The Founder in Residence (FiR) program is designed to bring exceptional entrepreneurial talent into the Tin Alley Ventures Pty Ltd ecosystem to explore, validate, and launch deep-tech companies emerging from the University of Melbourne and its partner institutes. This role is for a proven builder who can move fluidly between founder, operator, and venture partner — someone who thrives at zero-to-one, navigates ambiguity with creativity and discipline, and has the resilience to take a research insight and turn it into a scalable business.
What You'll Do
Identify and shape high potential research from academics, research labs, and technology transfer pipelines into investable opportunities.
Engage with industry partners, and potential customers to define the product, the market and development strategy.
Assemble founding teams by attracting technical, commercial, and operational talent, including co-founders and early hires.
Work alongside Tin Alley Ventures' investment team, syndicate partners and university stakeholders to spin out investable opportunities into companies.
Roll up your sleeves to bring the company to life — from validating hypotheses to building MVPs to negotiating partnerships.
Join the spinout you've built as the CEO or C-level executive.
What We're Looking For
Bachelor's degree required.
1-3 years' experience in deep tech sector.
An entrepreneurial spirit and deep desire to build something impactful. Ideally, you've built something from scratch, but we value intrapreneurs and builders in all forms.
Ability to rapidly understand complex scientific or technical concepts and translate them into commercial opportunities.
You operate with urgency, resourcefulness, and resilience, even in ambiguous conditions.
You can leverage relationships across investors, researchers, industry, and talent networks to accelerate progress.
Experience in market sizing, business model design, and capital strategy.
You inspire trust, galvanise teams, and work well across disciplines.
You have some sketches about what the world needs, or what you might build that is deeply aligned with your mission here on Earth.
Nice to Have
Experience in deep tech sectors such as biotech, advanced materials, AI/ML, robotics, energy, or climate tech.
You've built and scaled a startup from scratch.
Familiarity with university technology transfer or IP commercialisation processes.
Prior exposure to venture capital, whether as a founder raising funds or working at a fund or incubator.
What You'll Get
A unique founder pathway backed by one of Australia's largest university-linked venture funds.
Direct access to venture capital, infrastructure, and networks to turn ideas into investable companies.
Meaningful equity participation in any venture you co-found through the program.
Embedded mentorship from experienced founders, investors, and commercialisation experts.
A rare opportunity to be instrumental in bringing impactful, world-class research to market.
Application Process
We recruit for people, not just projects. You don't need a fully formed startup idea to apply — just a track record of building, the drive to create something significant, and the grit to see it through.
Please submit:
A CV or LinkedIn profile.
A short statement (max 500 words) describing a venture you've built or would love to build, and why.
Any other relevant material or links (e.g. press).
Visa sponsorship available.
Ad opens: 10 February 2026
Ad closes: 12 March 2026
Seniority level
Entry level
Employment type
Full-time
Job function
Business Development and Sales
Industries
Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals