Operations Coordinator — Dunedin AI Startup

THE DETAILS – Pay: $30–60/hr depending on experience and qualifications – Hours: 30+ hours per week; permanent employment – Location: Tunnel Beach, Dunedin, 4 days on-site, 1 day WFH – Start: as soon as possible – 3-month probation period – Learning & development actively supported; courses, conferences, professional development THE OPPORTUNITY We’re a six-week-old AI company doing ambitious work, and we need someone exceptional to keep us running. This is a rare chance to join at the very beginning, work directly with the founder, and help build how a tech startup actually operates day to day. If you’re the kind of person who notices what needs doing before anyone asks, writes clearly under pressure, and takes genuine pride in making a team more effective, read on. WHAT YOU’LL DO You’ll be the operational backbone of the company. Concretely: – Keep tasks on track across the team, follow up on deliverables, flag blockers, make sure nothing slips – Draft emails, documents, and communications on behalf of the founder – Manage document control; file naming, version management, organised storage across OneDrive and Notion – Support HR and onboarding; contract tracking, NDA management, onboarding checklists – Coordinate payroll admin; verify timesheets, liaise with our external accountant – Help with grant paperwork and funding evidence records – Schedule meetings, prepare agendas, track action items What you won’t do: write code, make product decisions, or give legal or financial advice. Those are other people’s jobs. WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR We’re deliberately not prescriptive about background. We’re looking for someone who thinks clearly, writes well, and gets things done. Your degree might be in sociology, philosophy, history, linguistics, te reo Māori, music, or anything else. What matters is that you excelled at it. We have a strong preference for candidates with honours, masters, or PhD-level work; not because of the letters after your name, but because sustained academic performance signals the rigour and self-discipline this role demands. That said: if you didn’t go to university and you’re the most organised person in every room you walk into, we want to hear from you too. You need to be: – Based in Dunedin; this is an on-site role (4 days/week at Tunnel Beach, 1 day WFH) – Highly organised; you track things and follow up without being asked – A strong writer; clear, direct, and professional – Warm and comfortable working with engineers, data scientists, and academics – Proactive and trustworthy; you’ll handle confidential information from day one Helpful, but not required: – Familiarity with Microsoft 365, Notion, or Xero – Experience in a startup, research, university, or NGO environment – Interest in AI, infrastructure, or technology ABOUT US We’re Makereatu Technology — a Dunedin-based AI company building tools that help infrastructure projects deliver on time, on budget, and as agreed. Our name comes from te reo Māori, meaning “to leave a seed.” We’re a team of 11 and we were incorporated six weeks ago. We’re building a diverse team that reflects Aotearoa. Our products serve communities across the Pacific, Asia, and New Zealand — including Māori and Pasifika whānau. We especially encourage applications from Māori, Pasifika, women, and people who bring perspectives we don’t yet have. International applicants on work visas are welcome. HOW TO APPLY Send a brief email to lily@makereatu.com with your CV and a short note (half a page max) on why this role interests you and what makes you good at keeping things organised. We respond to every application.