About Ornata
Ornata is building the remote operations platform for agriculture.
We help farms operate machinery without a human in the cab, using the equipment they already own. Our service combines retrofit autonomy hardware, remote operators, AI, and operational systems to unlock the benefits of autonomy for every farm.
We are working with some of Australia's leading broadacre farming businesses and are now building the operational foundations required to scale safely, reliably, and repeatably.
About the role
We are looking for a Founders' Associate to work day to day with the founders with the potential to grow into a Chief of Staff role over time.
This is a broad, hands-on role at the centre of an early-stage company. Day to day you'll run the office, keep the books tidy, manage the founders' calendars and travel, and handle whatever admin keeps a fast-moving team moving. This is real operational work, and doing it brilliantly is how you build the trust and business context that everything else is built on.
Alongside the operational work, you'll take on responsibility for managing the operating cadence and follow-ups that keep the team on track. As you build a foundation in the role, that scope will grow to include cross-functional coordination, preparing for founder led conversations, and implementing the founders' decisions.
Because you'll sit close to the founders, finances, and sensitive information, trust and discretion are the foundation of this role. The best person for this job is exceptionally organised, exercises good judgment, will take the initiative and is as happy reconciling an invoice as running a project
This is an early-stage company role, and we're open to a strong early-career person ready to prove themselves. We care more about drive, judgment, and reliability than years on a CV. If you're ambitious and want to grow with the company, don't rule yourself out.
What you'll do
You'll start hands-on and take on more responsibility as you build trust and context:
- Run the office: suppliers, facilities, supplies, and the general day-to-day of the space.
- Keep the books tidy in Xero: invoices, expenses, and reconciliation, working with our external accountant.
- Support the founders: manage calendars, travel, meetings, and inbox triage.
- Own the operating cadence: the meetings, priorities, and follow-ups that keep the team on track.
- Take real projects end to end, and handle the "odd jobs" that keep a fast-moving team moving.
- Be a reliable, discreet point of contact for the team.
- As you grow: take on cross-functional coordination, help prepare for investors and board meetings, put light systems in place as the team scales, and implement the founders' decisions with increasing autonomy.
What success looks like
In the first few months, success means the founders and team have more time for the work only they can do. The office and admin run smoothly, the books stay clean and current, and nothing important slips through the cracks.
Over time, success means you have earned the trust to expand the scope of the role: owning more of the operating cadence, running projects across the business, and becoming a trusted 2nd in command to the founders.
Requirements
This is an early stage role with room to grow. We care more about drive, judgment, and reliability than years on a CV, so if you're a strong early-career person ready to prove yourself, we'd love to hear from you.
This is hands-on role. It starts with managing the books, the office, and the admin as much as the projects and the strategy.
You'll likely be a good fit if you:
- Are exceptionally organised and proactive, and comfortable juggling a wide, shifting remit.
- Are trustworthy with money and confidential information.
- Are comfortable with light bookkeeping, and discipled in your apprach to record keeping.
- Have strong judgment and a drive to take on more responsibiliy.
- Communicate clearly and handle people and suppliers well.
- Are calm, resourceful and take the initiative to get things done.
- Are ambitious, and want to grow with the company.
- Thrive in an early-stage environment where no two days look the same.
Useful experience
Any of the following would help, but none are strict requirements:
- Executive assistant, office manager, operations coordinator, or business-support roles.
- Bookkeeping or accounts experience, ideally in Xero (or similar).
- Any experience running projects, coordinating people, or supporting a founder or executive.
- A graduate or early-career background in business, commerce, operations, or similar.
- Working in a small or early-stage company where people wear many hats.
Benefits
Be part of a committed team and see the rewards of your work — all early team members, including this role, hold company options, ensuring everyone is on the same team.- A grow path into a Chief of Staff role as the company scales.
- A central, trusted role in an early-stage team building a new category in agriculture.
- Work directly with the founders and see how a company is built from the inside.
- Real ownership and variety — no two days the same.
- Be part of an inner-city Melbourne team building technology for one of Australia's most important industries.
