Founder’s Associate - Strategy & Operations (6-months starting Sep’26)

What we do

To reach the age of AI, we must build together - across borders, sectors, and agendas. In response, the ETH AI Center and Merantix launched AI House in 2023: a neutral platform fostering multi-stakeholder dialogue and bold collaboration to advance meaningful and sustainable AI across science, industry, and society.

At its core is the AI House Association, a non-profit organization headquartered in Davos, Switzerland, which leads curated dialogues year-round. Its flagship event, AI House Davos, takes place during the World Economic Forum, uniting global leaders to shape the next evolution of AI.

Participants have included pioneers like Yann LeCun, Andrew Ng, Yoshua Bengio, Raquel Urtasun, and investor Ray Dalio. The platform has featured Nobel and Turing Award winners, experts from 30 top universities, executives from leading investment firms, and AI policymakers from 10 governments and 19 international organizations.

AI House is where global collaboration meets actionable progress in AI.

Your role

We’re looking for a highly structured, entrepreneurial operator to architect and execute the backbone of AI House.

As Founder’s Associate for Operations & Strategy, you will be responsible for turning an ambitious, high-complexity vision into a seamless real-world experience, from systems design to on-site execution in Davos.

You will:

• Architect the "operating system" for AI House Davos. You will design the workflows and guest flows that ensure a seamless, high-friction experience for global leaders - from arrival to high-level sessions.

• Lead the deployment of our next-generation event platform. You’ll integrate AI-powered tools and automation to streamline registration, scheduling, and real-time house management.

• Own the "ground game" during WEF week. You will recruit, brief, and lead a high-performing team of staff and student workers, ensuring every activation and partner meeting is executed flawlessly.

• Proactively identify bottlenecks and mitigate risks in a fast-moving environment. You don’t just fix problems; you build scalable systems and post-event analyses to ensure each year is more efficient than the last.

Your profile

We are looking for exceptionally strong operators who combine structured thinking with hands-on execution. You are:

• You are highly analytical and thrive on breaking down complex environments into scalable processes. You don't just follow a workflow; you enjoy designing tools and systems from scratch to solve core problems.

• Calm under pressure and comfortable with ambiguity. You are a detail-driven planner who thinks in edge cases and anticipates bottlenecks before they happen - essential for high-stakes, fast-paced environments.

• You are technically curious, AI-native and eager to leverage AI to drive operational efficiency. Whether it's mastering new platforms or automating manual tasks, you use technology to multiply your impact.

• A proactive communicator who can align diverse stakeholders and lead projects end-to-end. You likely have a background in consulting, operations, or high-level project management.

• Based in Zurich or Berlin, with the willingness to travel (specifically for our presence in Davos).

What we offer

In addition to a competitive intern salary, you can expect a culture that values intellectual honesty, independent thinking, and strong ownership. You will work closely with a small, high-performing team and gain direct exposure to some of the most important conversations and actors shaping the future of AI.

This role offers a unique opportunity to operate like a curator, communicator and builder at once - shaping not just an event, but the global discourse around AI.