The Sr. Technical Business Development Manager, Cloud Innovation Centers position is the newest role in a high-performing “two-pizza team” that has ambitious plans to drive scalable impact throughout 2026 and beyond.
The person filling this role will support the Arizona State University Artificial Intelligence Cloud Innovation Center (ASU AI CIC), located at ASU’s SkySong Innovation Campus. They will be responsible for building and maintaining a robust pipeline of technical prototyping engagements for ASU AI CIC student workers. In addition, they will be responsible for organizing a series of executive-focused innovation events that bring multiple higher education, research, and/or other public sector experts together for bespoke, peer-to-peer learning experiences. These events increase executive understanding of the cloud and uncover the top priorities for participants seeking to leverage AWS to advance their missions.
The person filling this position may also play a key role in the program’s broader growth strategy by supporting the growing network of Cloud Innovation Centers and Labs, taking on additional duties in these areas as assigned. This work is part of a flywheel that will enable more student developers to build more solutions that are adopted at scale by public sector organizations.
This is a highly entrepreneurial role that requires the ability to navigate significant ambiguity, manage sensitive customer and executive relationships, support students as they acquire new skills and prepare to enter the workforce, engage with and activate AWS Partners, ensure compelling content and high-quality documentation of completed projects, and ensure our university partnerships will deliver significant returns for all – the students, the universities, the public sector, and AWS.
This role is part of the AWS Global Education organization and supports customers across the US and, in some cases, abroad. Candidates should be able to travel 10-25%.
Key job responsibilities
- Identify, support, and ensure completion of an active and constantly-evolving pipeline of scalable technical prototyping engagements.
- Take full ownership of the Executive Innovation Visit program, driving continuous improvement of the impact and efficacy of this engagement model in supporting higher education executives (and potentially other public sector leadership) in accelerating their cloud and AI journey.
- Manage complex stakeholder relationships, including with ASU, across AWS, with public sector customers, and with student workers to ensure alignment, understanding, and proper utilization of this program.
- Track, monitor, and report on program outcomes against established goal targets.
- Additional duties as assigned, including the potential to support the growing network of AWS-powered Cloud Innovation Centers and Labs.
A day in the life Your day might start by leading a meeting with a local government agency, where you help their staff develop crystal-clear requirements for an agentic AI prototype to improve the efficiency of a time-intensive agency process. Next, you refine the agenda for next month's two-day visit from a cohort group of 20 university executives, who you will be hosting next month to help them learn more about cloud technology and artificial intelligence. Later, you draft an AWS blog post that describes three solutions the team built last quarter, each of which has been open-sourced and has potential for widespread adoption across the public sector. Finally, you prepare a 20-minute presentation for delivery to a public audience at an upcoming AWS event.
About the team The AWS Cloud Innovation Centers (CIC) program manages strategic innovation partnerships between AWS and higher education institutions, including at Arizona State University, California Polytechnic State University, and the University of Pittsburgh. We leverage the power of student interns to build technical prototypes and proofs of concept that help public sector organizations adopt new technology solutions, then open-source, publish, and share the results to ensure other customers can also benefit from our work. We also organize peer-to-peer learning events that accelerate higher education and research customers along their cloud adoption journey.
Diverse Experiences AWS values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the preferred qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting, hasn’t followed a traditional path, or includes alternative experiences, don’t let it stop you from applying.
Why AWS? Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. We pioneered cloud computing and never stopped innovating — that’s why customers from the most successful startups to Global 500 companies trust our robust suite of products and services to power their businesses.
Inclusive Team Culture AWS values curiosity and connection. Our employee-led and company-sponsored affinity groups promote inclusion and empower our people to take pride in what makes us unique. Our inclusion events foster stronger, more collaborative teams. Our continual innovation is fueled by the bold ideas, fresh perspectives, and passionate voices our teams bring to everything we do.
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Basic Qualifications
- 6+ years of professional or military experience
- 3+ years of Go-To-Market, Business Development, Sales, or Consulting experience
- 3+ years of working with Data & AI related technologies, including, but not limited to, AI/ML (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning), GenAI (Generative AI), Analytics, Database, and/or Storage experience
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience interpreting data and making business recommendations across leadership and cross-functional teams
- Experience presenting to both technical and non-technical executive audiences
- Experience managing programs across cross functional teams, building processes and coordinating release schedules
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, AZ, TEMPE - 147,900.00 - 200,100.00 USD annually