We are seeking a Partnerships and Business Development Lead to join our globally distributed and rapidly growing team at the forefront of revolutionizing the AI >< Web3 Landscape.

Subspace Labs is an early-stage, venture-backed startup pioneering a new category at the intersection of AI and Web3 as we approach our upcoming network launch. The Subspace Network is a radically decentralized, next-generation layer one blockchain powered by an innovative proof-of-archival storage (PoAS) consensus mechanism. Our project serves as a foundation for global collaboration between humans and AI, ushering in a new era of possibilities. Subspace is based on original research funded by the US National Science Foundation.  To learn more, visit our website and read the technical whitepaper.

As Partnerships Lead at Subspace,  you will play a pivotal role in driving our business development and ecosystem growth efforts as we approach our upcoming mainnet launch and announcement of our new AI arm. You will do this by establishing new strategic partnerships and business development opportunities with industry leaders in the AI community ( ie: AI startups, companies, and developer communities) and decentralized technology spaces (ie: Protocols, L1s, DAOs), as well as maintaining pre-established relationships with our existing partners.

As a key member of our leadership team, you will work alongside key stakeholders, namely our CMO, Head of Product, and Ecosystem Lead to ensure a cohesive and compelling marketing and communications strategy. Your ability to balance strategic planning with hands-on execution will be essential to your success in this role.

Responsibilities:

• Partner with Subspace Leadership Team: Work closely with our CMO and Product/ Ecosystem Leads to identify key narratives, disseminate brand messaging and grow market awareness.
• Establish New Strategic Partnerships: Identify, establish and manage strategic partnerships with leading  AI and web3 teams.
• Partnership and Collaboration Management: Oversee collaboration efforts with partners, ensuring joint projects are executed effectively and that mutual benefits are maximized.
• AI Developer Community Engagement: Drive user growth and brand awareness within the broader AI Developer Ecosystem.
• AI Market Analysis > Informed Strategic Proposals : Stay updated on the latest developments, trends and opportunities in the AI, blockchain and decentralized technology sectors and utilize new data to propose strategy (ie: collaborations, product direction, messaging).
• Business Development: Identify and actively pursue new business growth opportunities in AI and web3 industries. These could be new markets, products or services.
• Events and Networking: Represent the company at relevant industry events, webinars and conferences, driving brand awareness and networking with potential partners.
• Negotiation: Lead negotiations with partners and stakeholders, ensuring agreements are beneficial and in line with the company’s goals and values.

Requirements:

• Travel Flexibility : Ability to travel to Palo Alto on a monthly basis and general travel flexibility  to attend industry conferences and other networking events.
• Established AI Network: Established network of contacts, ideally in both the AI and web3 spaces.
• AI Domain Knowledge: Deep understanding of Agentic AI, Identity, blockchain, and decentralized technologies, along with their applications and implications for various industries.
• Proven Success, Driving High Impact Partnerships: Proven success in identifying and building strategic, high impact partnerships, in line with company goals. Proven ability to negotiate and finalize agreements with partners.
• Early Stage Startup Experience: Prior experience bootstrapping or growing an early stage technology startup in our space, ideally as an early hire or founding team member.
• Presentation Skills: Excellent presentation skills, with the ability to represent the company to external partners and build brand awareness at industry meetups, conferences and other networking events.
• Distributed (Remote) Team Environment: Strong ability to work in a globally distributed team environment, coordinating with multiple internal stakeholders across various time zones.