich and Berlin to small rural municipalities. We have won the German Startup Award 2026, raised €2.4 million in pre‑seed and grant funding and are approaching €1 million in annual revenue.

As our Founders Associate Intern (all genders), you work side by side with our Chief of Staff Lennart, who is your day‑to‑day lead, and team up with our founder & CEO Ruth on selected projects. Your week has two halves. In the mornings you are part of our growth team and help win new public administrations as customers. This is the core of the role. In the afternoons you work with Lennart on whatever matters most for the company at that moment, from strategy and finance to HR and company initiatives.

You will see from the inside how a fast‑growing GovTech startup wins customers, makes decisions and builds its team. If you are thinking about founding your own company one day, there are few better places to learn.

Tasks

Joining Ark as a Founders Associate Intern means a new mix of topics every week. Here is a range of potential challenges:

• Growth: Spend your mornings with our sales team. Research and reach out to municipalities, qualify leads, book meetings and prepare customer conversations. You learn how public sector sales work and see your impact in our pipeline every week. You'll receive a bonus for each qualified demo booked.

• Strategy: Work with Lennart on strategic questions, prepare analyses and decision papers for management and turn decisions into concrete next steps.

• Company Initiatives: Take full ownership of projects that move Ark forward, from preparing and hosting webinars for municipalities to legal and administrative topics a growing company has to get right.

• People & HR: Support our recruiting from job posting to interview, help onboard new team members and contribute to initiatives that shape our team culture.

• Finance: Help with financial planning, budgeting and reporting, for example when preparing updates for our investors.

Requirements

We are looking for people who enjoy switching between very different topics and want real responsibility from day one. Here is what makes you the right fit:

First Experience: Ideally first internships in a fast growing startup, consulting, VC or ops role. How quickly you learn matters more to us than your CV.

Drive in Sales: You enjoy talking to people, are not afraid of the phone and want to learn how to win customers. Half of your time is growth work, so this should excite you rather than be something you accept.

Structured Way of Working: You keep track of several topics at once and deliver reliably, even when priorities change during the day.

Analytical Mindset: You are comfortable with numbers and spreadsheets and can turn complex information into a clear recommendation.

Communication Skills: Strong written and verbal communication to engage with municipalities, partners and our team.

Entrepreneurial Spirit: You thrive in a fast‑paced startup setting and see limited resources as a chance to innovate. You are hands‑on, proactive and a natural problem‑solver.

Language: Excellent German and English skills.

Admin:

• Time commitment: Internship, 6 months

• Start date: asap

• Location: Munich or Berlin, in office

We know that perfect candidates don’t exist and we don’t have specific “minimum qualifications”. Curiosity, eagerness to learn, a passion to tackle climate change, a collaborative spirit and a growth mindset are most important to us.

Benefits

Competitive Compensation Package: We value your skills and expertise. Enjoy a salary that reflects your impact.

Ownership & Growth from Day One: Take on responsibility from the start, tackle exciting challenges and accelerate your career with a steep learning curve.

Offices in Munich and Berlin: Join us at WERK1, Munich’s up‑and‑coming tech hub in the Werksviertel, or in our new Berlin office.

Team Events & Culture: Join a vibrant team with fun social events and a culture of open feedback and continuous learning.

Exclusive Perks & Benefits: Stay active with an EGYM Wellpass / Urban Sports Club membership, plus enjoy discounts on top sustainability brands.

Your team will be

• Lennart (Chief of Staff), your day‑to‑day lead

• Ruth (CEO & Founder)

Note: We are currently only able to hire from inside the EU, please only apply if you are based in the EU or are allowed to work here.

Ark Climate is an equal opportunity employer, which means we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.