Program Manager, Key Studio

Key; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 48,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Key Studio, backed by Google's AI Futures Fund, seeks a hands-on Program Manager to lead its 12-week fall cohort in a hybrid capacity in the San Francisco Bay Area.

You will serve as the engine of the cohort, acting as the primary contact for admitted founders, coordinating programming and mentor matching, driving VC introductions, and managing on-the-ground cohort operations and community.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years in startup accelerator/incubator program management or venture capital operations.
• Exceptional organizational and multi-tasking skills with a proven track record of delivering high-stakes, multi-week programs on tight timelines.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; comfortable interfacing with high-profile founders, corporate executives, and VC partners.
• Location & Availability: Must be based in San Francisco Bay Area and commute to Palo Alto for events during the 3-month duration starting in September.

Responsibilities

• Onboarding & Operations: Lead day-to-day administration of the 12-week program, ensuring seamless execution of orientation, weekly founder check-ins, workshops, and capstone pitch/demo days.
• Founder Support: Build deep, trusted relationships with participating founders; identify their operational, technical, or other needs and proactively connect them with resources.
• Mentor Matching: Facilitate targeted 1:1 introductions between founders and Key Studio's elite advisor network (founders, executives, and top-tier VCs).
• Speaker Series & Workshops: Schedule, brief, and host guest speakers, masterclasses, and tactical office hours focusing on AI product development, fundraising, and GTM strategy.
• Event Production & Community: Plan and run weekly in-person dinners, pitch practices, and networking mixers in Palo Alto.

Job description

About the job Program Manager, Key Studio

About Key Studio

Key Studio is an AI venture program backed by Google's AI Futures Fund . Designed specifically for ex-Google founders building the next generation of AI-first companies.

Key Studio works with selected founders with early access to frontier Gemini models, up to $350K in cloud credits, program funding, and mentorship from industry icons like Marissa Mayer, Aydin Senkut, Sunita Verma, Christine Tsai, Bradley Horowitz, Catherine Lacavera, Claire Hughes Johnson, Gretchen Howard, and Caesar Sengupta. The first cohort features founders from the Ex-Google community – Xoogler.co . It connects 35,000+ current and former Google employees driving innovation, mentorship, and investment across the startup ecosystem.

About The Role

We are seeking an operational, highly energetic Program Manager to lead the day-to-day execution of our flagship 12-week fall cohort in a hybrid capacity located in the San Francisco Bay Area. You will serve as the engine of the cohort—acting as the primary point of contact for admitted founders, coordinating high-impact programming and mentor matching, driving VC pipeline introductions, and managing on-the-ground cohort operations/ community.

Key Responsibilities

• Onboarding & Operations: Lead the day-to-day administration of the 12-week program, ensuring seamless execution of orientation, weekly founder check-ins, workshops, and capstone pitch/demo days.
• Founder Support: Build deep, trusted relationships with participating founders; identify their operational, technical, or other needs and proactively connect them with resources.
• Mentor Matching: Facilitate targeted 1:1 introductions between founders and Key Studio's elite advisor network (founders, executives, and top-tier VCs).
• Speaker Series & Workshops: Schedule, brief, and host guest speakers, masterclasses, and tactical office hours focusing on AI product development, fundraising, and GTM strategy.

Event Production & Community

• In-Person Events & Demo Day Execution: Plan and run weekly in-person dinners, pitch practices, and networking mixers in Palo Alto

Qualification & Experience

• Experience: 3–5+ years in startup accelerator/incubator program management, venture capital operations, startup community lead roles, or high-growth tech program management.
• Superb Operations & Execution: Exceptional organizational and multi-tasking skills with a proven track record of delivering high-stakes, multi-week programs on tight timelines.
• Networker & Communicator: Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; comfortable interfacing with high-profile founders, corporate executives, and VC partners.
• Location & Availability: Must be based in San Francisco Bay Area and commute to Palo Alto where we expect most of our events will be hosted and available for the full 3-month duration starting in September.
• Event Management: Experience running founder-focused Demo Days, investor pitch sessions, or boutique tech dinners.

What We Offer

• Access & Network: Unrivaled exposure to premier venture capital firms, top-tier AI founders, and senior Silicon Valley operators.
• Frontier AI Ecosystem: Direct involvement at the intersection of Google's AI Futures Fund, frontier model access, and early-stage startup creation.
• Impact: A high-visibility role shaping the trajectories of high-potential AI ventures.

Compensation &Terms

• Compensation: 48,000–100,000 USD/year, based on experience and location.