Founder Associate

Clera; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Visa sponsorship available

Job summary

Clera is seeking an on-site operator to work directly with the founding team in San Francisco, helping shape a category-defining AI recruiting platform. This true 0-to-1 role spans product, growth, operations, and partnerships, driving high-impact initiatives end-to-end.

You will own end-to-end operations, contribute to GTM messaging, optimize the candidate experience, and switch across functions as needed. 1–3 years of hands-on operator experience and founder-like drive are preferred.

Qualifications

• 1–3 years of hands-on operator experience
• Previous role as Founder Associate, Chief of Staff, or similar
• Ownership of operations end-to-end
• Background in high-performance organizations (top-tier consulting, fast-scaling tech, or venture-backed startups)

Responsibilities

• Lead founder-priority projects spanning new market initiatives, strategy, and execution
• Own and improve the candidate experience and conversion funnel to drive better outcomes
• Design and implement scalable operational processes that keep pace with rapid growth
• Support go-to-market efforts including messaging refinement, growth experiments, and partnerships
• Translate real-world candidate and company feedback into actionable product priorities
• Switch independently across operations, recruiting, strategy, and special projects as needed

Skills

1-3 years experience

Founder Associate

Chief of Staff

Operations ownership

High-performance background

Job description

About the Role

This is a true 0-to-1 operator seat sitting directly alongside the founding team of a pre-seed AI recruiting startup. You will work across product, growth, operations, and key partnerships, driving high-impact projects end-to-end and helping shape the foundation of a category-defining platform in the global talent market.

What You’ll Do

• Lead founder-priority projects spanning new market initiatives, strategy, and execution.

• Own and improve the candidate experience and conversion funnel to drive better outcomes.

• Design and implement scalable operational processes that keep pace with rapid growth.

• Support go-to-market efforts including messaging refinement, growth experiments, and partnerships.

• Translate real-world candidate and company feedback into actionable product priorities.

• Switch independently across operations, recruiting, strategy, and special projects as needed.

What We’re Looking For

• Approximately 1 to 3 years of relevant professional experience in a hands-on operator role.

• Prior experience as a Founder Associate, Chief of Staff, or comparable early-stage startup operator.

• Demonstrated ownership of operations end-to-end, rather than a primarily product or technical background.

• Background at high-performance organizations, such as top-tier consulting firms, fast-scaling tech companies, or venture-backed startups.

• Comfortable moving fast, thinking sharply, and holding yourself to high standards.

• Motivated by driving real outcomes, not just supporting others.

• Ambition toward becoming a founder, GM, or early executive.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary: $90,000 to $120,000 USD annually. Visa sponsorship is available.

Location

On-site in San Francisco, California. This role requires living and working in person with the founding team. It is not remote.