Partnerships Manager

Who You Are:

You are a strategic, mission-driven leader with a deep passion for environmental conservation and a proven track record of building impactful partnerships. You thrive at the intersection of technology and global impact, possessing a unique ability to translate complex data tools into actionable value for governments, NGOs, and non-traditional sectors. As an experienced manager, you excel at guiding and mentoring geographically diverse, remote teams to reach their full potential. Ultimately, you are a natural relationship-builder and a metrics-driven strategist who knows how to drive product adoption to protect our oceans.

This is a Term limited role scheduled for 12 months, with the possibility of extension or conversion to full-time based on budget, business need and performance.

Location: Remote US, with willingness to relocate to Seattle when term period is over / if the role converts to full-time.

Who We Are:

Skylight delivers premier AI-driven data through multiple platforms to under-resourced states to support their enforcement and compliance actions towards illegal fishing and broader ocean protection. Governments, enforcement agencies, and conservation organizations in 95+ countries use Skylight to protect their waters. Read more at https://allenai.org/skylight.

As a program in the Applied Sciences and Technology department, we don't just build AI for the sake of theory-we are entirely oriented around the practical, mission-forward application of technology to solve real-world problems.

Within that ecosystem, the Skylight team is small, mighty, and fast-paced. We pride ourselves on doing a massive amount of good with a lean, highly efficient crew. We are deeply tech-forward, but we are also intensely humble. You won't see us shouting our accomplishments from the rooftops; we prefer to let our work and our word speak for themselves. We operate horizontally, leaving ego at the door so we can ask the hard questions and have the honest discussions required to get things right.

Above all, we value ethical clarity and collaboration. Our partners trust us implicitly because we deliver exactly what we say we will. We have zero desire to monopolize this space-we build platform-plays and tools meant to empower the entire ecosystem.

Your Next Challenge:

• Develops the partnership and adoption strategy with Program Lead guidance; Key contributor to the overall Program strategy
• Leads the strategy for the program's major services, including our work in the Joint Analytical Cell, commercial data delivery, certification courses, and virtual training sessions.
• Partnerships team manager driving day-to-day priorities, mentors team members, unblocks issues
• Travels regularly to represent the program, acting as the program's primary external "face" that the community recognizes.
• Metrics champion




• Monitors the adoption, value, and impact of Skylight on a regular basis (e.g., platform usage, surveys, market analyses)




• Maintains primary relationship with the business provider for contractors




• Defines deliverables and adapts the scopes of work to program strategy;
• Reviews and approves travel to ensure it meets strategy & approval requirements;
• Onboards and deboards contractors based on program needs




• Interfaces with Legal on ad-hoc projects (e.g., cost-recovery for commercial data, updating policies to enable API access for commercial companies)
• Directly supports Communications with media outreach and other deliverables

What You'll Need:

• A strong passion for marine conservation.
• A "collaborator" in every way.
• 8+ years of partnership development experience with governments and nonprofits, preferably delivering technology products
• 5+ years managing teams of 5+ people, preferably geographically diverse and remote
• Proven experience driving adoption through creative outreach to new sectors, targeted industry entry points, or platform partnerships.
• Preferably an academic background in computer science, environmental science/policy, remote sensing/geospatial studies, or business applied to social good.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position for long periods of time.
• The ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
• The ability to observe details at close range.
• Can work under deadlines.

A Little More About Ai2:

Ai2 is a Seattle based non-profit AI research institute founded in 2014 by the late Paul Allen. Our mission is building breakthrough AI to solve the world's biggest problems. We develop foundational AI research and innovation to deliver real-world impact through large-scale open models, data, robotics, conservation, and beyond.

In addition to Ai2's core mission, we also aim to contribute to humanity through our treatment of each member of the Ai2 Team. Some highlights are:

• We are a learning organization - because everything Ai2 does is ground-breaking, we are learning every day. Similarly, through weekly Ai2 Academy lectures, a wide variety of world-class AI experts as guest speakers, and our commitment to your personal on-going education, Ai2 is a place where you will have opportunities to continue learning alongside your coworkers.
• We value diversity - We seek to hire, support, and promote people from all genders, ethnicities, and all levels of experience regardless of age. We particularly encourage applications from women, non-binary individuals, people of color, members of the LGBTQA+ community, and people with disabilities of any kind.
• We value inclusion - We understand the value that people's individual experiences and perspectives can bring to an organization, and we are building a culture in which all voices are heard, respected and considered.
• We emphasize a healthy work/life balance - we believe our team members are happiest and most productive when their work/life balance is optimized. While we value powerful research results which drive our mission forward, we also value dinner with family, weekend time, and vacation time. We offer generous paid vacation and sick leave as well as family leave.
• We are collaborative and transparent - we consider ourselves a team, all moving with a common purpose. We are quick to cheer our successes, and even quicker to share and jointly problem solve our failures.
• We are in Seattle - and our office is on the water! We have mountains, we have lakes, we have four seasons, we bike to work, we have a vibrant theater scene, and we have so much else. We even have kayaks for you to paddle right outside our front door. We welcome interest from applicants from outside of the United States.
• We are friendly- chances are you will like every one of the 200+ (and growing) people who work here. We do.

Ai2 is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. You may view the related Know Your Rights compliance poster and the Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision by clicking on their corresponding links.

This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to employees and applicants with disabilities to the full extent required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you feel you need a reasonable accommodation pursuant to the ADA, you are encouraged to contact us at recruiting@allenai.org.

Benefits:

• Team members and their families are covered by medical, dental, vision, and an employee assistance program.
• Team members are able to enroll in our health savings account plan, our healthcare reimbursement arrangement plan, and our health care and dependent care flexible spending account plans.
• Team members are able to enroll in our company's 401k plan.
• Team members will receive $125 per month to assist with commuting or internet expenses and will also receive $200 per month for fitness and wellbeing expenses.
• Team members will also accrue sick days per year in line with Seattle sick time requirements and twelve paid holidays throughout the calendar year.

Note: This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the team members(s) of this position. Team members will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the team member(s) will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an at will relationship.