Founders Associate

Do you want to leverage one of the most disruptive technologies to challenge the status quo in food, and help build a scalable startup?

What and Why
Sallea is pioneering food innovation by providing the technology needed for textured, cell-based products such as a beef steak. As global demand for meat and fish products continues to rise, the need to find sustainable, ethical, and efficient production methods is more urgent than ever.
Cellular agriculture is not just a ground-breaking technology but one of the most promising solutions. By growing only selected meat or fish tissue, rather than an entire animal, it dramatically reduces the environmental impact and ethical concerns. However, creating products like steaks or filets require edible scaffolds as a fundament to grow cells into textured tissue. Without that, the industry is limited to processed products like sausages or nuggets.
We are solving this bottleneck.
Sallea is an ETH spin-off, founded in 2023. We have raised $>4 mathrm{M}$ CHF, built strong ties across the global cellular agriculture ecosystem, and launched several pilots with industry players. With our stellar team we are on the ambitious mission to make cultivated meat work at scale, and we are just getting started.
Will you be the next one to join us?

Your Responsibilities
You will work directly with Simona (co-founder & CEO) on high-impact projects that shape sallea’s growth and strategy. Your core responsibilities include:
– Develop strategic topics:
– Run analyses and generate insights on different strategic topics; from sales, expansion, to marketing and culture
– Collaborate closely with Simona to ideate and brainstorm on commercial challenges
– Drive business development:
– Support in building up and managing the commercial pipeline, from outreach to project execution
– Lead customer interactions and drive initiatives with external partners
– Execute new initiatives (0 to 1):
– Own projects end-to-end from concept to execution
– Plan and execute the relocation of the company to new premises

– Develop and launch new initiatives, ensuring clarity and strategic alignment before handing them over, or implementing them with the responsible team members

What you bring
You might be a great fit for this role if you are:
– Experienced and curious: You have completed several internships or have up to 3 years of experience in fast-paced environments. You are a fast learner and take ownership.
– Entrepreneurial at heart: You thrive in ambiguity, enjoy figuring things out as you go, are proactive and not afraid to get your hands dirty to move projects forward.
– Sharp and structured: You approach problems analytically and communicate your thinking clearly. You can prioritize effectively and can juggle multiple workstreams.
– Strong communicator: You build trust quickly with partners, customers and teammates. You know how to tailor messages, whether in pitch decks, emails, or meetings.
– Purpose-driven: You are excited about building a better food system and want your work to matter.

Position Details
– Workload: $100 %$
– Start: November 2025
– Location: Zurich, ETH Hönggerberg
– What we offer:
– Flexible working hours & partial remote work
– Direct link to a selected group of mentors
– Discounted sports membership
– A seat at the table as we scale; you get to shape your role and grow alongside the company

Apply here: info@sallea.ch