Senior Associate - Strategic Initiatives

Senior Associate - Strategic Initiatives

Applied AI is a pioneering AI technology company headquartered in Abu Dhabi, committed to innovation and excellence in artificial intelligence solutions across regulated industries such as healthcare, insurance, government, and financial services.

The "Senior Associate - Strategic Initiatives" is a high-impact, cross-functional role reporting to the Head of Strategic Initiatives. This individual will help design, operationalize, and scale Applied AI’s most important global partnerships and strategic accounts while project managing key enterprise-level initiatives.

This role is both internally and externally facing, requiring strong executive presence, structured problem-solving, and operational rigor. The Senior Associate will work across leadership, delivery, partnerships, and external stakeholders to maximize value creation from strategic relationships.

This is an ideal role for someone who thrives in ambiguity, operates with ownership, and enjoys bridging strategy and execution.

• Support the development and execution of Applied AI’s global partnership strategy.
• Drive partner engagement plans, value realization frameworks, and joint initiative roadmaps.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and timely execution of partner initiatives.
• Track partnership performance metrics and identify opportunities for expansion or optimization.
• Prepare executive-level materials for partner reviews and governance forums.

• Partner with senior stakeholders to manage high-priority strategic accounts.
• Identify value expansion opportunities within key accounts.
• Develop structured account plans aligned to Applied AI’s long-term objectives.
• Support negotiations, commercial discussions, and executive communications.
• Act as a connective layer between internal delivery teams and external strategic stakeholders.

• Lead and project manage mission-critical initiatives sponsored by senior leadership.
• Translate high-level strategic goals into actionable work streams and measurable outcomes.
• Establish governance frameworks, timelines, KPIs, and reporting cadences.
• Ensure cross-functional coordination and accountability across business units.
• Proactively identify risks and implement mitigation strategies.

• Identify levers to maximize partner value (revenue growth, co-innovation, market expansion, brand positioning).
• Develop scalable playbooks and frameworks to institutionalize best practices.
• Monitor market trends and competitive positioning to inform partnership strategy.
• Contribute to long-term ecosystem strategy development.

• 5 – 6+ years of experience in strategy consulting, corporate strategy, partnerships, business development, or high-growth environments.
• Strong project management capabilities with a track record of driving cross-functional initiatives.
• Experience working with enterprise or global partners preferred.
• Exceptional structured thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Strong executive communication and presentation abilities.
• Comfortable engaging with senior external stakeholders.
• Ability to operate independently while managing multiple work streams.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and outcomes-driven.
• Comfortable with an unstructured environment.

• Strategic partnerships show measurable value growth and stronger executive alignment.
• Strategic accounts demonstrate expansion, retention, and deeper engagement.
• Key initiatives are delivered on time, within scope, and with clear business impact.
• Internal stakeholders view you as a trusted partner and operator.
• Executive leadership has clear visibility into partnership and initiative performance.

• Work directly with senior leadership on high-impact, globally relevant initiatives.
• Operate at the center of strategy, partnerships, and execution.
• Gain exposure to AI-driven transformation across industries.
• Accelerated growth path within a strategic leadership track.