Director, AI Labs Scouts
About The Position
Salesforce AI Labs is building a proactive market intelligence and venture sourcing capability to identify important basic and applied AI companies and technologies before they enter competitive acquisition or strategic investment processes. The role continuously maps emerging AI technologies, products, and markets and develops relationships across the ecosystem to identify founders, teams, and technologies that could strengthen Salesforce’s AI strategy. It is focused on upstream relationship-building, market intelligence, and opportunity creation—not M&A execution. Success is measured by the quality of access and relationships, intelligence, and opportunities created before formal deal processes.
Requirements
- Experience in DeepTech and product-centric venture capital, startup investing, company building, or a highly relevant AI ecosystem role.
- Strong network across founders, labs, professors, investors, and emerging technology companies.
- Deep curiosity and fluency in AI markets and technologies, and enterprise software.
- Ability to move between technical trends, business models, founder assessment, and strategic implications.
- Strong executive communication and judgment.
Nice To Haves
- Former founder, senior associate, principal, or junior partner from a leading VC firm, or an equivalent ecosystem profile.
Responsibilities
- Build and continuously maintain a landscape of companies, labs, founders, technologies, investors, and emerging categories within the focus area.
- Source acquisition, partnership, licensing, acquihire, and strategic opportunities before they are broadly marketed.
- Maintain deep relationships with founders, professors, VCs, accelerators, technical communities, and other ecosystem leaders.
- Attend and sponsor relevant conferences, hackathons, founder gatherings, and industry events to build proprietary market intelligence.
- Produce concise assessments of emerging companies and categories for AI Labs leadership.
- Develop and refresh points of view on AI market direction and where Salesforce should build, buy, partner, or continue watching.
- Partner with M&A and Strategic Finance to transition qualified opportunities into formal diligence and deal processes.
Benefits
- Time off programs
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Mental health support
- Paid parental leave
- Life insurance
- Disability insurance
- 401(k)
- Employee stock purchasing program
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
Education Level
No Education Listed
