Partnerships Manager

Userc Dehradun; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in CuspAI

28 days holiday (UK/DE/NL)

Parental leave 26 weeks

Professional development budget

Travel opportunities

Job summary

CuspAI is seeking a Partnerships Manager to build relationships and lead materials design engagements with partners across Europe. You will own the pipeline from first contact to signed agreements, shaping how we bring AI-driven materials innovation to market.

Based in the UK with regular travel to the US and Europe, you will translate technical challenges into compelling business cases, negotiate terms, and foster long-term collaborations with R&D, chemistry and semiconductor organizations.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in partnerships or BD roles selling to industrial R&D, materials, chemicals or semiconductor organizations.
• Experience bringing digital R&D tools to scientific teams (e.g., materials informatics, lab data platforms or simulation software).
• Track record of sourcing and closing B2B deals with long sales cycles.
• Network among R&D and business leaders at US industrial companies.
• Ability to explain AI and computational concepts clearly to scientists and business leaders.

Responsibilities

• Build the pipeline across R&D, materials and chemicals teams.
• Own the pipeline end-to-end from first conversation to a signed agreement.
• Negotiate commercial terms and bring agreements to signature.
• Shape how we go to market and focus on customer types that convert fastest.
• Represent CuspAI at industry events and conferences.
• Willingness to travel regularly within the US and Europe.

Skills

Partnerships

Business Development

B2B Sales

Industrial Networking

Education

Advanced degree in chemistry or materials science

Tools

Materials informatics

Lab data platforms (ELN/LIMS)

Simulation software

Job description

Location London, UK

Job type Full Time

Posted 16 Oct 2026 (1 day ago)

Region UK

Source Arbeitnow

About CuspAI

CuspAI is the frontier AI company on a mission to solve the breakthrough materials needed to power human progress. While nature took billions of years to perfect molecules, we are harnessing AI to unlock trillion-dollar materials breakthroughs in months, not millennia. Our founding team is the most cited in the world, comprised of world-class researchers in AI, chemistry and engineering.
We are working on some of the hardest and most important challenges including energy, clean water, the future of compute, and carbon capture, and this is just the start of what our 'search engine' for next-generation materials will unlock.
We invite you to be part of a diverse, innovative team at the intersection of AI and materials science, working to create impactful partnerships that drive innovation, scalability, and industry collaboration. This work matters. Your work matters.
We're on the cusp of the on-demand materials era. Join us.

Due to ongoing growth and demand, we're looking for a Partnerships Manager to build relationships and lead materials design engagements with potential partners in Europe.

Early stage, big market. Materials are a trillion-dollar problem, and most R&D organizations are only starting to use AI.

You shape it from day one. You'll help decide who we work with, how we go to market and which partnerships make it grow.

What You Will Do

Build the pipeline

Identify and reach R&D, materials and chemicals teams at US industrial companies that can benefit from direct access to our AI and data.

Own your pipeline end to end, from the first conversation to a signed agreement.

Use your network and market knowledge to open doors in key innovation hubs such as the Bay Area, Boston, Texas and the Research Triangle.

Close and grow partnerships

Understand each team's materials challenges and turn them into clear, compelling proposals together with our scientists and Technical Program Managers.

Negotiate commercial terms and bring agreements to signature.

Turn first engagements into lasting relationships, and spot where a partner can do more with us.

Shape how we go to market

Help decide which customer types and sectors to focus on first, based on what converts fastest.

Bring what you hear in the market back to our product, research and leadership teams.

Help build the processes, materials and playbook that the wider team will use as we grow.

Represent CuspAI at industry events and conferences.

What We're Looking For

Someone who has sold to or partnered with R&D, chemicals or materials organizations, and who enjoys building something new more than running a process that already works.

8+ years in partnerships, business development or sales roles selling to industrial R&D, materials, chemicals or semiconductor organizations.

Experience bringing digital R&D tools to scientific teams, for example materials informatics, lab data platforms (ELN, LIMS) or simulation software.

A track record of sourcing and closing B2B deals with multiple stakeholders and long sales cycles.

A network among R&D and business leaders at US industrial companies.

The ability to explain AI and computational concepts clearly to scientists and business leaders alike.

Comfort with ambiguity, and the drive to build structure from scratch in a fast-growing startup.

Willingness to travel regularly within the US and to Europe.

Bonus Points (But Not Critical)

An advanced degree in chemistry, materials science, physics, chemical engineering or a related field.

Experience at a company working in materials informatics, scientific software or AI for R&D.

Experience building a market or commercial function from the ground up.

Location

This role is based in the UK ideally London or Cambridge or Berlin oder Amsterdam, ideally near a major materials, chemicals or semiconductor hub. Expect regular travel to customer sites and to our offices in the UK and Europe (30 - 40 %)

What We Offer

A competitive salary: We value and reward impact and growth

Equity in CuspAI: You have a stake in the success of the company

Time off to stay fresh: 28 days holiday (DE, NL, UK) or 21 days holiday (JP, SG, US), in addition to local public holidays

Gold Standard parental leave: 26 weeks (primary caregiver) and 12 weeks (secondary caregiver) at full pay - we look after you and your family while we work on the most important materials discovery problems together

Professional development budget: We invest in your career development so you can stay up to date with the latest industry knowledge or add to your skills to increase impact and growth

Solve meaningful problems: See how your work has a direct impact on advancing materials science and solving sustainability and climate-related problems through the creation and application of bleeding-edge SOTA technology and revolutionary techniques

True interdisciplinary teamwork: Be part of a deeply collaborative environment bridging AI research, computational chemistry, and experimental science - work with world-class researchers and engineers who enjoy sharing knowledge and supporting each other

Join us in shaping the future of materials with AI. Together, we can create groundbreaking solutions for a more sustainable world.
CuspAI is an equal opportunities employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law.
We actively encourage applications from all backgrounds and value the unique perspectives and contributions that diversity brings to our team.
Please let us know if you require any specific adjustments during or after the interview process. We will do everything we can within reason to accommodate.