Head of AI Ecosystem Intelligence

Based in San Francisco the AI Hub sits at the intersection of a global media group and the worlds most vibrant AI ecosystem. We shape the groups AI strategy build partnerships with leading AI labs run programs that grow AI capability across our companies and invest in what comes next. We work directly with the Executive Board leaders and builders across the portfolio.

The most important developments in AI happen within a few miles of our office and your job is being in those rooms. You grow our network across AI labs startups VCs and academia. You understand our strategic priorities and find the people who share them: as participants for our events as partners as founders. And when the right format doesnt exist yet you can create it: a dinner series a hackathon a summit.

The intelligence we need lives in conversations not reports. You spend your time where AI is actually happening with the convening power of a global knowledge and media group behind you.Your screening and judgment directly shape which startups reach diligence and which partnerships get pursued.

This role is based at our office at 44 Montgomery Street in San Francisco with regular presence across the Bay Area ecosystem. On-the-ground attendance is a core requirement of the role. Expect your calendar to be a mix of our office labs and startup offices conferences dinners and demo nights.

You work directly on Holtzbrincks strategic AI priorities: agentic research workflows the future of science education agent-ready publishing multimodal storytelling formats across science non-fiction fiction and news and more.

What youll do:

• Build and maintain an actively managed network across the Bay Area AI ecosystem relevant to Holtzbrincks sectors and tracked systematically
• Draft regular ecosystem and investment insight briefings for the Executive Board and portfolio leadership teams
• Source screen and brief startup opportunities that feed the Hubs investment decisions
• Make targeted matches: connect portfolio companies with the builders tools and partners they actually need
• Feed frontline intelligence (trends signals deal flow whos building what) into the teams briefings and investment analyses
• Represent Holtzbrinck with founders researchers and investors and bring the best of them to our table
• You report directly to the Managing Director and regularly brief the Executive Board

What success looks like:

• A living CRM-tracked network across labs startups VCs and academia that surfaces insights and leads to collaboration
• A steady flow of qualified screened startups reaches the investment pipeline with several advancing to serious diligence in year one
• Founder scouting for our entrepreneur in residence program
• Your work shapes how the groups leaders and builders think about AI
• Portfolio CEOs cite introductions you made as the origin of pilots partnerships or deals
• Founders and investors know Holtzbrinck as a serious ecosystem player

What youll bring:

• Robust relationships across the Bay Area AI ecosystem spanning AI Labs big tech startups and builders investors and academia in the Bay Area or a track record that proves you can build them fast
• A track record in venture capital strategy startup BD or an ecosystem role
• Technical fluency: youve built with AI tools can read a demo critically
• Genuine dedication to science education and/or media and the eagerness to deeply understand Holtzbrincks strategy
• Strong analytical thinking and communication skills: you turn frontline signals into strategic insights for executive audiences while speaking the language of builders
• Signal over noise: you distill twenty conversations into takeaways the team can act on

The salary range for this role is$157000 - $191000.

Macmillan Publishers is the U.S. trade company that is part of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group a large family-owned group of media companies headquartered in Stuttgart Germany. Holtzbrinck Publishing Groups publishing companies include prominent imprints around the world that publish a broad range of award-winning books for children and adults in all categories and formats.

U.S. publishers include Celadon Books Farrar Straus and Giroux Flatiron Books Henry Holt & Company Macmillan Audio Macmillan Childrens Publishing Group The St. Martins Publishing Group and Tor Publishing the UK Australia India and South Africa companies in the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group publish under the Pan Macmillan name. The German publishing company Holtzbrinck Deutsche Buchverlage includes among its imprints S. Fischer Kiepenheuer & Witsch Rowohlt and Droemer Knaur.

Macmillan is proud to be an equal opportunity employer consistently striving to foster a culture where everyone belongs. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and identities. Qualified applicants are evaluated without regard to race color religion age ethnicity national origin sex sexual orientation gender identity or expression disability status physical ability neurodiversity genetic information protected veteran status family and economic status and background or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local law. We prohibit discrimination of any kind and will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law.