Founder’s Associate - Partnerships & Growth (all genders)

Hive

The Position Hive is scaling to become Europe’s default operating system for commerce, and our Growth engine is at the heart of that ambition. We’re looking for an exceptional Founder Associate / Strategy Associate to our Chief Growth Officer to sit at the nerve center of that engine for 6 months, own problems that would normally land on a McKinsey Engagement Manager’s desk, and actually ship the answers. This is a zero-to-one internship. You’ll work shoulder-to-shoulder with our CGO on the highest-leverage questions Hive is facing: market entries, pricing architecture, GTM motion redesigns, and the board-level narratives behind them. You won’t fetch coffee. You’ll build the models, drive the analyses, and present the recommendations that shape where Hive goes next. If you’re the person who excelled at a top program, cracked the McKinsey case-prep circuit, and now wants 4-6 months of real operator exposure before you take the BCG/McKinsey/Bain offer, or before you start the venture you’ve already been sketching out, this role was built for you. Your Mission You’ll be the CGO’s force multiplier. Every week, you’ll turn an ambiguous, high-stakes strategic question into a crisp, defensible answer, and then help make it happen. Your Responsibilities * Own CGO-level strategic projects end-to-end: from framing the problem, to structuring the analysis, to landing the recommendation with the leadership team * Build the models: unit economics, pricing simulations, cohort analyses, market sizings, and business cases for new market entries and product bets * Run deep-dive analyses across our commercial funnel: pipeline health, segment performance, sales productivity, churn drivers, and turn findings into concrete interventions * Prepare board, investor, and all-hands materials with the CGO, the kind of decks that get pressure-tested in front of Tiger Global, Earlybird, and Picus Capital * Design and run strategic experiments with Sales, Account Management, Marketing, and Partnerships, and measure what actually moved the needle * Synthesize competitive and market intelligence into decisions: how Hive positions against Shopify, Amazon, 3PLs, and category entrants across Europe * Act as chief of staff to the CGO: driving the weekly operating rhythm, prioritizing the inbox and calendar, and ensuring nothing important drops Your Profile * A distinctive academic track record: Dean’s List, scholarships, or thesis awards are strong signals * Consulting-track pedigree: you’ve prepped seriously for McKinsey, BCG, or Bain interviews. You think in MECE, you’re analytically ruthless in Excel, and you can structure a slide in your sleep * Prior exposure at the highest bar: internships at MBB, top VC-backed scaleups (Trade Republic, N26, Revolut, Flix, Sennder), PE, or IB. Founder or founding-team experience is a huge plus * Analytically ruthless, commercially sharp: you can go from a messy Metabase export to a board-ready insight in an afternoon. SQL or Python is a strong plus * Operator instincts, not just analyst instincts: you don’t stop at the recommendation; you drive execution and carry things across the finish line * Exceptional written and verbal English (C1+); German is a strong plus given our large DACH footprint * High agency, low ego: you move fast, you ask the blunt question in the room, and you’d rather be useful than look good politically * Available for 4-6 months starting ASAP: Pflichtpraktikum, gap semester, or pre-MBA window all work Our Offering * Proximity to the decision table: you’ll sit in every meeting that matters, strategy, board prep, exec offsites, investor updates. Most people don’t get this exposure until their late 20s * A resume line you can’t buy: Founder / Strategy Associate to the CGO of one of DACH’s top-scaling scaleups * A guaranteed conversion path: top performers get a full-time offer into Strategy, BizOps, Chief of Staff, or a GTM leadership track, with a clear 2-year path to running a function * Work with exceptional people: our team includes alumni from McKinsey, Amazon, Shopify, Google, TikTok, and Trade Republic * Real autonomy from day one: your impact drives your progression, not your past titles * Tools to thrive: MacBook, Claude Pro & Lovable Business Plan, modern office at Alexanderplatz, 30 vacation days prorated, flexible hours, and regular team events including company-wide offsites * A front-row seat to the €200B operations opportunity in European commerce About us  We're revolutionizing e-commerce operations. At Hive, we empower brands to excel in the digital commerce era through our innovative operations platform. By combining cutting-edge technology with a curated network of top-tier operations partners, we deliver measurable results. Our comprehensive platform streamlines the entire operational chain through a single, intuitive interface. Since our founding in 2020, we've rapidly grown to become one of Europe's leading operations platform, partnering with hundreds of innovative brands. With strategic locations in Berlin, Paris, Milan, Madrid, London, and Amsterdam. Backed by prestigious investors including Tiger Global, Earlybird, and Picus Capital, we're scaling our impact across Europe. Diversity and inclusion are core to our success. We actively cultivate an environment where every team member, regardless of background, can thrive. We welcome talent from all walks of life, regardless of religion, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability. At Hive, authenticity and professional growth go hand in hand.

