Founder's Associate - Growth, Sales & AI

Company Overview: 

At Forward Earth, we are dedicated to making sustainability and decarbonization core elements of every business. Backed by more than €4 million in seed funding from top-tier investors, our innovative software equips partners with carbon management tools that simplify compliance, reduce emissions, and bolster success in a sustainable economy. We are committed to reducing emissions across products and supply chains, helping combat global climate change. Our goal is to automate carbon management, making it accessible and scalable, empowering users to optimize processes and achieve substantial emission reductions.

We are currently growing our team to roll out our software to the market! As a Founder's Associate Intern, you will have the unique opportunity to work closely with the company's founders, contribute to strategic initiatives, and play a pivotal role in driving our growth.

Role Overview: 

As a Founder’s Associate, you will work directly with the founder and the founding team on our most important growth initiatives. Your focus will be on go-to-market execution: identifying target customers, improving outbound and sales processes, building AI-driven automations, and turning commercial insights into scalable systems.

You will take ownership from day one and work across sales, strategy, operations, and automation. This role is ideal for someone who wants hands-on experience building the commercial engine of a fast-growing climate tech company.

Responsibilities:

• AI Sales Automation: Build and maintain AI-powered sales automation processes, including designing Claude skills and, ideally, agentic workflows that automate lead research, outreach, and reporting.

• Sales: Support the founder and the sales team in identifying leads, reaching out, preparing meetings, joining or owning the meetings, maintaining and expanding sales analytics & reporting.

• Business Development: Support the founders in building strategic partnerships, conducting market research, and identifying potential clients, investors, and stakeholders.

• Strategy Development: Collaborate with the founders to refine and execute the company's strategic vision, identifying market opportunities, and defining key milestones for growth.

• Data Analysis: Work with the team to collect and analyze data related to carbon emissions, sustainability metrics, and market trends to inform product development and business strategies.

• Project Management: Assist in managing and coordinating projects, ensuring timely completion and delivering high-quality results. This includes organizing and attending meetings, tracking project progress, and preparing project documentation.

• Marketing and Communication: Contribute to the development of marketing materials, including website content, blog posts, social media updates, and presentations.

• Operations Support: Assist with day-to-day operational tasks, such as organizing events, managing calendars, coordinating travel arrangements, and maintaining company records.

Benefits:

• Valuable hands-on experience in a fast-paced startup environment.

• Opportunity to work closely with experienced founders and industry experts.

• Exposure to cutting-edge technologies and solutions in the field of carbon management.

• Potential for growth and long-term career opportunities within the company.

Note: This job description is intended to outline the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this position. It does not encompass all the duties and responsibilities specific to the role, and other duties may be assigned as necessary.

Qualifications:

• Hands-on experience with AI tools, ideally the ability to build Claude skills and AI agents to automate sales and operations workflows; familiarity with tools like Claude Code, or Clay is a plus.

• Enrolled in or graduated from a bachelor's or master's degree program, preferably in engineering, computer science, business informatics, business administration, environmental sciences, sustainability, or a related field.

• Strong interest in and understanding of climate change, carbon management, and sustainability.

• Previous experience in SaaS sales or consulting is very helpful.

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, in German and English, with the ability to effectively articulate complex concepts.

• Analytical mindset with a high level of proficiency in data analysis and problem-solving.

• Proactive and self-driven attitude, with the ability to work independently and take ownership of projects.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.

• Proficiency in Google Docs (slides, word, sheets) and familiarity with project management tools (especially Confluence, Jira and Trello) or CRM tools (especially Attio and Hubspot) is a plus.

• Prior experience in a startup environment, business development, or project management is advantageous but not required.