Strategic Deals Leader, Compute & Infrastructure

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 As a Strategic Deals Leader, you will help shape the company's long-term approach to AI infrastructure, compute capacity, and strategic ecosystem partnerships, and you will originate, structure, negotiate, and close the deals that put that strategy into effect. Operating at the intersection of infrastructure strategy, technology evaluation, commercial deal-making, and financing, you will identify and execute opportunities that expand the company's access to the compute, infrastructure, and technologies required to train and serve frontier AI systems. the company's models depend on large-scale, tightly coordinated infrastructure spanning hyperscaler and cloud capacity, semiconductors and hardware, and data center and networking infrastructure. Securing that infrastructure at scale requires sophisticated deal-making with some of the world's largest technology companies, and increasingly it requires connecting deal structure with creative financing. You will work closely with engineering, infrastructure, finance, legal, and executive leadership to evaluate emerging technologies, assess build-versus-buy decisions, structure and negotiate transactions, and cultivate strategic relationships across hyperscalers and cloud providers, semiconductor and hardware vendors, and data center operators. Depending on your background, your focus could include hyperscaler partnerships and cloud capacity, semiconductor supply, and/or data center and networking infrastructure. We are looking for people who combine a deep understanding of AI infrastructure and emerging technology ecosystems with strong strategic judgment, financial acumen, and the negotiating skill to close complex agreements at the terms and timelines the company requires. You will be an integral part of a team focused on ensuring the company has the resources it needs to pursue its mission of developing safe, beneficial AI systems. Key responsibilities Develop and execute strategies that expand the company's access to compute, infrastructure, and emerging AI technologies, and translate those strategies into a pipeline of executable deals Lead the full deal lifecycle for complex infrastructure transactions, from opportunity identification and term sheet development through negotiation, execution, and close Structure and negotiate large-scale agreements with hyperscalers and cloud providers, semiconductor and hardware suppliers, data center operators, networking vendors, and emerging infrastructure companies Bring capital markets and financing thinking to infrastructure transactions, including vendor financing, equipment leasing, capacity prepayments, and other structures that connect financing to our compute buildout Develop and drive financial models, term analyses, and commercial frameworks to support deal structuring and inform executive decision-making Partner with engineering and infrastructure teams to understand future workload requirements and translate them into long-term compute and ecosystem strategies and commercially viable deal terms Assess build-versus-buy tradeoffs across infrastructure, platform, and capacity decisions, and evaluate new infrastructure technologies and architectures to inform adoption, partnership, and deployment decisions Build and maintain senior-level relationships across the AI infrastructure ecosystem to identify and advance deal opportunities that improve the company's infrastructure flexibility, resilience, and long-term capacity position Partner with Legal, Finance, and Engineering to align deal terms with the company's technical, financial, and risk requirements Monitor market, technology, competitive, and financing developments across the AI infrastructure landscape and provide clear recommendations and deal reporting to senior leadership Minimum qualifications Experience in AI infrastructure, cloud computing, semiconductors, data centers, or adjacent technology ecosystems, with a strong understanding of compute infrastructure, accelerator technologies, cloud platforms, and infrastructure economics Demonstrated track record of structuring, negotiating, and closing complex, high-value technology transactions or strategic partnerships as the lead negotiator (not in a supporting, advisory, or analytical capacity) Working understanding of capital markets and vendor financing, including how large infrastructure commitments are financed, with the ability to shape the financing side of a transaction alongside its commercial terms Experience evaluating emerging technologies and developing long-term infrastructure or ecosystem strategies, and converting those strategies into signed agreements Ability to work effectively with technical teams and translate complex engineering concepts into deal structures and strategic business recommendations Experience building partnerships and influencing senior stakeholders across internal and external organizations, including executive leadership Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to operate autonomously in ambiguous and rapidly evolving environments Currently or recently active in direct deal-making; this role requires someone who can operate independently from day one Preferred qualifications 8-10+ years of experience in strategic deals, corporate development, investment banking, or business development at technology companies, hyperscalers, semiconductor companies, or financial institutions, with direct transactional ownership Deep familiarity with one or more of our focus areas: hyperscaler partnerships and cloud economics, semiconductor hardware, or data center and networking infrastructure Experience with vendor financing, equipment leasing, structured or project finance, or capital markets transactions applied to infrastructure procurement Familiarity with AI/ML infrastructure requirements, including training cluster design, network topology, and capacity planning Understanding of supply chain dynamics for high-demand infrastructure components A passion for the future of AI infrastructure and for the company's mission of ensuring safe AI development 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 Minimum 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 #J-18808-Ljbffr United States Digital Space LLC