Finance & Operations Intern

Ascent; Rotterdam; Hybrid; EUR 6,200 - 8,300; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

€650/month internship compensation

Job summary

Ascent, Rotterdam-based, is seeking a Finance & Operations Intern to join their fast-growing consumer brand. You will be at the analytical core, shaping pricing, budgeting, and capital allocation across regions. The role blends finance, supply chain, and wholesale exposure in a dynamic startup environment.

Expect a hands-on internship with real responsibilities, including forecasting, fundraising prep, and VAT work across multiple countries. October start, 6 months, 40 hours per week, hybrid.

Qualifications

• Strong analytical and mathematical skills are required.
• Proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets for modeling.
• Ability to work in a structured and precise way.
• Hands-on mindset and eagerness to learn.
• Fluent in English.

Responsibilities

• Help optimize regional pricing for B2C & B2B across countries.
• Calculate break-even, ROAS thresholds, and allocate marketing spend.
• Evaluate potential investments on ROI and payback.
• Support fundraising materials and financial modeling.
• Build SKU forecasts with new customer acquisition and stock levels.
• Assist with VAT filings and day-to-day bookkeeping in Exact Online.

Skills

Analytical skills

Excel/Google Sheets

Structured & precise

Hands-on mindset

Fluent English

Education

Master's student in Finance/Economics

Tools

Exact Online

Job description

Location: Rotterdam (hybrid: office & remote)

Duration: 6 months, 40 hours per week

Start: October

About Us

Finance & Operations Intern

Location: Rotterdam (hybrid: office & remote)

Duration: 6 months, 40 hours per week

Start: October

Most perfume brands invest heavily in disposable packaging, while only around 1% of the price goes into the ingredients. At Ascent, we challenge the status quo. By rethinking packaging, we reduce waste and focus on what truly matters: premium ingredients. Founded by three lifelong friends, our mission is to make high-quality perfume accessible, refillable, and sustainable. We aim to transform how products are made, used, and sold.

What you'll do

As our Finance & Operations Intern, you'll work at the analytical core of a fast-growing consumer brand and play a key role in how we plan, price, and scale. You will:

• Optimize regional pricing (B2C & B2B): price positioning, margins, and thresholds per country.
• Calculate break-even and target ROAS, and set kill lines per channel to steer our marketing spend.
• Support capital allocation: evaluate potential investments on ROI and payback.
• Support fundraising preparation: financial modeling and investor deck materials.
• Build forecasts per SKU based on new DTC customer acquisition, Starter Pack conversion, retention, and retail partner acquisition. Translate them into minimum stock levels, accounting for lead times per component.
• Analyze large B2B opportunities: costs, margins, and the optimal distribution setup per deal.
• Help prepare VAT filings across multiple countries.
• Assist with day-to-day bookkeeping and monthly reporting in Exact Online.

What we're looking for

• Master's student or recent graduate in Finance, Econometrics, Financial Economics, Economics, or a comparable programme.
• Strong analytical and mathematical skills: you can build a model in Excel/Google Sheets from scratch.
• Structured and precise, with strong organizational skills.
• A hands-on, practical mindset and eagerness to learn.
• Comfortable working with Excel/Google Sheets; experience with Exact Online is a plus.
• Fluent in English.

What we offer

• A dynamic internship in a fast-growing, impact-driven startup.
• Real responsibility and the chance to make an impact.
• Exposure to scaling a consumer brand internationally: finance, supply chain, and wholesale.
• A collaborative, international, and entrepreneurial team culture.
• Internship compensation of €650 per month (based on 40 hours per week).