PolyAI automates customer service through lifelike voice assistants that let customers lead a conversation. Our voice assistants make it possible for businesses to deliver outstanding customer service that rivals their human agents. Our customers, which include the world’s leading logos, are expanding how they use our platform, driving automation of critical customer service operations and integrating PolyAI into their daily customer service workflows.
PolyAI is seeking a Senior Manager of Private Equity and Venture Capital Partnerships to build and lead our strategic partnerships with Private Equity firms, Venture Capital firms, Growth Equity investors, and accelerators. This is a greenfield role — you will be responsible for creating PolyAI’s PE/VC partner program from the ground up, developing the strategy, recruiting partners, and driving measurable revenue through portfolio company adoption of PolyAI’s voice AI platform.
The ideal candidate has direct experience working within the PE/VC ecosystem — either at a fund or by managing partnerships with investment firms in a SaaS or technology vendor context. You understand how value creation teams operate, how portfolio companies make technology decisions, and how to position a platform like PolyAI as a strategic lever across a portfolio. This role carries a quota and reports to the VP of Alliances.
What You’ll Do- Build PolyAI’s PE and VC partnership program from scratch — defining the partner strategy, target firm profile, engagement model, incentive structures, and go-to-market approach
- Identify, prospect, and recruit high-potential PE, VC, Growth Equity, and accelerator partners, building long-term relationships with GTM leaders, value creation teams, and operating partners
- Drive portfolio company pipeline and revenue by positioning PolyAI as a preferred technology partner across partner portfolios, converting partner relationships into qualified opportunities and closed business
- Develop and execute joint go-to-market initiatives with partners — including co-branded campaigns, partner events, webinars, and conference activations targeting the investment community
- Serve as the primary point of contact between PolyAI and PE/VC stakeholders, aligning partnership objectives with PolyAI’s strategic goals and ensuring partners see clear, measurable value from the relationship
- Manage and grow existing partner relationships, maintaining regular engagement cadences and ensuring continued expansion across portfolio accounts
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success to ensure partner-sourced opportunities are supported through the full customer lifecycle
- Track and report on partnership performance metrics — including partner-sourced pipeline, revenue, portfolio company adoption, and partner engagement — with full accountability to quota
- Represent PolyAI at industry events, conferences, and networking functions relevant to the PE and VC communities
- 6–8+ years of experience in partnership management, business development, or investment relations — with direct exposure to the Private Equity and/or Venture Capital ecosystem
- Proven experience working within a PE or VC firm, or managing partnerships and business development with PE/VC firms in a technology or SaaS company
- Track record of building and executing partnership strategies that drive measurable pipeline and revenue outcomes
- Strong understanding of investment models, portfolio structures, value creation frameworks, and how technology drives operational improvement in PE/VC-backed companies
- Exceptional communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills at the executive level — comfortable engaging with Managing Directors, Operating Partners, and C-suite portfolio company leaders
- Highly organized, strategic, and capable of managing multiple complex initiatives simultaneously in a fast-paced, high-growth environment
- Self-directed and entrepreneurial — you thrive when building something new and don’t need a playbook to get started
- Experience in the SaaS, Revenue Operations, contact center, or B2B software industries
- Established network within the Private Equity and Venture Capital ecosystem — particularly among firms with portfolio companies in healthcare, hospitality, or financial services
- Familiarity with CRM and revenue technologies (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, CCaaS platforms, CPQ, or CLM solutions)
- Experience building a partner program from scratch at a high-growth startup
- Background in or knowledge of conversational AI, voice technology, or customer experience automation
We provide a competitive salary range for this role - which is $190,000-$230,000 OTE - depending on level and experience. Please note this range is intended as a guide, not a guarantee. Final compensation will be based on individual qualifications, relevant experience, and the scope of the role.
In addition to salary, this position includes equity in the business, giving you the opportunity to share in the company’s long-term success.
Benefits💰 Participation in the company’s employee share options plan
🏥 100% of Single Cost (employee) and 70% of Dependent for medical, dental & vision
👪 Life Insurance
◻️ STD and LTD
💰 The opportunity to contribute to the company's 401k plan
🏝 Flexible PTO policy + 11 designated company holidays
📚 Annual learning and development allowance
🏡 We’re all about making WFH work for you - that’s why we offer a one-off WFH allowance when you join. Offering perks like noise-cancelling headphones or a comfortable desk chair to boost your comfort and focus!
🧡 Enhanced parental leave
👨👩👧 Company-funded fertility and family-forming programmes
🌸 Menopause care programme with Maven
At PolyAI, we take great pride in our values - they guide everything we do. We believe that a strong culture leads to meaningful work and lasting impact.
Our core values are:
Only the best
We expect the best from our people, we hire people that expect the best from themselves, and we nurture this drive for excellence.
Ownership
We care deeply about what we do. We take ownership of our initiatives, decisions and outcomes.
Relentlessly improve
We demand more from ourselves and are always evolving. Continuous, obsessive improvement is the only way we will transform the world of conversational AI.
Bias for action
Our world moves quickly and so do we. We take calculated risks and we deliver impact fast.
Disagree and commit
We are all working toward the same goal. If we donʼt agree with something, we work hard to understand it and when a decision is made, we accept it and give it our all.
Build for people
We want the world to enjoy the experiences they have with us. We are building for a future that prefers automation.
PolyAI is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment decisions at PolyAI will be based on the business needs without attention to ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, national origin, neurodiversity status or disability status.
Kindly find the Privacy Notice for our recruitment process by following the link here. This document provides important information regarding how we handle your personal data throughout the recruitment journey.
Top Skills
Similar Jobs
What you need to know about the Chicago Tech Scene
Key Facts About Chicago Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 245,800; 5.2% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: McDonald’s, John Deere, Boeing, Morningstar
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, fintech, software, logistics technology
- Funding Landscape: $2.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Arch Venture Partners, MATH Venture Partners, Jump Capital, Hyde Park Venture Partners
- Research Centers and Universities: Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Institute of Technology, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
