How to apply for Business Associate Intern

About Darwin Data

Darwin Data is a Paris-based startup that simplifies nature strategy for businesses, helping them integrate biodiversity and environmental data into decision-making. As a small, mission-driven team, you'll work directly with the CEO and have an outsized impact on the company's growth and product direction.

About the role

This Business Associate Intern role is a true generalist position: you'll split your time across business development (prospecting, CRM, pipeline), marketing (content, events, PR), customer success (onboarding, support, user research), and operations (financial reporting, market analysis, tool implementation). You'll be the CEO's right hand, gaining exposure to every facet of a scaling startup while directly contributing to its success.

A typical day

You might start your day with a pipeline review meeting with the CEO, then spend the morning researching and reaching out to potential consulting firm partners. After lunch, you'll draft a blog post on biodiversity trends, then switch to updating the CRM and preparing a financial report for the month. You'll end the day onboarding a new client and scheduling follow-ups, all while keeping an eye on upcoming events and partnerships.

Who Darwin Data is looking for

• Final-year student at a top business school (or equivalent) with prior internship experience in high-intensity environments like startups, consulting, banking, or VC.
• A Swiss Army knife: comfortable switching between building a pitch deck, modeling in Excel, managing a CRM, and coordinating an event—all in the same day.
• Self-starter with a strong ownership mindset, able to structure ambiguous problems and drive projects independently.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both French and English, with a keen eye for detail and a passion for sustainability.

Tips for this application

• Highlight any experience where you wore multiple hats—especially in early-stage startups or fast-paced environments—and quantify your impact (e.g., 'grew pipeline by X%', 'organized Y events').
• Demonstrate your interest in nature and sustainability by referencing specific trends or challenges in biodiversity strategy, showing you understand Darwin Data's mission beyond buzzwords.
• Tailor your resume to emphasize tools and skills mentioned in the job description: CRM (e.g., HubSpot), Excel modeling, deck building, event coordination, and financial reporting.
• In your outreach, mention your availability for an end-of-studies internship and your ability to start soon, as startups often need immediate help.
• Network with current or former Darwin Data employees on LinkedIn to learn about the team culture and reference your conversation in your application.

What to cover in your cover letter

["Your ability to operate across business functions—provide concrete examples of projects in business development, marketing, or ops that you've handled simultaneously.", 'Your experience in high-intensity environments and how it prepared you to thrive in a startup where priorities shift quickly.', "Your passion for environmental issues and why Darwin Data's mission resonates with you personally or professionally.", 'Your proficiency with tools and tasks mentioned in the job description (e.g., CRM management, financial modeling, event planning) and your eagerness to learn new ones.']

Research before applying

• Explore Darwin Data's website and product to understand how they help companies with nature strategy—know their key features and value proposition.
• Research the founders and CEO (e.g., LinkedIn, interviews) to understand their background and vision for the company.
• Look into recent news or reports about biodiversity and nature strategy in France and globally to speak intelligently about market trends.
• Identify potential competitors or similar solutions (e.g., other ESG data platforms) and think about how Darwin Data differentiates itself.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you approach outbound prospecting for Darwin Data's target clients (consulting firms and corporates)? Walk us through your process.
• Describe a time you had to juggle multiple projects with tight deadlines. How did you prioritize and execute?
• What metrics would you track to measure the success of our marketing content (e.g., blog, newsletter)?
• How would you onboard a new consulting firm client to ensure they see value quickly?
• Tell us about a time you identified an operational inefficiency and implemented a solution. What was the outcome?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Submitting a generic cover letter that doesn't mention Darwin Data or the specific responsibilities of the role—show you've done your homework.
• Focusing only on one area (e.g., marketing) without demonstrating flexibility or interest in the other functions (ops, finance, customer success).
• Neglecting to proofread for typos or grammatical errors, especially in French if applying in French—attention to detail is crucial for this role.