Founder's Associate - Tokyo, JP

The role

You will be the operational anchor and second brain for CIC's Founder and Executive Chair. You will own his calendar and inbox, plan international travel, keep commitments on track, research people and opportunities, and help run his podcast and public communications.

What you will do

• Own the calendar and inbox: triage, prioritize, draft routine replies, and recommend what to accept, decline, delegate, shorten, combine, move or cancel
• Plan complex, multi-country travel end to end, spot disruptions early, and redesign plans when circumstances change
• Maintain a system for commitments, decisions, priorities and follow-ups; prepare concise briefings; research unfamiliar topics
• Help stay connected to senior colleagues, entrepreneurs, government leaders, diplomats and partners, including outreach before trips
• Support the podcast Where Innovation Happens: guest research, scheduling, publishing, subtitles, descriptions, clips, social promotion and basic performance tracking
• Use AI to build institutional memory, automate routine work, improve research and communication, and redesign inefficient processes

Required qualifications

• Exceptional attention to detail, especially dates, time zones, addresses, documents, reservations and follow-ups
• Strong intelligence, learning speed, judgment and common sense
• Ownership, integrity, discretion and calm resourcefulness
• Comfort with direct feedback, high autonomy and evidence-based pushback
• Polished written and spoken English, confident communicating with everyone from junior colleagues to heads of government
• Analytical, curious mind and genuine interest in AI and technology as tools for improving work
• Existing authorization to work in Japan and ability to work primarily from CIC Tokyo

Nice to have

• Experience with international travel
• Executive support experience
• Cross-cultural work experience
• Podcast or digital media experience
• Another widely spoken language
• Strong visual or editorial taste

Benefits

• Competitive salary, commensurate with experience
• Commuting / transportation allowance
• Massage session once a month
• Allocated training budget customized to the role and organization's objectives
• Retirement allowance after successfully passing the probation period

Before you apply

• Existing authorization to work in Japan is required
• Application must be submitted in English
• Hiring process includes practical exercises in professional writing, travel planning, inbox judgment, research and critical thinking
• Companion document 'More About the Founder's Associate Role' is provided and encouraged to read before applying

About the company

CIC builds and connects innovation communities worldwide, founded in 1999 in Cambridge, MA. It manages a global network of innovation-focused workspace, laboratories and event space across North America, Europe and Asia.