Chief of Staff
Cortea AI · London
About Cortea
We're Cortea, a European audit-tech company, born in Berlin, rebuilding how audits are done everywhere.
Audits are still driven by spreadsheets, checklists, and manual reviews in one of the most regulated, high-stakes areas of business. We use AI to automate audits end to end, so highly educated auditors no longer spend 60+ hour weeks on manual work and can focus on judgment, trust, and choices that matter.
With €15m+ in funding, a live product, and paying customers across Europe, we're at a stage where your choices will directly shape Cortea's future, and how audits are done.
The Role
As Chief of Staff to the CEO, you are a core member of the leadership orbit, working directly with Valentin (Co-Founder) to translate high-level vision into operational and commercial reality at an extremely exciting moment where we expand internationally, and enter the UK market.
You will sit at the intersection of Growth, Commercial, Strategy, and Operations. Your mission is to tackle some of our most complex, timely challenges at Cortea : in the first instance, architecting our UK and international expansion from a commercial and operational perspective.
This role is a springboard. You will gain a "CEO-level" view of building a category-defining AI company, based in London while working in close, frequent contact with our founders and team in Berlin.
What You'll Do
UK Market Building: Spearhead Cortea's UK market entry. Help grow team and presence, working closely with the founders and Berlin team to adapt processes, hiring, and local go-to-market
Commercial Ownership: Lead on customer approach, partnerships, positioning, storytelling, and brand-building in the UK. Own UK customer relationships end to end, from first conversation through to expansion. You'll work hand in hand with Valentin (CEO) and the Growth and Marketing leads to build the UK go-to-market motion, and carry direct responsibility for a set of accounts as we establish the market
Founder Force Multiplier: Act as a proxy for the founders in internal and external meetings, ensuring decisions are made and projects stay on track even when the founders aren't in the room
Strategic Initiatives: Lead high-impact projects from conception to completion. While in the first instance, this role will be focussed on Cortea’s UK market entry, the CoS may also take on other strategic initiatives (e.g. designing an AI-era pricing model or optimising the sales-to-onboarding funnel)
Scaling the AI-Native Operating System: Build the repeatable processes, meeting cadences, and communication loops, supercharged with AI agents and automation, that allow Cortea to scale toward €100m+ ARR without losing speed. You'll treat internal workflows as products, deploying AI wherever it removes friction
Who You Are
Consultant-turned-operator: experience combining analytical rigour with commercial and/or operational ownership. You likely built your foundations in top-tier strategy consulting or investment banking environment, then moved into an early-stage, VC-backed environment in a Commercial, Growth or Operational remit
Financial Fluency: You have a deep understanding of P&L management, financial modelling, and SaaS metrics
Exceptional Communicator: You can distill complex AI concepts and financial data into clear, persuasive narratives for investors and the team
High Agency: You don't wait for a playbook; you write it. You are comfortable with the ambiguity of a "zero-to-one" environment
Native in English, German is a plus
Willingness to travel to Berlin frequently to work in person with the founders and team
How We Work
Founder mindset: Everyone acts like a founder. You're encouraged to take on any topic you believe is worth improving, with team and founder support
Thoughtful decision-making: Collaborative problem solving, concise written thinking, and deep in-person discussions to reach the best result
Speed over perfection: We value progress and learning, preferring strong 80/20 solutions over perfection
Feedback & learning: We give and ask for feedback weekly, not monthly
What Success Looks Like
In 3 months: You have worked through our UK ops, deployed workflow automations across the company, and offloaded 20% of the founders' highest-priority tasks
In 6 months: You have strengthened Cortea's UK operations into a foundation that scales on its own, and you are ready to lead the next big strategic bet
In 12 months: You have helped institutionalise the "Cortea Way" in the UK, creating a scalable operational foundation that supports our next major funding milestone
What We Offer
Impact: A seat at the table during the most critical growth phase of a well-funded AI startup, with the opportunity to help grow Cortea's UK team and presence
Growth: Mentorship from experienced founders and close collaboration across the company
Compensation: Competitive salary plus meaningful equity
Benefits: 25+ days holiday allowance, pension contribution, private medical insurance
Perks: Learning budget, team lunches, off-sites, and regular trips to our Berlin hub
Interview Process
Intro call with Liza (Founders Associate)
General interview with Valentin (Co-Founder & CEO)
Culture interview, values and collaboration fit, with Philipp (Co-Founder & CPTO)
On-site day (Berlin or London): meet the team and work through a real, current problem
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