Startup Co-founder & Venture Lead

About the Role and Company

GIL Venture Studio invites an entrepreneurial co-founder and managing director to join a pioneering food delivery venture in MENA. This influencer-powered cloud kitchen platform transforms culinary creators into thriving food brands. The startup is based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and is entering a growth phase after proving product-market fit. The co-founder will be part of the founding team and will spearhead company expansion efforts.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the overall profit and loss management, operations, and strategy execution.
• Drive revenue growth and achieve profitability milestones through on-demand and subscription food delivery models.
• Expand collaborator partnerships with influencers across diverse food categories and regional cuisine specialties.
• Strategize and execute geographic market expansion beyond current locations.
• Manage cloud kitchen operations, delivery logistics, menu development cycles, and supply-demand planning for optimal kitchen utilization.
• Create and implement scalable systems such as customer loyalty programs, automated demand generation, and lifecycle marketing tools.
• Recruit, mentor, and lead a high-performing core venture team.
• Develop fundraising strategies, maintain investor relations, and prepare compelling investment materials for funding rounds.
• Forge and oversee partnerships with kitchen operators, influencers, technology providers, and marketing agencies.
• Prepare financial models that clearly communicate growth trajectories.
• Serve as the primary liaison between various stakeholders including studio leadership, kitchen and tech teams, influencers, marketing agencies, and delivery partners.
• Deliver quarterly business reviews to GIL Venture Studio management.

Candidate Profile and Requirements

• Minimum 5 years experience in startups, venture creation, or environments with rapid business scale-up.
• Proven success in launching or scaling innovative business models.
• Proficiency in advanced Excel functions and financial modeling.
• Fluency in both English and Arabic, with excellent written and verbal communication.
• A bachelor's degree in business, engineering, marketing, or a related discipline.
• Willingness to travel frequently within Saudi Arabia.
• Demonstrates strong analytical skills, ownership attitude, entrepreneurial hustle, strategic foresight, and resilience in dynamic settings.
• Preferably has experience in FoodTech, cloud kitchens, F&B startups, venture capital, or the creator economy.
• Experience managing P&L, leading operations, or a network connection to the MENA startup ecosystem is advantageous.
• Knowledge of menu engineering, food operations, or delivery logistics adds value.

Equity and Benefits

The role offers significant founding team equity and full strategic autonomy with institutional backing already secured. The position provides direct access to studio leaders, enabling influence on portfolio-wide decisions and a pathway to CEO once the business is scaled.

Location and Work Environment

The role is based on-site in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Additional Information

This position requires a resilient leader comfortable with navigating high-ambiguity startup environments and rapid scaling demands. Immediate execution is expected with full autonomy to drive the venture to market leadership within the food delivery sector.