Founders Associate

Y2K Vintage; Greater London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing retail brand in North West London seeks a Founders Associate to support and execute high-priority initiatives alongside the Founders. This role requires a strategic thinker comfortable operating in ambiguous situations while driving projects in retail expansion and internal team growth. Ideal candidates will have experience in startups or strategy roles, strong communication skills, and a genuine understanding of Gen Z consumer behavior. Competitive salary offered between £45-55k depending on experience.

Qualifications

• Experience in startups or scale-ups.
• Background in business operations or strategy.
• Analytical skills with a consulting background.

Responsibilities

• Partner closely with founders on high‑priority initiatives.
• Drive follow‑through on projects spanning retail expansion.
• Identify risks and propose practical solutions.

Skills

High ownership and initiative

Exceptional written communication

Strong judgement and structured thinking

True understanding of Gen Z consumer industry

Comfort operating in ambiguity

Job description

Founders Associate - Strategy, Operations & Special Projects

Reports to Co-Founders Camilla & Abdullah

Salary: £45-55k based on experience

Location: North West London, NW2

The Business

We’re building retail brands centred around curated vintage – we currently operate Y2K Wholesale, The Big Thrift, Y2K Vintage and MSSY. Bootstrapped from the ground up and recognised on the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 list, we’ve grown by putting customers first, constantly pushing ourselves to source the best vintage possible and ensuring we’re building with integrity everyday. 2025 saw huge YOY growth across the brands, now in 2026 we’re taking on new challenges as we expand nationally and explore new categories.

Role Overview

We’re hiring a Founder Associate to work directly alongside our Founders as they start this next phase of growth (4 new brick and mortar locations scheduled for H1!). You will be an extension of the Founders, working across a wide range of projects such as acquiring new locations, identifying and leading growth initiatives, increasing brand awareness, building internal teams, improving operating procedures – essentially you’ll act as a force multiplier across decision‑making, execution and company‑wide problem‑solving.

This is a high‑trust role at the centre of a scaling business. You'll be expected to manage operating at founder level and must be comfortable working across multiple projects simultaneously and strategising in real time. The scope is broad and will evolve based on where you can create the most leverage.

To be successful in this role you must have a strong understanding of the recent shifts in consumer behaviour and how it shapes modern retail and brand strategy.

What Success Looks Like

• Founder ideas quickly become structured outputs and executed projects.
• Founders Associate strategises and leads projects without Founder input.
• Decisions happen faster with stronger preparation.
• Important initiatives move without constant founder involvement.
• The business operates with greater clarity, momentum, and focus.

What You’ll Do

• Partner closely with founders on high‑priority initiatives and business challenges.
• Turn discussions and emerging ideas into structured plans, next steps and outcomes.
• Drive follow‑through across projects spanning retail expansion, brand development and operational growth (and other projects as required)
• Identify risks, gaps, or misalignment early and bring forward clear, practical solutions
• Take messy or incomplete ideas and turn them into clear, structured action plans with deliverables.
• Draft presentations, proposals and strategic materials (e.g. landlord packs, new concepts, internal frameworks).
• Act as a second brain on complex topics that cut across the business.
• Identify operational inefficiencies or challenges and propose practical improvements.
• Build structure where none exists yet.
• Own projects end‑to‑end from initial idea through execution.

Who We’re Looking For

You may come from:

• Startups or scale‑ups
• Business operations or strategy roles
• Consulting or analytical backgrounds
• Founder‑led environments with real ownership

What matters most:

• High ownership and initiative
• True understanding of Gen Z consumer industry
• Exceptional written communication
• Strong judgement and structured thinking
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and switching context quickly
• Ability to challenge ideas constructively and think independently
• Experience leading teams through periods of change and growth