Founders Associate in London

Artificial Societies (societies.ai) helps Fortune 500 organisations understand how real-world audiences think, feel, and respond – without the cost, delay, or limitations of traditional research. We build large-scale simulated populations grounded in real-world data, enabling clients to test messages, strategies, and concepts. Our clients love the ability to receive insights backed by millions of responses in hours rather than months, and to access previously inaccessible audiences (e.g. investors, CEOs, opinion leaders). We're backed by Y Combinator, Point72 Ventures, and Kindred Capital, plus investors from DeepMind and Sequoia Scout, and work with leading organisations across technology, financial services, communications, and public affairs. We're a lean and highly effective team. We move fast, hold a high bar, and trust each other to own outcomes end-to-end. The culture is collaborative but low-ego: ideas win on merit, not seniority.

The Role

We're looking for a Founders Associate to work directly alongside Patrick (Founder and CPO) and James (Founder and CEO). This is the operational backbone of a fast-scaling startup – the person who makes sure everything behind the scenes runs so well that the team can focus entirely on product, clients, and growth. This is not a single-track role. In any given week you might be assembling a desk in the morning, reviewing an NDA before lunch, screening candidates in the afternoon, and coordinating a client dinner that evening. You'll touch finance, legal, hiring, office operations, and client logistics – often in the same day. The common thread is that you care about getting things done properly, you have good judgement about when to act independently and when to elevate, and you take pride in the details that most people overlook. If you want a narrow, well-defined job with clear boundaries, this isn't it. If you want to understand how a venture-backed company actually works from the inside – and you want to be indispensable to the founding team building something genuinely new – this is the role.

What You'll Do

• Office & operations – make decisions about office setup and expansion, order and maintain equipment (desks, chairs, laptops), manage cleaners and building maintenance, assemble furniture, and keep the office stocked and running.
• GTM & client delivery support – coordinate client dinners, events, and meetings, managing email and calendar logistics so that the commercial team can focus on the conversation rather than the scheduling.
• Finance & accounting – manage communications with our accountants, handle receipt requests and insurance, and own revenue collection end‑to‑end: sending invoices, chasing payments, and keeping the books clean.
• People & hiring – own the hiring pipeline from initial screening through to rejections, prepare new joiner materials and onboarding, and arrange logistics and travel for candidates and the team.
• Legal, compliance & contracts – adapt and manage contracts across clients and partners, review NDAs, draft and maintain employment contracts, and ensure right‑to‑work compliance for all team members.

What We're Looking For

• We look for high‑performers, but no prior experience or formal qualification is required.
• Sharp and switched on. You process information quickly, pick things up the first time, and don't need to be told twice. Experience matters far less than how fast you learn and how reliably you deliver.
• Exceptional organisational skills. You manage multiple workstreams simultaneously and nothing falls through the cracks. You have systems – whether that's spreadsheets, tools, or habits – and you trust them.
• Good judgement. You know when something needs a decision now and when it needs to be escalated. You understand context, prioritise and don't need to be micromanaged.
• Comfortable with ambiguity. The scope of this role will evolve as the company grows. You're energised by that, not anxious about it.
• Attention to detail. Contracts, invoices, compliance checks – these things matter, and you treat them with the seriousness they deserve.
• Ownership mentality. You don't wait to be told what to do. You see what needs to happen and you make it happen. You care about the outcome, not the process.

Logistics

• Location: London, in‑office. We build better together, and this role is no exception.
• Equity: 0.05% – 0.10% equity options.

Why Join Now

This is a rare opportunity to sit at the centre of an early‑stage company and see how every function actually works. You'll build direct relationships with the founders, gain exposure to enterprise clients, investors, and partners, and develop an unusually broad operational skill set. If you understand what it takes to build a company from the inside – and you want your fingerprints on everything – this is the role.