Founder’s Associate in Reading

Salary: up to £38,000 — dependent on experience

Location: Hybrid — Reading head office/remote

Company Description

Novai is a growing biotechnology start-up. Our product is a novel diagnostic platform combining a retinal biomarker with an AI algorithm to identify cellular-level disease activity for the first time in humans. Our pioneering technology predicts disease progression and measures the impact of current and future therapeutics in glaucoma and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), with emerging potential in neurodegenerative diseases.

Purpose of the Role

This is a broad, hands-on role ideal for a recent graduate who wants exposure to how an innovative biotech start-up operates from the inside. Working directly with the founder and senior team, the Founder’s Associate will provide support across a variety of areas (including project coordination, and day-to-day operations) flexing to the needs of the business as priorities evolve.

It's a genuine opportunity to learn quickly, take on responsibility early, and develop a wide skill set across science, operations and commercial functions in a fast-moving environment. The role would suit someone highly organised, proactive and adaptable, who enjoys variety and is comfortable turning their hand to whatever the day requires.

We are a small team and things move quickly. You will have several things on at once and priorities will shift. You do not need prior clinical trials or biotech experience: we care more about how you think and how carefully you work than where you have worked before.

Key Responsibilities

Project & Operational Support

• Support the coordination of clinical, preclinical and research projects, working alongside and under the guidance of the project management function.
• Help track project timelines, milestones, actions and deliverables, and keep documentation and trackers up to date.
• Assist in coordinating with internal teams and external partners, vendors and subcontractors.
• Provide general operational and administrative support to keep the business running smoothly.
• Help maintain relationships with sponsors, partners and stakeholders.
• Contribute to preparing presentations, reports and other client-facing materials.
• Work closely with the Founder and commercial team to translate value propositions into clear, persuasive content and collaterals (decks, case studies etc.) that supports sales and marketing activities.
• Help build and maintain a marketing lead generation funnel, from gated content assets and campaign ads through to capture forms and CRM entry, so that inbound interest is consistently converted into qualified contacts.
• Support the day-to-day running of HubSpot, keeping contact records, segmentation lists and lifecycle stages accurate, and maintaining automated email nurture sequences that keep prospects engaged across long sales cycles.

General & Founder Support

• Internal coordination: Own the process of gathering and compiling weekly internal updates across teams. Ensure smooth, timely communication that supports cross-team alignment and keeping the company organised as it scales.
• Work directly with the CEO on a range of tasks and priorities as they arise.
• Help organise meetings, coordinate schedules, and follow up on actions.
• Take ownership of ad-hoc projects and tasks that support the wider team.

Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor's degree (life sciences or a related field) with strong academic performance.
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities at once.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proactive, adaptable, and comfortable working in a fast-changing start-up environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build good working relationships.
• Confident with Excel and PowerPoint.
• Comfortable using AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude) as everyday working partners, while applying a critical eye to their output.
• Eagerness to learn and take on responsibility.
• Interest in or exposure to the biotech, pharmaceutical or clinical research sector.
• Familiarity with project coordination or working to deadlines in a professional or academic setting.

What you’ll get

• Direct mentorship from our CEO and senior team, with exposure to strategy, fundraising and commercial decision-making you wouldn't typically see this early in your career.
• Genuine breadth: in your first year you'll work across science, operations and commercial functions, building a skill set that usually takes far longer to develop in a larger, more siloed organisation.
• Real room to grow: as Novai scales, your role and responsibilities will scale with it, with the chance to shape your own path as the business grows.