Strategic Program Manager, External AI Ecosystem Partnerships

General Information

Req # WD

Career area:
Project Management

Country/Region:
United States of America

State:
California

City:
San Jose

Date:
Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Working time:
Full-time

Additional Locations
:
United States of America - California - San Jose

We are Lenovo. We do what we say. We own what we do. We WOW our customers.

Lenovo is a US $69 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #196 in the Fortune Global 500, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver Smarter Technology for All, Lenovo has built on its success as the world s largest PC company with a full-stack portfolio of AI-enabled, AI-ready, and AI-optimized devices (PCs, workstations, smartphones, tablets), infrastructure (server, storage, edge, high performance computing and software defined infrastructure), software, solutions, and services.

Lenovo s continued investment in world-changing innovation is building a more equitable, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. Lenovo is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange under Lenovo Group Limited (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY).

This transformation together with Lenovo s world-changing innovation is building a more inclusive, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. To find out more visit , and read about the latest news via our Story Hub.

The Lenovo AI Technology Center (LATC) - Lenovo s global AI Center of Excellence - is driving our transformation into an AI-first organization. We are assembling a world-class team of researchers, engineers, and innovators to position Lenovo and its customers at the forefront of the generational shift toward AI. Lenovo is one of the world s leading computing companies, delivering products across the entire technology spectrum, spanning wearables, smartphones (Motorola), laptops (Think Pad, Yoga), PCs, workstations, servers, and services/solutions.

This unmatched breadth gives us a unique canvas for AI innovation, including the ability to rapidly deploy cutting-edge foundation models and to enable flexible, hybrid-cloud, and agentic computing across our full product portfolio. To this end, we are building the next wave of AI core technologies and platforms that leverage and evolve with the fast-moving AI ecosystem, including novel models and agentic orchestration & collaboration across mobile, edge, and cloud resources.

This space is evolving fast and so are we. If you re ready to shape AI at a truly global scale, with products that touch every corner of life and work, there s no better time to join us. #LATC

Job Summary

As the Program Manager for LATC s External AI-Ecosystem Partnerships, you will be the operational backbone of our global research collaboration strategy. You will initiate and manage a diverse portfolio of AI-heavy engagements involving top-tier universities, AI startups, and industry partners to ensure that external AI innovation translates into concrete value for our technology roadmaps.

The ideal candidate is a pragmatic, self-starting, disciplined project leader who can bridge the gap between academic research, industrial development, and commercial product requirements. You must be deeply versed in the current AI-landscape, including key players, emerging models, and industry trends, and drive the entire lifecycle of an engagement - from initial intake and technical evaluation to legal coordination and milestone-based delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Portfolio Management: Oversee the day-to-day operations of a global AI-focused research portfolio, ensuring that all projects maintain a rigorous cadence of technical reviews and progress tracking.
• AI landscape scouting:
  Stay current on the AI ecosystem to help identify high-potential startups and academic labs that align with our strategic goals.
• Engagement Lifecycle: Lead the intake process for new proposals, facilitating collaboration between internal research & engineering teams and external partners to define clear technical scope and deliverables.
• Operational Rigor: Maintain the internal governance framework, including standardized evaluation rubrics, project scoring, and a go/pivot/no-go decision gates.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Act as the primary liaison between R&D, Legal, Intellectual Property (IP) teams to streamline contracting and data governance.
• Outcome Tracking: Monitor the delivery of high-value artifacts - such as code, AI models, and technical prototypes - to ensure they meet integration-readiness standards.
• Talent & Visibility: Support programs that enhance the Lenovo brand within the AI research community, including managing fellowships, internships, and our presence at major conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML).

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor s degree required, Masters preferred.
• Experience: Minimum 8 years of industry experience.
• Program Leadership: Significant experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder R&D programs or innovation…