Institute of Foundation Models

Associate, Strategic Projects

Institute of Foundation Models · Abu Dhabi, UAE
Abu Dhabi, UAE Posted 2026-09-25
Type
Full-time
Experience
3+ yr
  • Drive end-to-end execution of strategic initiatives, from scoping and planning through delivery, tracking milestones, and unblocking issues across teams.
  • Conduct in-depth analysis to inform leadership decisions, including market and competitive landscapes, business cases, financial models, and partner or deal evaluations.
  • Support go-to-market and commercial efforts for IFM's foundation models, including positioning, pricing inputs, launch planning, and adoption strategies.
  • Help identify, structure, and manage strategic partnerships with industry, government, and academic stakeholders.
  • Produce crisp, executive-ready documents and presentations, such as strategy papers, board and leadership briefings, and partner materials.
  • Collaborate closely with research, engineering, product, legal, and finance teams to translate technical capabilities into clear value propositions and actionable plans.
  • Design and improve internal processes, operating models, and governance for strategic programs.
  • Stay on top of developments in the AI ecosystem, including models, players, policy, and infrastructure, and turn them into insights for IFM's strategy.
  • Perform all other duties as reasonably directed by the line manager commensurate with these functional objectives.
  • Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, Law, or a related field required.
  • Master's degree (e.g., MBA, MSc) or equivalent experience preferred.
  • 3–5 years of experience in strategy consulting, corporate strategy, investment banking, strategic projects, or a similar role.
  • Experience in the AI, technology, or TMT sector (exposure to AI models, cloud, or data infrastructure is a plus).
  • Highly analytical, with a proven ability to dive deep into complex problems and come back with clear, well-founded answers.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication, with a track record of producing sharp documents and presentations for senior audiences.
  • Hands-on, execution-oriented mindset with strong ownership and a drive to get things done in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
  • Ability to work across strategy, business, technology, and operations, and to engage effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Advanced proficiency in PowerPoint and Excel/financial modelling (or equivalent tools).
  • Fluent in English.
  • Experience supporting commercial, go-to-market, or partnership initiatives from concept to execution.
  • Familiarity with the UAE and wider GCC technology ecosystem.
  • International experience is preferred.
  • Proficiency in other languages is a plus.
O
Data & Eval Operations Program Manager
Sunnyvale, CA
Operations
$250K–$450K
D
Distributed Machine Learning Engineer
Sunnyvale, CA
Data & ML
$150K–$450K
D
Machine Learning Engineer — GPU Kernel
Sunnyvale, CA
Data & ML
$150K–$450K
See all 25+ roles at Institute of Foundation Models →
H
Strategic Projects Associate, Safety
Handshake Seattle, WA
Operations
$120K–$120K
D
Strategic Projects Lead
Deeptune New York, NY
Operations
$120K–$200K
F
Strategic Projects Lead
Fireworks AI San Mateo, CA
Operations
$160K–$200K
F
AVP, Capital Management Strategic Projects
Fortitude Reinsurance Company Jersey City, NJ
Operations
$190K–$210K
See all Operations roles →

Interested in this role?

Apply directly on the company site — no recruiter middleman, no account required.

Apply now →
Apply on company site