Founding GTM / Business Development Manager
Ai Data Infrastructure Startup | Menlo Park, CA (Hybrid, 3 days on-site)
About the Company
Our client is an early-stage Ai company building an agentic system for collecting and processing data at scale. As they approach product launch, they are establishing data collaborations and commercial partnerships with enterprise organisations, and are now making their first full-time go-to-market hire to lead that charge.
The Role
This is a true founding GTM position. You will own business development and go-to-market strategy end to end, working directly with the founding team to shape how the product reaches the market. You will not be managing a large team; instead, you will have an exceptional level of ownership and autonomy, with a clear path to becoming the GTM lead as the company scales.
Title is flexible depending on your background and seniority (e.g. GTM Manager, Head of Business Development, Founding GTM).
What You Will Do
- Lead early-stage go-to-market strategy and execution ahead of and through product launch
- Source, negotiate, and close enterprise B2B partnerships, with a focus on data collaborations
- Build and manage relationships with large enterprise organisations
- Work closely with founders and technical teams, translating a deep understanding of the product and the Ai market into commercial strategy
- Establish the foundations of the GTM function as the company's first dedicated hire in this area
What They Are Looking For
- Several years of GTM, business development, or enterprise sales experience in B2B environments
- Experience in data-related or software businesses; exposure to Ai data companies (e.g. Scale Ai or similar) is a strong advantage
- A proven negotiator and relationship builder, comfortable engaging large enterprise counterparts
- More than a pure BD or sales operator: someone with high-level vision who genuinely understands the product, the customer, and the Ai market
- Working knowledge of the Ai landscape and basic commercial strategy
- Demonstrable track record; they want to see concrete work experience and outcomes
Compensation
- Base salary: $120,000 to $150,000 (flexibility above this for exceptional candidates)
- Commission: 2 to 5% of deal size
- Equity: 25,000 shares
- Full-time, permanent role
Logistics
- Hybrid: 3 days per week in office
- Office in Menlo Park, CA (potential future move to Santa Clara)
- Must be a US citizen or green card holder
- Hiring urgency is high; this is a priority role and the sooner the right person starts, the better
Interview Process
A streamlined 3-round process:
- Conversations with different team members (culture and experience fit)
- Case study interview
- Final round
