Role Overview

As the AI/ML Business Development Lead at Snowflake, you will be at the forefront of driving the adoption of Snowflake's AI/ML and Generative AI products, specifically Snowflake Cortex, among top AI-native startups. This role is pivotal in shaping the future of AI within the Snowflake ecosystem. You will be the technical and strategic bridge between Snowflake's AI Product teams, AI-native startups, and key Foundation Model providers. Your expertise will drive product partnerships, influence the product roadmap, and orchestrate complex initiatives to deliver strategic outcomes for Cortex adoption and ecosystem growth.

Day in the Life

A typical day for the AI/ML Business Development Lead involves a blend of technical strategy, partner engagement, and GTM execution. You might start the day by meeting with the AI Product Management team to discuss feedback from AI startups on the Cortex roadmap. Then, you could engage with a leading Foundation Model provider to strategize on moving beyond transactional sales into a genuine product partnership. The afternoon could be spent designing the technical portion of the field enablement program or meeting with C-level executives from a top-tier AI startup to architect a product-partner strategy. You will also spend time ensuring partner solutions adhere to Snowflake’s best practices for data governance, security, and performance optimization.

Why Menlo Park, CA?

Menlo Park, California, is at the heart of Silicon Valley, making it an ideal location for this role. Being in Menlo Park provides unparalleled access to the vibrant AI startup ecosystem, Foundation Model providers, and specialized AI companies. The proximity to these key players allows for more effective partnership development, faster feedback loops, and greater opportunities for collaboration and innovation. Menlo Park's concentration of tech talent and resources makes it a hub for AI/ML advancements, ensuring you are at the cutting edge of the industry.

Career Path

The AI/ML Business Development Lead role offers a promising career path within Snowflake. You could advance to a Senior Business Development leadership position, managing a team of business development professionals focused on AI/ML. Another potential path is moving into a product management role within the AI Product team, leveraging your deep understanding of the AI startup ecosystem and Cortex roadmap. You could also transition into a strategic partnership role, focusing on building and managing relationships with key Foundation Model providers and specialized AI companies.

Salary & Benefits

The salary range for the AI/ML Business Development Lead role is competitive and commensurate with experience, typically ranging from $160,000 to $300,000 annually. In addition to a competitive base salary, Snowflake offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, and vision insurance, generous paid time off, employee assistance programs, professional development opportunities, wellness programs, a retirement savings plan with company match, commuter benefits, and more. These benefits are designed to support your overall well-being and professional growth.

Innovation Culture

Snowflake fosters a culture of innovation, impact, and collaboration. The company is committed to empowering enterprises to achieve their full potential, and this extends to its employees. You will be part of a team that values creativity, problem-solving, and continuous learning. Snowflake provides the resources and support needed to explore new ideas, experiment with cutting-edge technologies, and make a meaningful impact on the future of data and AI.

How to Apply

To apply for the AI/ML Business Development Lead position, visit the Snowflake careers page and search for the job title. Submit your resume and cover letter, highlighting your relevant experience, skills, and qualifications. Be sure to emphasize your experience in machine learning engineering, AI-enabled technologies, product strategy, GTM execution, and partner relationship management. Highlight your experience with Snowflake Cortex or similar AI platforms, as well as your understanding of the AI startup ecosystem and Foundation Models.

FAQ

1. What is Snowflake Cortex?

   Snowflake Cortex is Snowflake’s fully managed AI service that enables users to quickly build and deploy AI/ML solutions within the Snowflake Data Cloud.

2. What is the AI Startups GTM Strategy?

   The AI Startups GTM Strategy is Snowflake's plan to drive the adoption of Cortex among top-tier AI startups by prioritizing, onboarding, and deeply engaging with them.

3. What are Foundation Models (FMs)?

   Foundation Models are large AI models, such as those provided by OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, that can be fine-tuned for specific tasks.

4. What is Product-Led Growth (PLG)?

   Product-Led Growth is a growth strategy that relies on the product itself as the primary driver of customer acquisition, activation, and retention.

5. What is the Cortex Rest API?

   The Cortex Rest API is an interface that allows startups to access and utilize Cortex functionalities, even if they are not already Snowflake customers.

6. What is Arctic Inference?

   Arctic Inference refers to Snowflake's inference capability on open-source models, allowing for faster and more efficient inference.

7. What is the Snowflake Data Cloud?

   The Snowflake Data Cloud is a global network where thousands of organizations mobilize data with near-unlimited scale, concurrency, and performance.

8. What are MLOps and Data Lake Architectures?

   MLOps is a set of practices that aims to automate and streamline the machine learning lifecycle, while data lake architectures are centralized repositories for storing structured and unstructured data.

9. What type of AI Startups is Snowflake targeting?

   Snowflake is targeting leading AI-native startups, agentic platforms, inference clouds, and companies working with Foundation Models.

10. What skills are important for this role?

    Important skills include machine learning engineering, AI technologies, product strategy, GTM execution, partner relationship management, and executive-level influence.