Strategic Initiatives Associate — AI Partnerships

Lever, Inc.; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

The Institute of Foundation Models (IFM) is seeking an Associate on the Strategic Projects team to turn frontier AI models into real-world impact. You will drive high-priority initiatives across strategy, commercial efforts, partnerships, and governance, moving from problem definition to delivery.

You will work closely with research, engineering, product, legal, and finance teams to translate technical capabilities into clear value propositions and actionable plans.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, CS, Law, or related field required.
• Master's degree (MBA, MSc) or equivalent experience preferred.
• 3–5 years of experience in strategy consulting, corporate strategy, investment banking, or similar roles.
• Experience in AI, technology, or TMT sectors is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Drive end-to-end execution of strategic initiatives from scoping to delivery and tracking milestones.
• Conduct in-depth analyses for leadership decisions, including market, competition, and business cases.
• Support go-to-market and commercial efforts for IFM's foundation models (pricing inputs, launch planning, adoption).
• Identify, structure, and manage strategic partnerships with industry, government, and academia.
• Produce executive-ready documents and presentations for leadership and partners.
• Collaborate with research, engineering, product, legal, and finance to translate capabilities into value propositions.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Executive communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Ownership & delivery

English fluency

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

PowerPoint

Excel / Financial modelling

Job description

The Institute of Foundation Models (IFM) is seeking an Associate on the Strategic Projects team to turn frontier AI models into real-world impact. You will drive high-priority initiatives across strategy, commercial efforts, partnerships, and governance, moving from problem definition to delivery.

You will work closely with research, engineering, product, legal, and finance teams to translate technical capabilities into clear value propositions and actionable plans.