Posted 7 months ago

Project Manager

Abu DhabiOn-siteFull-time

AI Summary

A Project Manager translates high-level research and product priorities into clear plans and timelines, coordinating cross-functional teams and end-to-end model launches to ensure execution and follow-through.

About this role

The Institute of Foundation Models (IFM) is seeking a Project Manager to oversee product and lab priorities in Abu Dhabi and help drive execution across research, product, and community initiatives.

This role focuses on orchestrating work rather than owning a single function: turning priorities into clear plans, keeping teams aligned, and ensuring follow-through on the tasks that move our models and products forward. A core part of this is coordinating model launches end to end – ensuring that research, engineering, product, marketing, and communications are aligned and ready when a model goes live.

The ideal candidate is structured, proactive, and comfortable working in a flat organization where everyone takes ownership and is willing to roll up their sleeves.

Key Responsibilities

Product & Project Orchestration

Work with Research, Engineering and Product teams to translate high-level priorities into clear project plans, milestones, and timelines.

Maintain an up-to-date view of product roadmaps for the Abu Dhabi lab, highlighting dependencies, risks, and decision points.

Coordinate implementation for selected products or features, ensuring that requirements, designs, and technical work stay aligned.

Facilitate regular check-ins (standups, sprint reviews, planning sessions) to keep projects on track and unblock teams.

Ensure that key decisions, action items, and next steps are clearly captured and followed through.

Model Launch Coordination

Own the end-to-end coordination of model launches (e.g., K2, JAIS, PAN): from research-to-production handoff through public release and post-launch follow-up.

Work with Research and Engineering to track readiness milestones, resolve blockers, and ensure documentation and technical artifacts are in place before launch.

Coordinate launch timelines and dependencies across Product, Engineering, Legal, and Marketing to ensure all teams are aligned and nothing slips through the cracks.

Support operational readiness for launches, pilots, and external partnerships – ensuring the right assets, environments, and approvals are in place.

Run launch retrospectives to capture lessons learned and improve the process for future releases.

Marketing & Communications Liaison

Serve as the coordination point between technical teams and Marketing/Communications (MarComms) for model launches, announcements, and external messaging.

Ensure MarComms has timely access to technical details, key milestones, and positioning inputs needed to prepare launch materials, blog posts, and demos.

Coordinate lab contributions to external events, conferences, and partner briefings – helping position IFM’s work effectively to outside audiences.

Work with the Community team to ensure Abu Dhabi lab priorities are reflected in hackathons, workshops, open days, and partner programs.

Lab Operations & Cross-Team Coordination

Serve as a coordination point for the Abu Dhabi lab: aligning work across engineering, product, community, and operations.

Help prioritize lab initiatives and manage trade-offs when competing priorities arise.

Coordinate with other IFM sites (e.g., international labs) to synchronize timelines, share status, and reduce duplication.

Maintain lightweight but reliable processes and tools for tracking work, while keeping bureaucracy low.

Execution, Tracking & Reporting

Set up simple, transparent mechanisms to track progress on key initiatives.

Prepare concise status updates for leadership and stakeholders, highlighting progress, risks, and decisions needed.

Proactively identify blockers and drive them to resolution by pulling in the right people – not by escalating everything.

Help the team continuously improve how it works: refine processes, simplify where possible, and share best practices across projects.

Essential Experience

3–6 years of experience in project management, program management, product operations, or closely related roles in a technology, research, or product-building environment.

Proven track record of running cross-functional projects end to end: from clarifying goals and scope, to planning, to execution and follow-through.

Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple parallel workstreams, priorities, and stakeholders.

Comfortable working with technical teams (researchers, engineers, product) and understanding basic technical concepts well enough to manage timelines, dependencies, and risks.

Clear and concise communicator, able to summarize complex work into simple updates for different audiences (leadership, partners, internal teams).

Demonstrated ability to work in a flat, fast-moving environment – taking ownership, adapting to changing priorities, and doing what is needed to keep work moving.

Preferred Experience

Experience in AI/ML, deep-tech, or research lab environments where projects involve both exploration and delivery.

Experience coordinating product or model launches – including cross-functional readiness, external communications, and post-launch follow-up.

Familiarity with product development lifecycles (from discovery and prototyping to launch and iteration).

Exposure to foundation models, large-scale AI systems, or similar technologies (formal expertise not required, but curiosity and willingness to learn are important).

Comfort working across technical and non-technical audiences, including marketing, communications, and executive stakeholders.