Founder's Associate

Every year, U.S. health plans lose billions to improper payments and administrative waste. That wasted spending ultimately trickles down across the healthcare ecosystem, driving up costs for plans, providers, and patients alike. We’re here to change that paradigm.

Alaffia is a new kind of claims operations partner for health plans. Using expert clinicians and transparent AI, we deliver deeper insights, smarter automation, and consistently better outcomes across the entire lifecycle of claims. With Alaffia, health plans can cut wasted spending more effectively than ever — and provide their members the most affordable care.

We’re a high-growth, venture-backed Series B healthtech startup based in NYC and are actively scaling our company. Join us in helping to build a healthcare system that works better for everyone.

*This position requires current authorization to work in the United States. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to sponsor work visas at this time.

This is not a typical early-career job. The Founder’s Associate will work directly alongside CEO/Cofounder TJ Ademiluyi as a trusted operator, thought partner, and force multiplier, sitting at the intersection of an Executive Assistant, Chief of Staff, and early-stage team member.

You’ll be embedded in the day-to-day reality of building a company: present in the rooms where decisions get made, involved in the problems that don’t have clean answers, and responsible for making sure nothing falls through the cracks. You will learn more in 12 months here than most people learn in five years elsewhere.

This role is designed for someone who is hungry, intellectually curious, and serious about eventually becoming a founder or operator themselves. If you want to understand what it actually takes to build a company from the inside, the strategy, the chaos, the stakeholder management, the judgment calls..this is that opportunity.

Alaffia is building AI-powered infrastructure to fix how healthcare claims are processed, a $1T problem at the intersection of technology, regulation, and real patient impact. We are growing fast, the work is consequential, and the team is exceptional. This role will grow in scope as you do.

• Own the CEO’s calendar end-to-end, managing competing priorities across investor meetings, customer engagements, recruiting, board responsibilities, and internal leadership

• Coordinate all travel logistics including flights, accommodations, ground transportation, and detailed itineraries; anticipate needs proactively

• Prepare briefing materials, meeting agendas, and relevant context for all CEO meetings

• Manage inbound communications, draft correspondence, and serve as a trusted gatekeeper with sound judgment about what requires the CEO’s attention

• Track action items, commitments, and follow-ups across all meetings and workstreams; close the loop without being asked

• Own special projects assigned by the CEO, these may span fundraising prep, competitive research, operational planning, or anything else the business needs

• Conduct research and synthesize information quickly to help the CEO make better, faster decisions

• Sit in on key meetings that may cover anything from investor updates, board prep, customer calls, team offsites, etc.

• Partner with Finance, Ops, GTM, and other functions to support CEO-led initiatives and keep cross-functional work moving

• Identify operational gaps and build AI-powered systems or processes to address them before they become problems

• Shadow TJ across a wide range of contexts — fundraising conversations, customer meetings, hiring decisions, product reviews — to develop a first-hand understanding of how founders operate

• Engage genuinely with the business: ask questions, share observations, and develop your own point of view on strategy, market, and company building

• Take on increasing ownership and responsibility over time as trust is established, and your judgment develops

• Treat this as the first chapter of your career as a founder or senior operator, not a stepping stone to a more traditional role

• 2–4 years of professional experience, we care more about how you think and operate than where you’ve been

• Prior exposure to a fast-moving environment: investment banking, consulting, investing, or a high-growth startup strongly preferred

• Deep personal and/or professional exposure to AI and actively use it to optimize your work

• Demonstrated ability to manage complexity, prioritize ruthlessly, and deliver without constant direction

• New York City-based and able to work on-site 4 days/week in our SoHo office, with flexibility around the CEO’s schedule

• High agency and low ego: you move fast, figure things out independently, and are equally comfortable drafting an investor memo and booking a flight

• Exceptional written and verbal communicator: you write clearly, communicate proactively, and can represent the CEO professionally with any stakeholder

• Organized and relentless: you have high attention to detail, you follow up before being asked, and you hold yourself to an exceptionally high standard

• Discreet and trustworthy: you handle sensitive information daily and understand that discretion and judgment are non-negotiable in this role

• Energized by ambiguity: startup schedules are unpredictable by design, you adapt quickly and don’t need a clean brief to get started

• Hungry to grow: you want this to be the most formative professional experience of your life, and you’re willing to put in what that requires

• Experience in healthcare, healthtech, or a regulated industry

• Exposure to fundraising, M&A, enterprise sales, or other high-stakes business environments

• High interest in AI and its potential to solve complex operational problems

• Demonstrated entrepreneurial experience (i.e., you’ve built something from scratch, or led a large initiative with tangible impact)

Alaffia was born out of our founders’ personal connection to the inefficiency of the U.S. healthcare system. We are deeply mission-driven, with an abiding belief that technology can help create a better future for everyone, and we’re looking for others who share our passion for change to join the team.

What Else Do You Get Working With Us?

• Competitive Compensation

• Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits

• Flexible, paid vacation policy

• Work in a flat organizational structure with direct access to Leadership