Deal Lead, Corporate Development

United States Digital Space LLC; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 325,000 - 425,000; Full time

Job summary

United States Digital Space LLC in San Francisco seeks an experienced Corporate Development professional to drive acquisitions and strategic partnerships. You will work with the leadership team to shape growth, identify opportunities, and manage end-to-end transactions.

The ideal candidate has 12+ years in corp dev or related roles, strong financial modeling, and deep familiarity with AI/ML in tech. You thrive in ambiguity and excel at cross‑functional collaboration to execute transformative

Qualifications

• 12+ years corporate development experience in high-growth tech.
• Direct experience in AI/ML companies or deep learning environments.
• Proven track record leading complex M&A or strategic partnerships.
• Outstanding communication and ability to influence across levels.
• Experience with post-merger integration and cross-border deals.

Responsibilities

• Shape the corporate development function and drive end-to-end transactions.
• Partner with cross‑functional product, engineering and research teams.
• Lead sourcing, due diligence, negotiation and integration of deals.
• Develop financial models and valuation analyses to support decisions.
• Build networks with entrepreneurs, VCs and strategic partners in AI.
• Present strategic recommendations to executive leadership and board.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Financial modeling

M&A deal execution

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Negotiation

Networking in AI ecosystem

Education

MBA or advanced technical degree

Job description

About the company

the company’s mission is to create reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. We want AI to be safe and beneficial for our users and for society as a whole. Our team is a quickly growing group of committed researchers, engineers, policy experts, and business leaders working together to build beneficial AI systems.

About the role

the company is seeking an experienced Corporate Development professional to drive key strategic initiatives, including sourcing and executing acquisitions and strategic partnerships. In this role, you will partner directly with key members of the company's leadership team to shape our growth strategy and help build the ecosystem around safe, beneficial AI, grounded in the company’s strategic priorities. As a critical strategic partner, you'll identify opportunities for expansion, lead complex transactions, and ensure successful integration of new capabilities into our organization.

The ideal candidate brings a unique combination of strategic thinking, technical understanding, and execution capability. You're passionate about AI safety and the company's mission to create AI systems that are helpful, harmless, and honest. You thrive in ambiguous environments and can navigate complex negotiations while maintaining strong relationships across multiple stakeholders.

Join us in shaping the future of AI while ensuring it remains safe and beneficial for humanity. This role offers the unique opportunity to work at the intersection of cutting‑edge AI research and strategic business development, with direct impact on the company's growth trajectory.

Key responsibilities

• Help shape the corporate development function, establishing best practices across the full spectrum of transactions from acquihires to transformational acquisitions

• Partner closely with cross‑functional product, engineering, and research teams to understand and assess the technical and strategic value of potential opportunities

• Lead end-to-end transaction processes, from initial sourcing through due diligence, negotiation, and integration

• Create streamlined processes for rapid evaluation and execution of technical talent acquisitions

• Build and maintain relationships with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and strategic partners in the AI ecosystem

• Conduct comprehensive market analysis to identify emerging trends, competitive dynamics, and growth opportunities in AI and related technologies

• Structure and negotiate complex deals, working closely with legal, finance, and other cross‑functional teams

• Drive post‑transaction integration efforts, ensuring successful realization of strategic objectives

• Develop financial models and valuation analyses to support investment decisions

• Present strategic recommendations to executive leadership and board members

• Support the growth of the company's partnership ecosystem, including relationships with cloud providers and enterprise customers

Preferred qualifications

• Possess strong technical understanding through either work experience (as a software engineer, product manager, or investor) or educational background (Computer Science degree or equivalent)

• Demonstrate exceptional analytical and financial modeling skills

• Have experience leading complex M&A transactions or strategic partnerships in technology sectors

• Excel at building relationships and can effectively engage with technical and business stakeholders

• Are comfortable operating in fast‑paced, ambiguous environments with competing priorities

• Possess outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal, with ability to influence at all levels

• Have a deep interest in AI safety and alignment with the company's mission

Minimum qualifications

• Have 12+ years of corporate development experience, with demonstrated success building or significantly scaling corp dev functions at high‑growth technology companies

• Have direct experience in AI/ML companies or deep learning research environments

• Bring an established network within the AI startup ecosystem and venture capital community

• Have led post‑merger integration efforts or built new business units from the ground up

• Possess an MBA or advanced technical degree

• Have experience negotiating complex strategic partnerships with major technology companies

• Demonstrate a track record of identifying and executing transformational opportunities

• Show experience with international expansion or cross‑border transactions

The annual compensation range for this role is listed below.

For sales roles, the range provided is the role’s On Target Earnings ("OTE") range, meaning that the range includes both the sales commissions/sales bonuses target and annual base salary for the role.

Annual Salary:

$325,000—$425,000 USD

Logistics

LogisticsMinimum education: Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience

Required field of study: A field relevant to the role as demonstrated through coursework, training, or professional experience

Minimum years of experience: Years of experience required will correlate with the internal job level requirements for the position

Location-based hybrid policy: Currently, we expect all staff to be in one of our offices at least 25% of the time. However, some roles may require more time in our offices.

Visa sponsorship: We do sponsor visas! However, we aren't able to successfully sponsor visas for every role and every candidate. But if we make you an offer, we will make every reasonable effort to get you a visa, and we retain an immigration lawyer to help with this.