Founders Associate

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

What We’re Looking For

• 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