AI Manager / Senior Project Lead (m/f/x)

About us:
The appliedAI Initiative elevates Europe’s industry to become shapers in the age of AI, creating a future that we desire to live in. Through our ecosystem of strong partners, comprehensive programs, services and solutions we advance companies holistically on their AI journey. With our uniquely diverse, interdisciplinary, and driven team, we build on deep technical expertise while specializing on applicability of the solutions. We share a mindset of collaboration and openness with our ecosystem of leading companies and tech players. Our common goal is to strengthen the European landscape, jointly creating unique knowledge for applying trustworthy AI.

Your mission:
We are looking for an AI Manager (m/f/x) who operates reliably across multiple concurrent engagements - or at the scale of a single large, complex program - with our partner companies, from DAX corporations to leading “Mittelstand” companies. You are a trusted strategic advisor at C-suite level who maintains client leadership relationships beyond any single project, drives follow-on work, and is recognised as a named advisor for a topic or agenda. Internally, you shape our offerings, develop a signature area within appliedAI, and build the systems, methodologies, and governance that enable our delivery to scale. You work closely with our (Technical) AI Strategists, AI Engineers, and adjacent teams such as Enablement & Change and Trustworthy AI, while co-owning the further development of unique assets in the Strategy & Transformation space. 

Your tasks will include 

• Steer a portfolio of engagements. Manage multiple concurrent projects or large-scale complex programs for our partner companies; build the structures, processes, and governance that enable scalable, high-quality delivery across parallel workstreams.
• Be a trusted strategic advisor to client leadership. Maintain enduring C-suite relationships that transcend individual initiatives; orchestrate complex multi-stakeholder engagements; bring executive presence and structured narratives to influence direction across the client’s leadership ecosystem.
• Drive follow-on business and grow accounts. Formalise pipeline coming out of delivery, shape the next-phase narrative, align stakeholders, and co-lead proposals and negotiations (scope choices, commercials, staffing strategy) - while actively improving account economics through scope control, change requests, and utilisation discipline.
• Shape appliedAI’s offerings and signature area. Design and improve methodologies for systematic problem-solving across multiple domains; develop a recognised signature area within appliedAI; link insights to create thought leadership and new client opportunities (e.g., talk, article, case, reusable playbook).
• Lead cross-team and internal initiatives. Represent appliedAI in cross-team initiatives, influence delivery standards and ways of working, and lead internal initiatives that build organisational capacity for cross-functional excellence.
• Develop people and grow the next generation of leaders. Invest time to teach and coach others; model an apprenticeship culture; manage teams through complex situations; create deliberate learning opportunities for junior colleagues and develop AI Project Leads / Senior AI Consultants into their next level.
• Deliver measurable business impact. Drive significant, quantifiable business improvements across multiple teams or departments at our clients; own outcomes that shift performance metrics at department level, including leveraging advancements like AI agents to unlock new value.
• Stay at the frontier of AI. Stay up to date with strategic AI questions,state-of-the-art research, and emerging AI capabilities - translating them into concrete value for our clients and our internal offerings.

Your profile:
• An outstanding academic record in a business- or tech-related subject.
• Substantial experience (>10years) as a Strategy or Management Consultant, Project Lead, or comparable with a track record of owning large, complex projects or running multiple concurrent AI engagements end-to-end.
• Hands-on experience applying AI within companies, combined with the ability to design methodologies, set quality standards, and build governance that enable delivery to scale.
• Strong business development mindset and trusted-advisor presence at C-suite - comfortable co-leading proposals, negotiations, and account growth, and building enduring client leadership relationships.
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills - you translate complex AI topics into business impact for any audience (C-Level, Domain Experts, Operational Teams) and stay composed in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
• A people leader and coach who actively develops others, leads internal initiatives, and ideally contributes to thought leadership (e.g., talks, articles, cases, reusable playbooks).
• Fluency in English and German is required.

What we offer:
• A highly qualified and motivated team of ~90 people is on a journey to change the rapidly evolving European AI Landscape
• Experience the best of both worlds with our hybrid work model: You can choose to work from our vibrant offices - either at the IPAI in Heilbronn or the House of Communication in Munich - while also enjoying the flexibility to work remotely a few days each week
• Opportunity to shape a variety of projects and the development of new, original content based on the latest developments in AI and its adoption in businesses
• An atmosphere that encourages to think and experiment in new ways with software, hardware, and processes
• A highly visible initiative that helps you build a large and high-level network of start-ups, partners, and tech companies
• No fixed budget for growth – you decide how you want to develop, whether through training, certifications, conferences, or new challenges
• Sports membership with Wellpass to access thousands of sports facilities all over Germany (and beyond), as well as online courses
• JobRad: Lease a bike for a cheaper rate via JobRad and we cover the bike insurance on top 
• Sabbatical option: You can take a sabbatical of up to 3 months after min. 3 years of employment - because sometimes 30 vacation days are not enough to explore the beauty of this world
• PME Familienservice: A 24/7 support for a successful work & life in any life situation. Benefit from free support in areas like life coaching, child care and many other options
• Mobility budget: Every month we contribute to your individual mobility usage with public transport or shared mobility offers within the app Moovster
• Workation: Work from anywhere in the EU/EWR area for up to 3 months per year - combining working at a nice place and spending your leisure time in the evening like vacation

Contact:
Lucas Fernandes - Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistappliedAI Initiative GmbH, August-Everding-Str. 25, 81671 München