Founders' Associate / Executive Assistant

About Ornata

Ornata is developing a remote operations platform focused on agriculture, enabling farms to operate machinery autonomously without a human present, using their existing equipment. Their service integrates retrofit autonomy hardware, remote operators, AI, and operational systems to bring autonomous benefits to farms. The company collaborates with some of Australia's leading broadacre farming businesses, building crucial operational foundations to ensure scalable, safe, reliable, and repeatable growth.

About the Role

The company seeks a Founders' Associate to work closely with the founders daily, with progression potential into the Chief of Staff position. This multifaceted, hands-on role is central to this early-stage venture, involving office management, financial record keeping, managing calendars and travel, and handling administrative duties critical for a high-velocity team. Success here demands excellent execution to foster trust and deep understanding of business operations.

Beyond operational tasks, this role includes managing meeting rhythms and follow-ups to ensure the team remains aligned and accountable. With growth in experience, the associate will take on cross-department coordination, assist in preparing for founder-led discussions, and execute decisions by the founders.

Trustworthiness and discretion are paramount due to access to sensitive data and finances. The ideal candidate is organized, exercises sound judgment, proactively takes initiative, and is comfortable with tasks as varied as invoice reconciliation and project management.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily office operations including suppliers, facilities, and supply logistics.
• Maintain accurate financial records using Xero: processing invoices, expenses, and reconciliation in cooperation with an external accountant.
• Provide support to founders through calendar management, travel arrangements, meeting coordination, and inbox prioritization.
• Oversee the team’s operating cadence including meetings, prioritizing work, and ensuring follow-ups.
• Lead projects independently and handle miscellaneous tasks to maintain momentum in a fast-paced environment.
• Serve as a dependable and discreet contact point within the team.
• Expand responsibilities to include cross-functional coordination, investor and board meeting preparation, implementation of systems as the company grows, and autonomous execution of founder decisions.

Success Metrics

Initially, success is defined by providing founders and team more bandwidth for core work, ensuring smooth office and administrative operations, accurate and current bookkeeping, and preventing important issues from being overlooked. Over time, success means the role's scope widens significantly, with responsibilities encompassing operational cadence ownership, leading cross-business projects, and becoming a trusted second-in-command.

Requirements

This entry-level role emphasizes motivation, judgment, and dependability over extensive experience. The successful candidate will be comfortable with hands-on operational responsibilities alongside strategic projects.

• Exceptional organizational skills and a proactive approach to managing a broad and changing scope of duties.
• High levels of trustworthiness with financial and confidential information.
• Competence in light bookkeeping and disciplined record maintenance.
• Strong decision-making capabilities and eagerness to assume greater accountability.
• Effective communication skills and interpersonal sensitivity.
• Composure, resourcefulness, and initiative to ensure tasks are completed efficiently.
• Ambition to develop and grow alongside the company.
• Ability to thrive in an evolving startup environment with varied daily challenges.

Relevant experience is valued but not mandatory, including roles such as executive assistant, office manager, operations coordinator, bookkeeping (preferably with Xero), project coordination, or support in early-stage companies. A background or degree in business, commerce, or operations is also beneficial.

Benefits

• Participation as an early team member with company share options, enabling direct reward from company success.
• Clear growth trajectory toward a Chief of Staff role as the organization expands.
• A central and trusted position within a pioneering agricultural technology startup.
• Close collaboration with founders to gain insight into company building.
• High job ownership and variety with no two days alike.
• Work from the vibrant inner-city Melbourne office, contributing to an impactful industry.
• Competitive total compensation package from $85,000 to $105,000 AUD inclusive of superannuation, with the potential for increase based on role expansion.