Partnership Development Lead

Build the partnerships behind the next generation of AI companies FutureProofing builds AI-native founding teams for ambitious startups, enterprises, and innovation organizations. We bring together AI engineers, technical product leaders, and AI-native workflows to help organizations move from strategy and ideas to production systems in weeks, not months. We're looking for a Partnership Development Lead who can do something unusually difficult: open the door, understand the problem, earn executive trust, and lead the team that delivers the solution. This is not a traditional business development role. We're looking for a selling architect, someone who is equally credible in a conversation with a Chief AI Officer, CTO, or founder and in a technical discussion with engineers and architects. You should understand how enterprise AI initiatives are bought, but also understand what it takes to actually build and ship them. You may have come from an enterprise AI consultancy, a regulated enterprise, Big Tech, a venture-backed company, or founded a company yourself. What matters most is that you have built things, led teams, advised senior executives, and developed relationships that can create real opportunities. The Role The role is equal parts hunter and builder. As the hunter, you will: Build and activate a network of founders, C-suite executives, enterprise leaders, investors, and innovation leaders. Identify high-value AI opportunities before they become formal RFPs or procurement processes. Build trust with senior decision-makers and understand the business problems behind their technical initiatives. Translate FutureProofing's capabilities into compelling business outcomes. Scope opportunities, shape engagements, and move strategic conversations toward signed work. Represent FutureProofing across New York's enterprise, consulting, startup, and investment ecosystem. Develop and manage a high-quality pipeline of partnership and client opportunities. As the builder, you will: Help translate executive priorities into practical AI strategies, architectures, and delivery plans. Lead or advise the technical team responsible for delivering engagements. Make architecture and product decisions when required. Work directly with AI engineers, architects, and product leaders throughout delivery. Ensure that what is sold is technically credible, commercially sound, and actually deliverable. Help assemble the right founding team around each opportunity. Stay close enough to delivery to maintain technical credibility with clients and the team. The ideal candidate doesn't hand off a deal once it closes. They help turn the opportunity into something real. What We're Looking For Required 10+ years of relevant professional experience, with meaningful experience across AI strategy, technical delivery, consulting, enterprise technology, startups, or related environments. Demonstrated ability to both sell/advise and build/deliver. This dual capability is the defining requirement for the role. Experience advising senior executives, including CAIOs, CDOs, CTOs, CIOs, founders, or equivalent leaders. Deep understanding of modern enterprise AI, including areas such as LLMs, generative AI, RAG, agentic and multi-agent systems, AI platforms, and MLOps. Experience translating business or executive priorities into technical strategies, architectures, products, or production systems. Experience leading engineering, architecture, product, or delivery teams and owning outcomes through production. An existing network of senior relationships that you can realistically activate — particularly founders, C-suite executives, enterprise leaders, and/or investors. Strong experience navigating complex enterprise or strategic sales cycles, including discovery, solutioning, scoping, and closing. NYC-based or able to operate meaningfully within the New York City business ecosystem. Exceptional written and verbal communication, with the credibility and polish required for executive-level conversations Strongly Preferred Experience in regulated industries such as financial services, insurance/reinsurance, or healthcare. Experience in an enterprise AI consultancy or professional services environment. Founder or ex-founder experience. Experience in Big Tech AI/ML organizations. Experience with presales, solution architecture, partnerships, or founder-led business development. Experience working with venture capital or private equity. Experience building or managing a meaningful technical organization or portfolio.