Founder's Associate - Tokyo, JP

Become the operational anchor and “second brain” to CIC’s Founder and Executive Chair. You will protect Tim’s time, preserve context, close loops, and help turn a remarkable range of relationships, ideas, and commitments into action.

This is, at its core, an executive-assistance role - but one with unusually broad strategic and creative reach. You will own the calendar and inbox, masterplan complex international travel, keep important commitments from disappearing, research people and opportunities, steward senior relationships, and help operate Tim’s podcast and public communications.  It shares much with a traditional Executive Assistant or Chief of Staff position, but with a broader connotation: a generalist working alongside Tim in his missions.

An AI-forward Founder’s Office

We want this role to use AI aggressively and thoughtfully: building durable institutional memory, automating routine work, improving research and communication, and continually redesigning inefficient processes. Curiosity and experimentation matter more than arriving with a particular tool stack.

ABOUT CIC

CIC builds and connects thriving innovation communities around the world. Founded in 1999 in Cambridge, MA, we were one of the first companies to offer flexible office space and coworking. We manage a global network of innovation-focused workspace, laboratories, and event space across North America, Europe, and Asia, and continue to expand globally.

ABOUT CIC TOKYO

CIC Tokyo is our first site located in Asia. Opened in October 2020 in one of the business districts of Minato-ku, CIC Tokyo is a one-of-a-kind innovation-oriented center in Japan with a total area of ​​about 6,000 square meters on the 15th and 16th floors of the Toranomon Hills Business Tower. We provide a vast workspace with the capacity to house more than 250 companies. CIC Tokyo is centered on companies that aim to grow, and communities and services that are looking to accelerate their business growth and global expansion. Because of its influence in startup and innovation scenery, CIC Tokyo has frequent visits of VIPs such as  Prime Minister Kishida, Governor Koike, and other business leaders in Japan. It is now recognized as a prestigious center of new businesses and startups by business leaders throughout the country.

Learn more about us here.

YOUR DAY-TO-DAY WORK

As a Founder's Associate you will be responsible for protecting Tim's time, preserving context, closing loops, and helping turn a remarkable range of relationships, ideas, and commitments into action, while working closely with our Founder and Executive Chair. This is, at its core, an executive-assistance role - but one with unusually broad strategic and creative reach. It shares much with a traditional Executive Assistant or Chief of Staff position, but with a broader connotation: a generalist working alongside Tim in his missions.

Potential responsibilities will include:

• Executive operations. Take end-to-end ownership of Tim's calendar and inbox—triaging, prioritizing, drafting and sending routine responses—and recommend what to accept, decline, delegate, shorten, combine, move or cancel.
• International travel. Plan complex, multi-country travel end to end, spot disruptions early, and redesign plans calmly when circumstances change.
• Continuity and decision support. Maintain a trusted system for commitments, decisions, priorities, and follow-ups; prepare concise briefings; research unfamiliar topics; and bring recommendations, not just information.
• Relationship stewardship. Help Tim stay meaningfully connected to senior colleagues, entrepreneurs, government leaders, diplomats, and partners around the world, including thoughtful outreach before trips.
• Podcast and media operations. Support Tim's podcast, Where Innovation Happens, including guest research, scheduling, publishing, subtitles, descriptions, clips, social promotion, and basic performance tracking.
• AI-forward ways of working. Use AI aggressively and thoughtfully: building durable institutional memory, automating routine work, improving research and communication, and continually redesigning inefficient processes.

THE RHYTHM OF THE ROLE

Tim spends roughly 60% of his time in Boston, 25% in Tokyo, and the remainder mainly in Europe and the Middle East. Roughly three to four months of the year are travel-focused and coordination-intensive. During these stretches, logistics and inbox coverage come first; during quieter periods, there is room for deep projects, systems-building, and creative work. This is a high-trust role that requires unusual responsiveness and independence—not constant intensity. Genuine emergencies are rare, but plans can change quickly.

Because Tim's work is anchored between Boston, Tokyo, and Europe, we are opening this role in two locations and can hire either at CIC Warsaw or CIC Tokyo. The role is deliberately based at one of our campuses, and while Tim is only occasionally on site, the Founder's Associate should be embedded in CIC's culture, relationships, and day-to-day life. Most work is done during the local business hours of the hire's home campus, with some adjustment for Boston or Tokyo overlap. Travel with Tim is not normally required, although optional stretches working from another CIC location may be possible.

ABOUT YOU

We care more about how you think and operate than about a particular prior title. A strong executive-support professional, a very bright early-career generalist, an outstanding recent graduate, or someone returning after a career gap could all be compelling.

More specifically, as our ideal candidate, you are:

• Exceptional, instinctive attention to detail—especially dates, time zones, addresses, documents, reservations, and follow-ups. Verifying these things should feel like second nature, not a chore.
• Outstanding intelligence, learning speed, judgment, and common sense.
• An anticipatory mindset: you notice problems before they become problems and opportunities before they disappear.
• Ownership, integrity, discretion, and calm resourcefulness. You do what you said you would do, protect sensitive information, flag risks early, and find a practical way forward when plans change or information is incomplete.
• Comfort with direct feedback, high autonomy, and respectful, evidence-based pushback.

YOU HAVE

• Polished written and spoken English and confidence communicating with everyone from junior colleagues to heads of government.
• An analytical, curious mind and genuine interest in AI and technology as tools for improving work.
• Existing authorization to work in Japan and the ability to work primarily from CIC Tokyo.
• Helpful, not required: experience with international travel, executive support, cross-cultural work, podcast or digital media, another widely spoken language, or strong visual/editorial taste.

OUR OFFER 

• Competitive compensation, scaled to reflect your level of expertise.
• iDeCo+ retirement savings support, with company contributions added to your iDeCo.
• Monthly massage benefit, once a month.
• Self-development allowance for job-related learning.
• Flu vaccine expensed once a year.
• Special corporate rate at Nishitetsu Hotel Group.
• Apple laptop and mobile phone as your working tools.

Please submit your application in English!  We will hire as soon as we find the right person. The process includes practical exercises in professional writing, travel planning, inbox judgment, research, and critical thinking.

Want to know more? Our companion document, More About the Founder’s Associate Role , offers a candid picture of the work and what success looks like. We encourage interested candidates to read it before applying.

WHO WE ARE 

At CIC, our values aren't a poster on the wall - they shape how we work, how we hire, and how we show up for each other every day. You'll hear about them throughout our recruitment process:

• We are good humans — respect, kindness, and accountability in every interaction

• We are happy to help — we step forward with care, energy, and pride in our work

• We are problem solvers — curious, growth-minded, and always looking for a better way

• We are resilient — steady under pressure and adaptable in the face of change

• We deliver — dependable and results-driven, balancing speed with quality.

CIC welcomes all candidates regardless of race, color, ancestry, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status or disability. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.