Join Grapevine and Lead the Way in Sustainable Shopping!

About Grapevine:

Grapevine is a social marketplace dedicated to promoting responsible consumerism by making sustainable and ethical products accessible. We tackle the significant problem that, while 84% of Australian consumers desire to shop more sustainably, only a small percentage actually do. Grapevine bridges this gap by eliminating barriers to responsible shopping. Our app features a marketplace that brings together sustainable and ethical brands, provides detailed information profiles for transparency, and includes a social feed where conscious consumers can share product reviews and experiences. Our mission is to empower others, build trust, and eliminate greenwashing.

The Opportunity:

We are seeking a dynamic COO/Business Development Manager to join Grapevine in a crucial leadership role. As a co-founder, you will work alongside our founder and technical co-founder to take our validated MVP to market, build traction, and shape our organisational culture and strategic path. This role offers the chance to be a key player in a startup that aims to change the way people engage with sustainable lifestyles and consumerism.

Who You’ll Be Joining:

You will collaborate with Aaron Fraser, the founder of Grapevine. Aaron is a Master of Entrepreneurship graduate from The Wade Institute of Entrepreneurship, recognised on the Melbourne Business School’s Dean’s Honours List in 2023. With a background in marketing, finance, and a deep passion for social and environmental impact, Aaron has been leading Grapevine with a clear vision to create the world's first scalable platform for responsible shopping. He has also been acknowledged as the 2024 JCI Australia Emerging Young Entrepreneur and has completed the Startmate Launch Club pre-accelerator.

Key Responsibilities:

• Operational Strategy: Develop short and long-term strategies to commercialise and grow Grapevine.
• Partnership Development: Source and execute strategic partnerships with brands, ecosystem incumbents, and influencers.
• Community Building: Foster a vibrant community around the platform, using tools like Slack, WhatsApp, and social media campaigns.
• Brand Management: Manage relationships with brand partners and oversee the development of brand awareness campaigns.

Immediate Tasks:

• Onboard identified prospects for platform partners across various categories.
• Implement a social media campaign for our Instagram and TikTok channels.
• Build community structures to onboard new users and create brand advocacy and loyalty.

Skills & Expertise Required:

• Experience in launching and scaling marketplaces and social networks.
• Resourcefulness and proactivity in bringing Grapevine to market and building a community.
• Excellent communication, client management, organisation, and problem-solving skills.
• A passion for environmental and social impact, sustainable lifestyles, and responsible consumerism.

Why We Need You:

Our team has spent the last five months building and validating our prototype with different conscious consumer segments. We are now at the crucial go-to-market stage and need a COO/BDM with significant experience in launching and scaling marketplaces to ensure our success. Your role will be vital in driving engagement, building community, and scaling our platform.

Unique Value Proposition:

Grapevine is the first platform in Australia to holistically address the responsible shopping journey, solving multiple barriers in one app. Unlike competitors who isolate issues, we bring accessibility, transparency, and trust together to empower consumers to live more sustainable lifestyles. As a social commerce platform, we operate in an industry growing three times faster than traditional e-commerce.

What We Offer:

• A flexible working environment with potential for remote work.
• An equity stake in the company, with a salary dependent on future funding.
• The opportunity to be part of a mission-driven startup with a clear vision for social and environmental impact.

Vision & Goals:

Immediate: Finalise our app in time for our presentation at the Zero Waste Festival at Federation Square on 14th September and pitch at the JITO InnovateX competition for pre-seed investment in October.

Long-term: Establish Grapevine as a globally recognised platform for sustainable and ethical lifestyles, becoming the go-to destination for responsible shopping and social engagement.

Commitment Level:

Flexible hours, with an expectation of around 20 hours per week. Compensation will be equity-only, with the potential for salary as funding becomes available.

If you are passionate about sustainable consumerism and have the skills and drive to take Grapevine to the next level, we would love to hear from you!

Apply Now and Help Us Create a Sustainable Shopping Revolution at Grapevine!