Founding Client Partner, AI Transformation & GTM Lead

Zero to 1; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Health, dental and vision coverage

Hybrid work model

Travel opportunities

Job summary

Zero to 1, an enterprise intelligence company bringing startup velocity to enterprise AI, is hiring a Founding Client Partner, AI Transformation in New York City. You will work directly with CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, CFOs and PE teams to translate business challenges into measurable AI value and own opportunities from initial conversation through close and expansion.

This founding commercial leadership role focuses on turning founder-led growth into a repeatable engine.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years of enterprise AI, technology consulting or complex solution sales experience.
• Experience working with CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, CFOs and PE operating teams.
• Ability to translate business priorities into practical AI opportunities.
• Proven track record owning client relationships beyond contract signature.
• Experience expanding engagements within existing clients and across portfolios.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted relationships with mid-market executives and private equity teams.
• Originate qualified pipeline via relationships and targeted outbound.
• Lead discovery conversations to uncover first-order business problems.
• Translate executive priorities into actionable AI opportunities with clear outcomes.
• Shape value propositions, proposals and account strategies.
• Partner with technical leaders to scope deliverable solutions.
• Own opportunities from first conversation through close, adoption and expansion.
• Ensure delivery remains aligned with the business problem and success measures.

Job description

Founding Client Partner, AI Transformation

Founding GTM Hire | New York City | Reports to CEO

Focus: Mid-market companies and private equity portfolios

About Zero to 1

Zero to 1 is an enterprise intelligence company bringing startup velocity to enterprise AI.

We work with mid-market companies and private equity portfolios to identify high-value business problems, build AI systems around the workflows that matter, and move those systems into production.

Our belief is simple: AI should create disproportionate value for mid-market companies by strengthening their competitive position, protecting what makes them distinctive, and giving them the operating leverage to compete with much larger organizations.

The Opportunity

Zero to 1 has grown through founder-led relationships, deep client trust, and a reputation for turning ambitious AI ideas into operational reality.

We are already working with one of the world’s leading technology-focused private equity firms and expanding across its ecosystem.

We are now looking for a founding commercial leader who can help turn founder-led growth into a repeatable engine: originating new relationships, converting complex business problems into engagements, and expanding successful work across companies and portfolios.

Our ambition is to become the leading AI transformation and delivery partner for the mid-market.

The Role

This is not a traditional enterprise sales role.

You will work directly with CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, CFOs, COOs and private equity operating teams to understand how their businesses operate, identify the problems that matter most, and determine where AI can create measurable value.

You will own opportunities from the first conversation through commercial close, implementation, adoption and expansion.

You will not technically build or deliver the solution. Our product, engineering and forward-deployment teams own architecture and implementation.

Your job is to understand what the client is trying to achieve, translate that into a clear opportunity, keep our teams aligned around the business outcome, and remain the client’s strongest advocate.

You will also help build the commercial system around the role: how we identify opportunities, qualify them, structure engagements, manage accounts and expand successful work.

How We Think About Revenue

At Zero to 1, revenue follows value. We are not interested in maximizing the initial contract or selling technology a client does not need.

We want to solve the right problem, create measurable value and earn the right to solve the next one.

More value for our clients should create more revenue for Zero to 1. We win when our clients achieve their goals.

What You Will Do

• Build trusted relationships with mid-market executives and private equity operating teams.
• Originate qualified pipeline through relationships, private equity networks, targeted account development and thoughtful outbound.
• Lead discovery conversations that uncover first-order business problems.
• Understand each client’s strategy, operating model, constraints and priorities.
• Determine whether AI is genuinely the right answer to the problem.
• Translate executive priorities into practical AI opportunities with clear business outcomes.
• Shape value propositions, commercial proposals, success measures and account strategies.
• Partner with technical leaders to scope solutions that can realistically be delivered.
• Own opportunities from first conversation through commercial close.
• Remain accountable for client outcomes through implementation, adoption and expansion.
• Keep delivery aligned with the business problem and agreed success measures.
• Expand successful engagements across workflows, functions and portfolio companies.
• Help turn founder-led growth into a repeatable commercial engine.

Experience We Value

We expect the right person to bring approximately 5–10 years of experience across enterprise AI, technology consulting, complex solution sales, forward deployment or private equity portfolio operations.

You should have demonstrated experience:

• Working directly with CEOs, CIOs, CTOs and other senior executives.
• Connecting business priorities with technology and translating them into practical solutions.
• Uncovering problems and building the commercial case for change.
• Navigating complex, multi-stakeholder sales and delivery environments.
• Owning client relationships beyond contract signature.
• Originating opportunities, developing pipeline and growing revenue.
• Expanding successful engagements within existing clients.
• Understanding enterprise AI applications, data environments and transformation challenges.
• Working with mid-market companies.

Experience with private equity firms, operating partners or portfolio-company leaders is particularly valuable.

Existing relationships with mid-market executives and experience expanding engagements across portfolios are strong advantages.

What Is Essential

Ownership

You take responsibility for outcomes, not activities.

You do what is required to move the client or opportunity forward, and no task is beneath you when it contributes to the outcome.

Empathy

You seek to understand the people behind the problem.

You approach clients and colleagues with curiosity, honesty and respect, especially when conversations are difficult.

“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.”— John F. Kennedy

You think independently and speak honestly, particularly when agreement would be easier.

You challenge assumptions respectfully, offer a point of view and commit fully once a decision is made.

AI-Native, Judgment-Led

You use AI to expand your capabilities, not replace your thinking.

You challenge its output, verify important conclusions and remain accountable for the quality of your work.

How Success Will Be Measured

Success is not simply hitting a bookings number.

You will be successful when:

• Clients achieve the outcomes established at the beginning of an engagement.
• Executives view you as a trusted partner rather than a vendor.
• Complex business problems become clearly defined, production-ready opportunities.
• Qualified pipeline and revenue grow.
• Successful implementations expand into additional workflows and functions.
• Private equity relationships generate opportunities across portfolio companies.
• Clients retain, expand and advocate for Zero to 1.

What’s In It for You

You will work directly with the CEO on company strategy, major relationships and live opportunities.

You will influence which markets we enter, which opportunities we pursue and what exceptional client partnership means at Zero to 1.

You will join early enough to shape our commercial model, operating cadence and company culture.

As Zero to 1 grows, this role can grow into broader commercial and company leadership.

You will not simply sell the Zero to 1 growth story. You will help create it and share in the value you build.

Location and Working Model

This is a New York City-based, relationship-driven hybrid role.

We do not mandate a rigid five-day office schedule or measure commitment by time spent at a desk.

We expect you to be present when being together creates value: working sessions with the CEO and team, client meetings and important company moments.

You will have flexibility in how you structure your time, combined with the judgment and ownership to know when showing up in person matters.

Travel for client and company engagements will be required.

Compensation, Benefits and Ownership

• Target performance incentive: $75,000–$125,000 annually
• Target total cash compensation: $225,000–$300,000
• Accelerators: Additional upside for exceeding revenue targets and expanding relationships
• Equity: Meaningful ownership in an early-stage company
• Benefits: Company-sponsored health, dental and vision coverage

Compensation within the range will depend on experience, capabilities and the scope the successful candidate is ready to own.