Founder’s Associate – Research, Sourcing & Special Projects

Working Hours: Full-time with regular overlap with UK business hours
Reports directly to: Founder, UK-based business

We are a UK-based entrepreneurial business operating across technology, e-commerce, consumer products and new business ventures.

We are looking for a highly resourceful Founder’s Associate based in Pakistan to work directly with the founder and help take new projects from an initial idea through research, supplier/partner discovery, commercial evaluation and execution.

This is not a traditional Virtual Assistant or data-entry position.

Your job is:

Make projects move.

You may receive an objective such as:

“We are considering launching a new consumer product in the UK. Research the opportunity, identify suppliers and laboratories, obtain samples and quotations, compare manufacturing options and get the project to the point where we can make a commercial decision.”

You will then be expected to break that objective into an actionable project and drive it forward.

If a supplier doesn’t respond, you find another contact.

If a laboratory gives an incomplete answer, you determine what’s missing and get it resolved.

If we need five comparable quotations, you obtain five comparable quotations.

If something is blocking progress, you investigate the problem and try to remove the roadblock rather than simply reporting that you’re waiting.

We want someone who brings the founder:

Progress + evidence + options + recommendations + decisions required

rather than a growing list of problems.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Conduct market, competitor and commercial research
• Investigate new product and business opportunities
• Identify manufacturers, suppliers, laboratories, consultants and commercial partners
• Prepare and issue RFQs
• Obtain and compare quotations, MOQs, lead times and commercial terms
• Obtain samples and coordinate deliveries
• Collect technical documents, certificates, specifications and test reports
• Verify manufacturer and supplier claims using credible sources
• Build supplier and competitor comparison sheets
• Coordinate laboratories, consultants and manufacturers
• Arrange and attend supplier/partner meetings
• Record decisions, commitments and next actions
• Follow up persistently on outstanding actions
• Conduct Amazon and e-commerce market research
• Analyse competitors, pricing, reviews and product opportunities
• Coordinate new-product-development projects
• Maintain project plans, deadlines, dependencies and risk registers
• Identify roadblocks and proactively find solutions
• Prepare concise decision briefs for the founder
• Use AI extensively to accelerate research, analysis and execution

Projects will vary.

One project may involve launching a new UK consumer product. Another could involve e-commerce, manufacturing, SaaS, AI or evaluating a completely new business opportunity.

You must be comfortable learning unfamiliar industries quickly.

You know how to find information that isn’t immediately available.

You don’t stop at:

“I couldn’t find it on their website.”

You find another source, identify the right person, call the company or determine another way of obtaining the information.

An unanswered email isn’t the end of a task.

You follow up, call, find another contact or escalate appropriately.

You naturally think about:

price → margin → competition → MOQ → quality → risk → scalability.

You don’t require step-by-step instructions for every task.

Given an objective, you can determine what needs to happen next.

You understand the difference between:

“The manufacturer says it is UK compliant.”

and:

“Here is the evidence demonstrating compliance.”

Every important open item should have:

Owner → Next Action → Due Date → Status.

You must be comfortable representing a UK business when communicating with manufacturers, laboratories, consultants and professional organisations internationally.

This is important.

This is not an email-only research position.

You will be expected to call suppliers and organisations when necessary to get projects moving.

We expect you to be an advanced user of AI tools such as ChatGPT.

AI should help you:

• research faster;
• analyse documents;
• compare proposals;
• prepare communications;
• structure projects;
• analyse competitors;
• summarise meetings;
• identify missing information.

However:

AI-generated information is not evidence.

Important facts must be verified against credible sources.

Someone who copies an AI answer into a report without verifying it will not succeed in this position.

Suitable backgrounds could include:

• Founder’s/CEO’s Office
• Project coordination
• Procurement and sourcing
• Business research
• Market research
• Operations
• E-commerce
• Product development
• Supply chain
• Business analysis
• Management consulting/research
• Executive assistance involving substantial project responsibility

A particular degree is not essential.

We care considerably more about how you think and execute than qualifications or previous job titles.

Approximately 2–5 years' relevant professional experience would be ideal, although exceptional candidates outside this range are welcome.

• Excellent spoken and written English
• Excellent internet research capability
• Strong Excel/Google Sheets skills
• Strong AI-tool proficiency
• Comfortable making professional business telephone calls
• Ability to communicate confidently with UK and international businesses
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to manage several projects simultaneously
• Good commercial judgement
• Reliable high-speed internet
• Professional remote-working environment
• Ability to regularly overlap with UK working hours

We don’t measure productivity by how many emails you send.

For example:

Poor update:

“I contacted six manufacturers and sent follow-up emails.”

Good update:

“Six manufacturers approached. Five responded. Four supplied specifications. Three samples are now in transit. Two quotations have been received and I’ve asked both suppliers to clarify their Incoterms. Supplier X hasn’t responded after two emails, so I called their office and obtained the export manager’s WhatsApp number. I’m following up tomorrow.”

That’s the level of ownership we’re looking for.

Your daily update will be short and outcome-focused:

Completed

What actually moved forward?

Waiting

What are we waiting for, from whom, and by when?

Blocked

What’s preventing progress and what are you doing about it?

Founder Decision Required

What specifically needs the founder’s decision?

Next Actions

What happens next?

We don’t need lengthy activity reports.

Applications containing only a CV will not be considered.

Shortlisted candidates will complete a short practical research exercise.

Candidates will be allowed to use:

Google + ChatGPT/AI + normal research tools.

This is intentional.

We aren’t testing your ability to memorise information.

We are testing:

How you research → how you verify → how you think → how you solve problems → how you turn research into action.

Final candidates will also complete a short live research/problem-solving exercise during the interview.

This is intended to become an important role within the business.

A strong performer could progress:

Founder’s Associate

→ Senior Founder’s Associate

→ Special Projects Manager

→ Founder’s Office / New Ventures

As trust develops, you will be given increasing responsibility for taking projects from an initial concept to commercial execution.

• Translate high-level objectives into detailed, actionable project plans with clear milestones and deliverables.
• Conduct comprehensive market research and competitive intelligence to inform business strategy and project decisions.
• Identify, evaluate, and source potential suppliers, laboratories, and service providers, obtaining comprehensive quotations and samples.
• Persistently follow up with contacts via phone, email, or other channels to secure necessary information and remove project roadblocks.
• Analyze vendor proposals and manufacturing options, comparing price, quality, scalability, risk, and compliance to recommend optimal choices.
• Organize and maintain detailed records of project statuses, owners, due dates, and next actions to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Prepare clear, well-structured reports and presentations to provide progress updates, evidence, and actionable recommendations to the founder.
• Act as the company’s representative in communications with domestic and international stakeholders, maintaining professionalism and confidence.
• Leverage advanced AI tools to accelerate research, document analysis, competitor comparison, communications, and meeting summarization.
• Verify all AI-generated insights against credible sources to ensure accuracy and reliability in decision-making information.
• Investigate any gaps or incomplete responses from suppliers or laboratories, determine missing information, and proactively resolve issues.
• Continuously seek alternative sources or contacts when initial efforts to obtain data or quotations are unsuccessful.
• Maintain a commercial mindset by evaluating project components based on margin, competition, minimum order quantity, quality standards, and associated risks.
• Work independently with minimal supervision, applying critical thinking to decide next steps and keep projects moving forward.
• Facilitate coordination among multiple internal and external stakeholders to align efforts and meet project objectives.