Vivid

ABOUT THE ROLE As a Partnership Manager, you'll own and grow Vivid's partnership ecosystem in Germany — a portfolio of partners who put Vivid in front of German businesses through channels they already trust. The role combines two things in equal measure: building new partnerships from scratch and growing the ones already in place. Building new partnerships is your primary mandate; you'll source, develop, negotiate, and launch them end-to-end and structure the economics to support both growth and healthy margins. You'll also run our largely built affiliate channel (primarily comparison sites), keeping it healthy rather than expanding it at scale. YOUR MISSION * Source, develop, negotiate, and launch new partnerships end-to-end — across trusted business advisors, the software businesses run on daily, and the communities founders and SMBs belong to. * Own each partnership from first insight through discovery, commercial structuring, launch, and long-term expansion. * Structure partnership economics — CPA, rev-share, bundles, referral — to balance growth and margin. * Run the affiliate channel: keep partner relationships strong, handle settlements and reconciliation cleanly, and validate and onboard new partners as they come in. * Use data and performance insights to find where we can grow, then turn that into commercial conversations and concrete outcomes. * Define the KPIs, understand what drives them, and decide where to double down, renegotiate, or step back. YOUR PROFILE * 5+ years in Partnerships or Business Development, with a track record of sourcing and developing new partnerships end-to-end — not just managing existing accounts. * Equally strong at building and growing: you can open a partnership from a cold start and expand an existing one over time. * Consultative operatorwho builds the case with data and brings a point of view that earns the partner's attention, rather than relying on a standard pitch. * Strong commercial and negotiation skills — comfortable structuring deals (CPA, rev-share, bundles, referral) and protecting unit economics. * Strong stakeholder management — you can be the credible face of Vivid, from a German Steuerberater to a startup community to a SaaS partner's leadership. * AI-first mentality — you use AI tools to research, prepare, draft, analyze, and automate routine work, operating faster with a lean setup. * Structured, disciplined, and self-directed — you treat preparation and follow-through as core craft and build your own approach rather than waiting for a playbook. * German fluent (required) and English fluent — you'll build relationships, negotiate, and present confidently in both. Nice to Have * Background in fintech, SaaS, payments, or another B2B/SMB-facing product. * Experience building partnerships across advisory, SaaS/embedded, or community/ecosystem channels. * Familiarity with AI-driven productivity tools and CRM/analytics platforms. * Experience in international, cross-functional environments. * A real feel for the German SMB and founder landscape. Please include a CV in English. WHY JOIN VIVID? * This is the onsite role based in our Berlin office. * AI-first culture – we use it every day, not just talk about it. * Learning & development budget to support your professional growth.  * Fully paid vacation and sick leave.  * Sports compensation.  * Real growth prospects, significant responsibility, and the ability to make an immediate impact from day one.  Enhance your expertise and shape the future of FinTech. Join Vivid's talented team and help us revolutionize how businesses think about their finances! COMPENSATION RANGE Final compensation is determined individually, based on your experience, skills and the scope of the role, assessed against objective, gender-neutral criteria. ABOUT VIVID At Vivid, we're on a mission to change how businesses and individuals manage their money across Europe. For businesses, we build tools that actually make a difference: multi-IBAN accounts, high-yield savings, business cashback, team cards, and accounting integrations that save real time – all in one place. And for individuals, everything you need to grow your wealth: investments in global stocks, ETFs and 150+ cryptocurrencies, cashback, and personalised financial insights. Our mission? Your success. Everyone deserves the chance to see their finances flourish, and we're dedicated to empowering our customers to make this a reality. Founded in 2019 in Berlin by Alexander Emeshev and Artem Iamanov, Vivid has quickly grown into one of Germany's top financial platforms for SMEs and private accounts. Since then, we've expanded rapidly across Europe, earning the trust of over 500,000 customers – and with over €200 million raised and a valuation of €775 million, we're just getting started. We're building Vivid as an AI-native organization – across every function, from product to compliance to operations. For us, this means agents handle the execution while our people focus on architecture, strategy, and decision-making. We want to help define what AI-native looks like in a regulated financial environment – and we're looking for people who want to build that future with us.

