<human>: Could you distill the essence of the text into 1-3 sentences?

Hello guys,

I just wanted to get your opinions so thank you in advance. A new company set up shop near my place and I'm set on getting a job there. They have two positions that I'm interested in, a Team Leader or an associate.

If it's up to me, of course I'd like to be a Team Leader but I'm not sure if they would give value to my experience of handling a team. They're looking for an experienced Customer Support Team Leader and I haven't specifically held a "Team Leader" position in my previous job. I do however, have 3 years of experience handling a team of 17-20 people as a Subject Matter Expert. It's basically a team leader position without a title. We had two people managing a team, the SME and the Team Leader. Both can do the other's job, but the Team Leader is paid more.

Now if they won't take me as a Team Leader, would it be possible for me to ask them to be an associate instead? Or would it even be ethical for me to apply to two positions in the same company? If it's worth anything, this is currently a small company of around 50 people that has the potential to really grow within the next few years. That's why I'm willing to take a lower position if needed.
<bot>: Should I apply for the job that I'm a bit under qualifed for, or the one that I'm over qualified for?