Founder's Associate — Deep Technology and Special Projects

The role

Work across recruitment, research operations, scientific partnerships, and the decisions that determine which experiments happen next. This role calls for independent judgment and comfort learning enough physics or engineering to ask the right questions without pretending to be the technical expert.

The work

• Translate company-level priorities into clearly owned projects and measurable milestones.
• Drive cross-functional execution across research, engineering, external collaborators and operations.
• Help recruit exceptional engineers, scientists and research collaborators.
• Conduct detailed technology landscape research, competitor analysis and market investigations.
• Prepare scientific and business materials for investor conversations and strategic partnerships.
• Coordinate research collaborations, vendor relationships and external technical initiatives.
• Build lightweight internal systems for project tracking, documentation and decision-making.
• Identify organizational bottlenecks and solve them without waiting for detailed instructions.

What matters

• Exceptional analytical ability and independent judgment.
• Strong written communication and ability to summarize complex topics accurately.
• High ownership, resourcefulness and attention to detail.
• Comfort navigating ambiguity and rapidly learning unfamiliar subjects.
• Ability to work with technical researchers while understanding commercial and organizational priorities.
• A demonstrated record of independently completing difficult projects.

What good work looks like

An independently driven project with clear ownership, documented decisions, and demonstrable outcomes.

Why this work matters

Help a small research institution make clear decisions and execute difficult programs.

Get in touch

Send us your CV, your personal website or examples of work you have done, particularly a difficult project you took responsibility for and carried to completion. Include an informal handwritten statement of purpose, with no prescribed length, telling us why this mission matters to you, what difficult work has taught you, and what you would like to take responsibility for at Walnut. This mission will demand scientific rigor, patience, independent thinking and a willingness to test ideas against reality. Write the statement entirely in your own words, without using generative AI. We will not consider statements written using AI. A photograph or scan of the statement is sufficient, and a typed version is welcome if handwriting is difficult. A reference from someone who knows your work is welcome, but not required.