Strategic Partnerships Manager

About FirstPrinciples

FirstPrinciples is a non-profit organization building an autonomous AI Physicist to understand the nature of reality: the underlying structure, governing principles, and fundamental laws of our universe. We're developing an intelligent system that can explore theoretical frameworks, reason across disciplines, and generate novel insights to tackle the deepest unsolved problems in physics. By combining AI, symbolic reasoning, and autonomous research capabilities, we're developing a platform that goes beyond analyzing existing knowledge to actively contribute to physics research. Our goal is to accelerate progress on the questions that have captivated humanity for centuries.

Job Description

FirstPrinciples is seeking a Strategic Partnerships Manager to build and manage partnerships that support our research infrastructure. This role is an opportunity to help build the global technology ecosystem supporting one of the most ambitious research initiatives in AI and physics. You will work with leading technology companies, AI labs, and research organizations to help create the infrastructure required for autonomous scientific discovery. The primary focus of this role is to develop and steward relationships with technology providers, AI research labs, compute providers, and cloud & infrastructure platforms; to build relationships that can secure dataset collaborations, infrastructure support, engineering partnerships, and in-kind compute credits.

Over time, the role will also support broader partnerships with research institutions, foundations, academic institutions, academic publishers and other collaborators aligned with our mission.

This role is ideal for someone who is passionate about the AI and technology ecosystem, enjoys building strategic partnerships, and can translate technical needs into compelling collaboration opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Partnerships

• Identify and develop partnerships with cloud providers, compute platforms, AI research labs, and infrastructure companies across North America, Europe, and Asia, to work with and support FirstPrinciples in the form of compute credits, tooling, and technical collaboration.
• Secure in-kind support such as GPU compute, cloud credits, data infrastructure, and engineering collaboration.
• Build relationships with companies across the AI, cloud, developer tooling, and research infrastructure ecosystem.
• Work closely with internal technical teams to understand infrastructure needs and translate them into partnership opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with emerging AI and data regulations globally.
• Structure win-win collaborations that provide value to partners while accelerating FirstPrinciples’ research and development projects.

Partnership Development & Management

• Develop outreach strategies to identify and engage with high-impact technology partners.
• Manage relationships with existing partners and ensure collaborations deliver meaningful outcomes.
• Coordinate with internal teams to execute partnership initiatives effectively.
• Track partnership outcomes and ensure they support FirstPrinciples’ research and development goals.

Broader Strategic Partnerships

• Help develop partnerships with universities, research institutes, and mission-aligned organizations.
• Identify opportunities for joint initiatives, research collaborations, or events.
• Help expand FirstPrinciples’ network across the scientific and technology ecosystem.

Representation & Outreach

• Represent FirstPrinciples in conversations with potential partners.
• Prepare partnership proposals and collaboration frameworks.
• Represent FirstPrinciples in international discussions around research infrastructure, AI collaboration, and open science initiatives.
• Position FirstPrinciples as a trusted partner at the intersection of AI, physics, and advanced research infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Education
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Business, or a related discipline.
• Experience
• 3 to 7+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, or ecosystem roles in technology, AI, research, or startups.
• Experience working with cloud platforms, AI infrastructure, or developer ecosystems is strongly preferred.
• Track record of building and managing external partnerships.
• Skills
• Strong relationship-building and negotiation skills.
• Ability to understand technical infrastructure needs and concepts (such as AI infrastructure, GPU compute environments, cloud architectures, and research data pipelines) and translate them into partnership opportunities.
• Comfortable engaging with engineers, research scientists, and infrastructure teams.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Organized and able to manage multiple partnerships simultaneously.
• Mindset
• Entrepreneurial and proactive.
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving, mission-driven environment.
• Interest in AI, scientific research, or emerging technology.

Application Process

• Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume, a cover letter detailing their qualifications and vision for the role, and references. Please include "Technical Partnerships Manager" in the cover letter.

Join us at FirstPrinciples and be a part of a transformative journey where science drives progress and unlocks the potential of humanity.