Latest AI JobsBrowse Jobs
V

AI Strategy, Lead

valkaiNew York CityAI Strategy
Apply on company site
Salary
$200K – $280K
Job type
Full-time
Experience
Lead · 10+ yrs
Posted
18 Sept 2026
Status
Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

This AI Strategy Lead position suits an experienced professional with a background in strategy consulting or startup operations who wants to own client portfolios and business outcomes in New York City. The role involves managing a pod of AI Strategists at Valkai to help pharmaceutical and medical device companies accelerate development timelines using artificial intelligence.

Role Overview

Valkai seeks an AI Strategy Lead for a full-time, on-site role in New York City. The person in this position will operate a pod like an independent business, overseeing customer accounts, commercial results, and team performance. This player-coach role requires leading high-stakes deployments, maintaining executive relationships, and driving product adoption across enterprise clients.

Key Responsibilities

Manage a pod of pharma and medical device customers, including Fortune 100 accounts, by setting strategy, account plans, and managing renewals and expansions.
Hire, manage, and mentor a team of AI Strategists while clearing operational blockers.
Serve as the primary senior contact for customer executives and partner with Sales to transition pilots into enterprise-wide agreements.
Handle high-stakes deployments directly to establish and maintain a high quality standard.
Guide clients through governance, validation, compliance, and change management in regulated environments.
Translate customer requirements and feedback from accounts into actionable priorities for Product and Engineering teams.
Develop repeatable deployment playbooks and onboarding processes for new team members.

Requirements

Demonstrated ability to treat a client portfolio as an independent business and take full accountability for outcomes.
Strong problem-solving skills to translate unstructured client challenges into concrete deployment plans.
Experience leading teams on high-stakes client engagements and providing direct feedback.
Credibility with Vice President and C-suite enterprise sponsors to articulate business value.
Pragmatic approach to technology with the ability to learn new artificial intelligence capabilities rapidly.
High resilience and determination to drive customer adoption and success.

Nice to Have

Ten or more years of professional experience, combining top-tier strategy consulting and high-growth startup operations, or experience as a senior consulting leader at the Associate Partner or Partner level.
Prior experience with revenue accountability for a book of business, client portfolio, practice, or business line.
Background in managing teams and building executive-level client relationships.
Industry experience in life sciences, covering pharma, medical devices, or biotech across research and development, regulatory, clinical, safety, or commercial functions.
Background in enterprise software deployments or post-sale customer management focused on expansion and renewal.
Familiarity with AI and large language model deployment patterns alongside daily hands-on usage of tools like Claude and ChatGPT.

Skills and Tools

Claude
ChatGPT
Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models (LLMs)
Enterprise Software Deployments
Client Relationship Management

Salary and Benefits

Compensation ranging from $200,000 to $280,000 per year
Meaningful equity offerings
Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents
Generous paid time off policy
Paid parental leave

About the Company

Valkai works inside major pharmaceutical and medical device companies globally to compress drug and device development timelines from months to days using artificial intelligence.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply on the official company careers page.

Skills and tech stack

ClaudeChatGPTAILLMsLLM

Questions candidates ask

What is the location of the AI Strategy Lead role?

The position is located in New York City.

What is the salary range for this position?

The salary ranges from $200K to $280K, with equity offerings included.

What type of clients does the AI Strategy Lead manage?

The lead manages accounts for pharmaceutical and medical device companies, including Fortune 100 customers.

What is the expected experience level for candidates?

The posting notes a nice-to-have of 10+ years of experience, combining top-tier strategy consulting and startup operations, or senior consulting leadership at the Associate Partner or Partner level.

What benefits are provided by the company?

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents, generous paid time off, and paid parental leave.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official valkai careers page.

Apply on company site