Dryft

Founders Associate Intern

Dryft · San Francisco, CA
San Francisco, CA Intern Posted 2026-10-06
Type
Internship
Experience
0-1 yr

DRYFT

Ideas only change the world when you build them at scale. That’s what Dryft is here for.

Dryft builds models that automate complex human decisions in manufacturing operations. We capture the knowledge of experienced operators across supply chain, production planning, engineering and more, simulate the consequences of their decisions, and use this understanding to help run their business. Our customers include some of the largest robotics, machine and component manufacturers in the world.

We’re a small, talent-dense team with modest roots and a love for the physical world: cars, machines, planes. Our team includes graduates from Stanford, Berkeley, CDTM and TUM, winners of Stanford TreeHacks, recipients of Fulbright & Haniel scholarships, and people who have built everything from robots and race cars to software with millions of downloads.

What matters more to us than credentials is how people work: humility, hard work, speed, kindness, deep customer care, and a willingness to take on problems others avoid. Working at Dryft is hard. You get unusual ownership early on, with real responsibility. But that’s also what makes it one of the biggest learning experiences of your life.

We’re backed by founders and operators behind some of the most legendary tech companies of our time, Tier-1 U.S. venture firms, and board members of global industrial companies.

ERPs ran the physical world for half a century. Dryft is building the intelligence layer that will power the next.

THE ROLE

As our Founders Associate Intern, you'll step into the shoes of a founder. You'll own the highest-priority projects across product, sales, hiring or operations. One day you're on site with a client, the next you're building a new prototype, and in between you're hosting a hackathon for the best builders in the city.

  • Work on what matters most – whatever the founders are in the middle of, you take it off their plate and own it end-to-end
  • Build from zero – launch the things that don't exist yet at Dryft, from a new market entry to prototypes to our next event
  • Fast-track your career – prove yourself across every part of the company, and grow into a full-time role in Deployment, Growth or Special Projects

You'll learn how a company gets built, from the inside, at full speed. And yes, this will be the hardest internship you've ever had.

YOU

  • Fast-paced experience – 2-3 internships in a top-tier role (e.g., consulting, private equity), at a high-growth startup, or you've built something of your own
  • Founder DNA – you have high agency, drive and a serious work ethic; you thrive in ambiguity and anticipate next priorities instead of waiting for direction
  • Learning at full speed – you're useful in week one and indispensable by week four
  • Competitive by nature – you've won at something hard, and you're not done winning
  • Gets shit done & zero ego – you move fast, figure things out, and you'd rather ship it than get the credit
  • Language – you're fully fluent in German and English
  • Relocation – you're ready to work onsite in San Francisco (we support visa)
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