AI Strategist
Software Engineering, Data Science
San Francisco, CA, USA
Why Crucibl
Management consulting is a $400B industry built on selling intelligence-for-hire. The model is breaking - not slowly, but now. The biggest frontier in enterprise AI isn't better models. It's judgment at scale: taking the messy, ambiguous decisions that run 85% of the global economy and making them faster, crisper, and more defensible.
Crucibl is building that. We're profitable, growing fast, and delivering for Fortune 500 clients. We raised a $10M seed from Tier 1 VCs - then kept growing on revenue. The client pipeline is full. We're scaling to meet it.
The window to join at this stage is short.
The Role
You've delivered high-stakes strategy projects at a top firm. Now imagine doing it with AI as your co-pilot instead of a team of analysts grinding through spreadsheets at 2 AM, and then turning what you learn in the field directly into the next version of the platform.
As an AI Strategist, you own engagements end-to-end - from scoping the problem with a senior client to partnering with engineering on what to build next. You're not building decks for a partner to present. You're in the room, making the call, then building toward something bigger, a product the client keeps. Not a one-time deliverable, but a decision-making tool that stays embedded in their business long after the engagement ends.
The gap between what a client asks for and what they actually need - that's your domain. You close it.
What You'll Do
Client Delivery
Own engagements end-to-end - scope the problem, structure the analysis, deliver the recommendation
Discern what clients need from what they ask for - then architect the right MVP, Phase I, Phase II
Build senior stakeholder relationships that expand our footprint; grow accounts, not just serve them
Judgment & Problem Structuring
Take ambiguous, messy business questions and break them into frameworks our AI agents can execute against
Make calls with incomplete information - you don't wait for perfect data to move
Know when the deliverable isn't landing and course-correct before the client tells you
Product Partnership
Be the voice of the client inside the company, and a credible one. Engineering needs to trust your read on what matters and why.
Know when to push for the right solution and when to accept the trade-off - velocity, complexity, and client need are always in tension
Translate what you're seeing in the field into product thinking: not just "the client wanted this" but "here's the pattern, here's what it means, here's what we should build"
The relationship with engineering is a partnership, not a handoff - you'll disagree, debate, and build something neither of you could have alone
Scale & Team Building
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The delivery team is small and the playbook is yours to write. How we scope, how we deliver, how we know it worked - that becomes the standard we hire against.
Define what exceptional delivery looks like at Crucibl
Set the bar for the next wave of hires
Build something that outlasts any single project and scales beyond you
Who You Are
Must-Haves
2+ years at MBB or equivalent top-tier firm - you've owned work streams and presented to senior clients, not just supported them
Sharp judgment - you read situations accurately, update fast, and know the difference between a scope problem and a relationship problem
Exceptional communication - responsive, crisp, client-ready; senior stakeholders trust you immediately
Deeply curious about AI - you don't need to be an engineer, but you reach for new tools unprompted and use them fluently
Strong Signal
PE deal team or operator experience - you know what it means to be on the hook for the outcome, not just the analysis
Has led an AI-powered initiative - fast to ramp, not just familiar
Entrepreneurial streak - you've built something, started something, or operated somewhere with nowhere to hide
We're Not Looking For
Pure MBB without operational exposure - strategy without touching grass isn't enough
Traditional PMs - this role owns client outcomes, not backlogs
Who You'll Work With
Our founders bring deep technology experience (Google-scale systems serving hundreds of millions of users) and domain expertise in high-stakes business decisions from top consulting and private equity firms. You'll be the connective tissue between these worlds, and between the company we are today and the company we're becoming.
Benefits & Perks
Zero to Outcome: Seed stage means you shape the product, the culture, and the trajectory - not inherit them. The window to join at this stage is short.
See Your Work Matter: No abstractions, no layers - you'll see exactly what you built and what it changed.
The People Around You: A small, elite team that will raise your game. We hire for exceptional, not just experienced.
Meaningful Equity: You're building this - you should own a piece of it. Every offer includes a comprehensive salary and equity package.
Hybrid Schedule: 3 days in-office with real flexibility around the rest. We care about output, not optics.
Full Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision.
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Daily Lunch & Snacks: Fueled and focused, on us.
Work Authorization
Crucibl welcomes applications from candidates requiring visa sponsorship. Sponsorship eligibility is determined during the offer process.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Crucibl is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.