Qonto

Our mission and customers: We are creating the freedom for SMEs to succeed by delivering Europe's leading finance workspace with banking at its core, augmented by financial tools. We are proud to be rated 4.8 on Trustpilot, based on 55,000+ reviews. Our culture puts customer satisfaction at the core of what we do, as proven by our Net Promoter Score of 75 (more about our culture here). Our journey: Founded in 2017 by Alexandre and Steve, Qonto has grown to 1,600+ Qontoers serving over 600,000+ customers across 8 European countries. We have been profitable since 2023, and we are just getting started. Our beliefs: We hire for skills and potential. With 80+ nationalities, 45% women, of which 56% of women in our leadership team, diversity isn't a program; It's who we are. We've built a discrimination-free hiring process because the best teams are built on merit. AI at Qonto: AI is deeply embedded in how we work (here) - Every Qontoer gets unlimited access to the best AI tools. We want people who experiment without waiting for permission, push AI beyond the obvious, know when to trust it, and when to question it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Join Qonto as Head of Business Development Central Europe to make Qonto the go-to financial management solution in Germany and adjacent markets. You'll build and steer our partnership portfolio — Tax Advisors, Accountants, Tech integrations, Financing, Insurance, Affiliates — while leading and scaling the Business Development, Sales & Partnerships teams. Germany is Qonto's 2nd biggest market, and this role is a cornerstone of our 2026 acceleration plan. You will report to Malte Dous, our Regional Managing Director for Central Europe. ➡️ What you'll do Own the partner GTM for Central Europe: Define strategy, priorities, and KPIs across key verticals — Company Creation, Accounting/Tax Advisory, Tech/Integrations, Financing, Insurance, Affiliates. Build and lead the teams: Hire, coach, and structure lean, high-performing teams across Business Development, Partnerships, and Affiliates with clear targets and operating rhythms. Orchestrate key business models end-to-end: Own the full partner journey across company creation, accounting, finance, and credit partnerships. Define the roadmap, the operating model, and ensure execution across stakeholders. Expand and professionalise the ecosystem: Build tiering, incentive structures, enablement programs, and governance frameworks that scale partner-related revenue. Represent Qonto externally: Be the senior face of Qonto in the German and Central European ecosystem — boards, associations, major partner relationships, C-level negotiations. ➡️ What we're looking for Team leadership in Germany: Proven track record building and managing high-performing teams in Partnerships, Business Development, or Sales in the German market. Strategic partner expertise: You've built B2B2SME partnerships from scratch (0→1) and scaled them — ideally in Fintech, SaaS, Accounting, or a regulated environment in Germany. C-level influence: You're comfortable negotiating and closing at executive level. You craft clear, decision-driving narratives and decks. Business ownership mindset: You own goals, budgets, prioritisation, and execution across multiple stakeholders. Data-driven, impact-oriented — you operate like a General Manager. Product/tech fluency: Enough API and integration understanding to lead technical partnerships with Product and Tech teams. Accounting/DATEV or E-Commerce ecosystem knowledge is a strong plus. Languages & location: Fluent German and English. Based in Berlin. ➡️ What we can offer you Germany's acceleration moment: Qonto's 2nd biggest market with ambitious growth targets and a strong product roadmap — e-invoicing, integrations, Financing Hub. You'll create a step change in how partnerships generate and influence revenue. Senior leadership visibility: Direct exposure to Qonto's senior leadership and the mandate to represent the company externally in Germany and Central Europe. Strong senior ICs to amplify: You'll guide and collaborate with senior contributors — Company Creation Lead, Accounting Lead, Strategy teams — to build upsell motions, prioritise initiatives, and drive delivery. A cross-functional environment with real counterparts: Strong Product, Tech, and Growth teams who operate as partners, not service functions. ➡️ Your future manager Your manager will be Malte Dous, Regional Managing Director Central Europe. His path? 15+ years scaling platforms and partnerships in Germany. Malte started at BCG (6 years), then built Zalando's Partner Program from a small initiative to a multi-hundred-million business over 4 years. He went on to lead as General Manager Germany at Wayfair, then spent 5+ years at DocMorris as Managing Director Marketplace and Category Management. He holds a PhD from the University of St.Gallen and joined Qonto in 2025 to lead Central Europe. What does he bring to the team? Deep expertise in scaling partnerships and marketplaces in the German market — he's done it three times at Zalando, Wayfair, and DocMorris. He gives full ownership of the partnership's function and backs leaders who think entrepreneurially and drive results.