AI Ecosystems Lead
deelMillbrae (CA)
About the role
AI Ecosystem LeadDeel is the all-in-one payroll and HR platform for global teams. Our vision is to unlock global opportunity for every person, team, and business. Built for the way the world works today, Deel combines HRIS, payroll, compliance, benefits, performance, and equipment management into one seamless platform. With AI-powered tools and a fully owned payroll infrastructure, Deel supports every worker type in 150+ countries—helping businesses scale smarter, faster, and more compliantly. Among the largest globally distributed companies in the world, our team of 7,000 spans more than 100 countries, speaks 74 languages, and brings a connected and dynamic culture that drives continuous learning and innovation for our customers. We're looking for an AI Ecosystem Lead to make Deel known as one of the most AI-forward tech companies in the world. This is a zero-to-one role with unusual latitude. You'll decide how Deel shows up across the AI ecosystem, through partnerships, events, social, content, and ideas we haven't thought of yet. Then you'll make it happen yourself. You'll have real material to work with. Across the Deel core offering, AI works inside the everyday workflows our customers rely on, from hiring and payroll to HR and IT.Reporting directly to Alex Bouaziz, our CEO and Co-founder, you'll operate with high autonomy and work hand in hand with Marketing, Communications, Product, and Partnerships to amplify what each team is already building. You're accountable for one outcome: when founders, investors, and builders name the companies leading on AI, Deel is one of them.
Responsibilities:
- Own Deel's AI Narrative
- Build the plan for how Deel earns its place among the world's most AI-forward companies, bring it directly to Alex, and keep evolving it as the market moves
- Find the strongest AI stories across Deel, from Akai and our product to how our own teams work, and turn them into moments the AI community talks about
- Help Alex and other Deel leaders sharpen their voice on AI and get it in front of the audiences that matter most
- Pair bold ambition with sound judgment on how AI is changing work, partnering with Communications on press and anything that speaks for Deel publicly
- Build Deel's Place in the AI Ecosystem
Develop deep, genuine relationships with leading VC firms and their platform teams, accelerators, AI labs, and AI-native founders across the Bay AreaCreate partnership programs that put Deel alongside the companies defining AI, such as co-hosted events, portfolio programs, joint content, and launch moments
Make Deel a trusted partner to AI-native startups and the investors who back them
Show Up Where AI Happens
Launch a signature Deel event series in San Francisco, like founder dinners, builder nights, or hackathons, that stands out in one of the busiest event scenes in tech
Secure speaking slots and stage moments for Deel leaders at the conferences and community events shaping the AI conversation
Represent Deel in person as a familiar, trusted face in the Bay Area AI community
Grow Deel's Voice on Social and in MediaBuild a consistent Deel presence where the AI conversation happens, including X, LinkedIn, podcasts, newsletters, and YouTube, working closely with Marketing and Communications
Partner with AI creators, founders, and operators to tell Deel's AI story in credible, authentic ways
Test new formats, like a podcast, newsletter, or video series, and scale the ones that earn an audience
Move at the speed of the AI news cycle, publishing sharp, timely content in hours, not weeks
Prove the ImpactDefine how we measure AI perception, from share of voice and earned media to event reach, partnership quality, interest from top AI talent, and recognition on AI rankings
Run a portfolio of experiments, invest more in what works, and quickly retire what doesn'tReport progress to Alex with clear data, honest takeaways, and next steps
Use AI tools and agents every day to work faster, test more ideas, and deliver the output of a much larger team
Qualifications:
- 3-10 years of experience in ecosystem or VC partnerships, community building, marketing, communications, or founding or operating a startup, ideally in AI or high-growth tech
- You live and breathe AI: you use the latest tools daily, follow the research and the debates, and have informed opinions on where it's heading
- A strong, genuine network across the Bay Area's VC, founder, and AI communities, plus a clear understanding of what founders and investors care about
- Sharp marketing and communication instincts: you write clearly, tell compelling stories, and know what makes an idea spread in tech
- A track record of building something from scratch that earned real attention, such as a community, an event series, an audience, a startup, or a campaign
- Hungry, with an exceptional work ethic and a bias to action: you get things done without waiting for permission
- Thrives with ambiguity and latitude, turning a broad mandate into a focused plan and then shipping itExecutive presence and the judgment to work directly with a CEO, plus the confidence to represent Deel in rooms full of founders and investors
- Based in the San Francisco Bay Area and excited to be in person often, including some evenings and weekends, with occasional travel
- Fluent in written and spoken English
Bonus:
an existing audience on X, LinkedIn, Substack, or YouTube, or experience at a VC firm, an AI startup, or a leading tech brand
Total Rewards:
Our workforce deserves fair and competitive pay that meets them where they are. With scalable benefits, rewards, and perks, our total rewards programs reflect our commitment to inclusivity and access for all. Our salary range reflects gross base salary. For commercial roles with commission eligibility, this figure represents On-Target Earnings (OTE), inclusive of base salary and target commission. Salary ranges are quoted in USD as a consistent global reference. Final pay is based on objective, job-related criteria including experience, skills, and location. We don't ask about salary history. Offers are based on the role and what you bring to it. Some things you'll enjoy Stock grant opportunities dependent on your role, employment status and location Additional perks and benefits based on your employment status and country Optional flexible working office membership, with IWGAt Deel, we're an equal-opportunity employer that values diversity and positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, pregnancy or maternity or other applicable legally protected characteristics.
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