Founders Associate

This is a future role. We're building a shortlist now and will contact you when it opens.

About us

Foundational is building the most precise picture of Earth and orbit, using lasers fired from the ground. We call it ground truth for orbit.

We design and run low-cost, autonomous satellite laser ranging stations. They measure the distance to satellites with extreme precision, day and night. Our data platform turns those measurements into tracking data and orbit products for satellite operators, space agencies and governments. We also build our own flight-proven laser retroreflector arrays, so any satellite can be tracked.

Our station network is expanding across Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. The data supports resilient navigation, Earth observation and the safe, sustainable use of space.

We're a small, fast-moving team of engineers, scientists and operators in London. We're backed by venture investors and supported by ESA, the UK Space Agency, Innovate UK and the European Innovation Council.

Position Overview

London · Full time · On-site

You'll work directly with our founders on whatever matters most, from commercial deals to operations and fundraising. It's the fastest way to learn how a deep-tech company is built.

What you'll do

• Run projects across commercial, operations and strategy

• Build analyses and models that support decisions

• Prepare investor, board and customer materials

• Manage partner and supplier relationships where needed

• Keep cross-team priorities moving, and follow up on actions

What you'll bring

• 1–4 years in consulting, banking, venture capital, a startup or similar

• Excellent structured thinking, writing and spreadsheet skills

• A strong sense of ownership, and comfort with ambiguity

• Curiosity about space and deep tech

Nice to have

• A STEM degree

• Startup experience

• Interest in space or defence policy

What We Offer

• A high-impact role with real ownership at an early-stage, venture-backed spacetech company

• EMI share options (UK employees)

• 25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays

• Enhanced Parental Leave

• Cycle to work schemes

• Work alongside engineers and scientists across optics, lasers, software and astrodynamics

• Offices in central London, with snacks, tea, coffee and regular socials

We actively champion underrepresented groups and seek to bridge gaps in our workforce. If you're excited by the role but don't match every point, or you’re seeking a part time role, please apply anyway and add a note into your application. Building the best team is our priority.