Founding Chief of Staff

Clera; München; Hybrid; EUR 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Clera in Munich, Germany, is seeking a founding Chief of Staff to work directly with the CEO, shaping strategy, operations, and growth as the team scales.

You will partner on fundraising, build go-to-market, sales, marketing and hiring processes from scratch, and transition ownership as leaders emerge, while making day-to-day operations more AI-native across functions. The role requires hands-on leadership, high agency, and a bias for rapid execution in a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment.

Qualifications

• Experience at an early-stage startup or as a founder.
• Ability to build go-to-market, sales, marketing or hiring processes from zero.
• Daily use of AI tools in core workflow with strong technical aptitude.
• Fluency in German and English.
• Experience working with a CEO or founders on strategic initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the CEO on strategic initiatives, including fundraising and investor relations.
• Build go-to-market, sales, content marketing, and hiring processes from the ground up, then transition ownership to dedicated leaders as the organization grows.
• Work with leadership to make day-to-day operations more AI-native.
• Take hands-on ownership of high-impact projects across multiple functions.

Skills

Startup experience

Process building

CEO collaboration

AI driven workflow

Bilingual English/German

Analytical thinking

Hands-on leadership

Entrepreneurial interest

Job description

About the Role

Join an early-stage AI-powered legal technology startup as its founding Chief of Staff, working directly with the CEO. You will help shape strategy, operations, and growth across the organization, establishing effective ways of working as the team scales.

What You'll Do

• Partner with the CEO on strategic initiatives, including fundraising and investor relations.

• Build go-to-market, sales, content marketing, and hiring processes from the ground up, then transition ownership to dedicated leaders as the organization grows.

• Work with leadership to make day-to-day operations more AI-native.

• Take hands-on ownership of high-impact projects across multiple functions.

What We're Looking For

• Experience at an early-stage startup or as a company founder.

• Experience building processes from zero to one across go-to-market, sales, marketing, or hiring.

• Experience working directly with a CEO or founders on strategic initiatives.

• Daily, practical use of AI tools as part of your core workflow, with a strong technical aptitude.

• Fluency in German and English.

• Strong analytical skills, first-principles problem-solving, high agency, and comfort with fast-paced, unstructured work.

• A hands-on approach, a high bar for quality, and background in management consulting are valued.

• Entrepreneurial experience or a genuine interest in founding a company.

Location

Hybrid role based in Munich, Germany, with four days per week on-site.