ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Founders Associate Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Tavus

Founders Associate

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Founders Associate We're building one of the most ambitious companies in AI. This is not a typical Founders Associate role. It's a high-intensity, high-exposure position working directly with the ...

Rillet

Founders Associate

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$80K - $110K/yr

Who We Need Rillet is looking for a Founders' Associate to work directly with the CEO and Chief of Staff. You will be the connective tissue that keeps high-priority work moving - spotting roadblocks ...

Roger Healthcare

Founders Associate

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$90K - $120K/yr

You'll work directly with the founders, picking up whatever the business needs most that week: pulling together a board deck, digging into a sales metric, untangling a hiring process, or jumping into ...

Roger Healthcare

Founders Associate

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$90K - $120K/yr

You'll work directly with the founders, picking up whatever the business needs most that week: pulling together a board deck, digging into a sales metric, untangling a hiring process, or jumping into ...

Kaizen Stackup

ECVC Associate

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$225K - $300K/yr

... founders, disruptive technologies, and high-growth companies? We're seeking a Midlevel to Senior ECVC Associate to join a fast-growing practice supporting clients from garage-stage startups to ...

Kaizen Stackup

ECVC Associate

Los Angeles, CA

$225K - $300K/yr

... founders, disruptive technologies, and high-growth companies? We're seeking a Midlevel to Senior ECVC Associate to join a fast-growing practice supporting clients from garage-stage startups to ...

Kaizen Stackup

ECVC Associate

Palo Alto, CA

$225K - $300K/yr

... founders, disruptive technologies, and high-growth companies? We're seeking a Midlevel to Senior ECVC Associate to join a fast-growing practice supporting clients from garage-stage startups to ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsFounders Associate JobsFounders Associate Jobs in California

Founders Associate information

See California salary details

$10

$19

$32

How much do founders associate jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 26, 2026, the average hourly pay for founders associate in California is $19.61, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $14.71 and $20.38 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Founders Associate vs Business Development Associate?

AspectFounders AssociateBusiness Development Associate
Required CredentialsBachelor's degree, strong communication, problem-solving skillsBachelor's degree, sales or marketing experience often preferred
Work EnvironmentStartups, fast-paced, close collaboration with foundersCorporate or startup, client-facing, sales-focused
Employer & Industry UsageEarly-stage startups, tech, venture-backed companiesTech, SaaS, consulting, various industries

Founders Associates typically work closely with startup founders, handling diverse tasks from operations to strategy, requiring versatile skills. Business Development Associates focus on sales and client acquisition, often in more structured environments. While both roles require strong communication skills and a bachelor's degree, Founders Associates usually engage in broader responsibilities within startups, whereas Business Development Associates concentrate on growth through sales.

Is a founders associate a senior role?

A founders associate is typically an entry- to mid-level role that supports startup founders with various tasks such as operations, strategy, and project management. While they may take on significant responsibilities, they are generally not considered senior roles and often work under the guidance of senior leadership or founders.

What is a founders associate position?

A founders associate is an entry-level or early-career role supporting a company's founders with tasks such as project management, research, operations, and strategic planning. The position often requires strong organizational skills, adaptability, and familiarity with tools like spreadsheets and communication platforms, and may involve working closely with different departments to help grow the business.

What are popular job titles related to Founders Associate jobs in California?

For Founders Associate jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Founders Associate jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Founders Associate jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Founders Associate jobs?

Cities in California with the most Founders Associate job openings:

Founders Associate jobs near you
Infographic showing various Founders Associate job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 74% Full Time, 23% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $40,786 per year, or $19.6 per hour.

Founders Associate

Tavus

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.

Job description

About Tavus
Tavus is a research lab pioneering human computing. We're building AI Humans - a new interface that closes the gap between people and machines. Our real-time human simulation models allow machines to see, hear, respond, and even look real, enabling natural, face-to-face conversations at scale. We are backed by leading investors including Sequoia Capital, Y Combinator, and Scale Venture Partners.
Founders Associate
We're building one of the most ambitious companies in AI. This is not a typical Founders Associate role. It's a high-intensity, high-exposure position working directly with the founder at the center of the company - helping drive critical decisions, execute across the business, and solve problems that don't have clear answers. If you're early in your career and want a front-row seat to building a category-defining company, this is one of the highest-leverage roles you can take.
The Role
You'll operate as a true right hand to the founder - embedded in everything from day-to-day operations to the most strategic initiatives across the company. No two weeks will look the same.
• Driving key cross-functional projects (e.g. hiring strategy, data infrastructure, company metrics)
• Supporting board-level and strategic initiatives (M&A; financial analysis, planning)
• Owning internal operations (offsites, logistics, systems, cadence)
• Helping unblock teams and push forward high-priority work
• Diving into new problem spaces with little context and figuring them out quickly
This role involves constant context switching, ambiguity, and ownership.
What We're Looking For
We care far more about how you think and operate than your exact background.
• 0-4 years of experience (or exceptional new grad)
• Backgrounds in consulting (McKinsey, Bain, BCG), banking, private equity, or high-growth
startups
• Demonstrated ability to operate in high-performance, high-expectation environments
Core traits:
• High agency - you take ownership without being asked
• Curiosity - you ask the right questions and go deep, not just execute tasks
• Polish - strong communication, attention to detail, and professional judgment
• Work ethic - you're willing to go all-in when it matters
• Intellectual sharpness - you can quickly understand complex problems and structure solutions
What Makes This Role Unique
• You will have unusually deep access to the company and how decisions are made
• You'll work directly with the founder across nearly every part of the business
• You'll gain exposure to strategy, operations, hiring, GTM, and more
• The learning curve is steep - and so is the growth trajectory
This is not a 9-5 role. It's intense, fast-paced, and often unstructured. A meaningful portion of the work will be operational or unglamorous - but it's all part of how companies are actually built.
Why Join
For the right person, this is a career-defining role. If you're early in your career, highly driven, and want to compress years of learning into one - this is the kind of opportunity that rarely exists

Apply