Associate, AI & Data Infrastructure
Bessemer Venture Partners · Redwood City, United States +1 · 6mo ago
The Role
We're hiring an Associate to join our investing team, focusing on early-stage opportunities across data infrastructure, AI infrastructure, and developer tools. You will work directly with Lauri Moore and collaborate with the broader Bessemer investment team to find and back the technical founders building the foundational layers of the next era of software.
Seed investing is a ground game. The most compelling opportunities at the earliest stages don't come from inbound decks — they come from being deeply embedded in the communities where builders and researchers spend their time. We're looking for someone who is energized by that work: showing up to meetups and happy hours, staying close to technical friends across the ecosystem, and building the kind of authentic relationships that mean founders call you first.
This is a role for someone who thinks independently, acts with urgency, and brings a point of view. Seed requires an optimist — you need to see what a company could become, not just what it is today. But conviction without rigor is just enthusiasm. You also need to dig deep, ask hard questions, and build a thesis before we commit capital.
You don't need an investing background. We'll teach you that. What you do need is a strong technical foundation, curiosity, and the kind of social instincts that make people want to spend time with you.
Key Responsibilities
- Be in the mix. You genuinely care about what people are building in data and AI infrastructure, and you stay close to the communities where that work happens — meetups, Discord servers, university lab demos, the dinner after the meetup. You build real relationships with engineers, researchers, and founders because you find their work fascinating. When they're ready to start something, you're already someone they want to talk to about it.
- Source with conviction. You proactively find the companies and founders we should be paying attention to — through your network, your research, and your own technical intuition. The best sourcing doesn't come from scanning pitch databases; it comes from pattern-matching across conversations, following a technical thread to its logical conclusion, and having the confidence to bring something to the team that nobody else is seeing yet.
- Develop investment theses. You go deep on emerging technical domains — new compute paradigms, the evolution of the data stack, AI-native developer workflows, inference infrastructure, and beyond. You create and refine Roadmaps that guide where we focus and how we allocate time. Your research sharpens the team's conviction and helps us see around corners.
- Lead diligence. You drive end-to-end due diligence on prospective investments: technical architecture reviews, customer and user interviews, competitive mapping, financial analysis, and reference calls. You synthesize your findings into clear investment recommendations and are expected to form and defend your own view.
- Support the portfolio. You help portfolio companies with what matters most in the early days: hiring key engineers, making strategic introductions, thinking through technical architecture decisions, and preparing for follow-on fundraises. You attend board meetings and are a resource founders want to call.
- Be a great teammate. You collaborate across teams — sharing context from your infrastructure work that helps an investor focused on a vertical see a new opportunity, jumping in to help a colleague with a key introduction, or connecting dots between portfolio companies. You are generous with your time and ideas, and you make the people around you better.
What You’ll Bring
- A technical backbone. Whether through a CS degree, a PhD in ML, years as a software engineer, time as a data scientist, or experience as a technical founder — you bring real fluency in how software systems are built. You can evaluate a technical architecture, understand trade-offs in system design, and hold your own in conversation with the best engineers in the world. This is a must.
- Natural social instincts. You don't network transactionally — you build real friendships across the ecosystem. You're the kind of person who goes to the happy hour, who texts a founder to check in on launch day, who remembers what someone's working on and connects them with the right person. Community building isn't a task for you — it's how you operate. This is also a must.
- Independent thinking. You form your own opinions, even when they're contrarian. You don't wait for permission to pursue an idea. When you see something interesting, you run it down. You're comfortable being wrong and you learn fast.
- Optimism with depth. You get excited by what's possible at the frontier of technology. But you pair that excitement with intellectual honesty — you dig into the details, pressure-test assumptions, and aren't afraid to surface uncomfortable truths during a diligence process. You want to be right, not just first.
- AI fluency. You are constantly using, experimenting with, and forming opinions on the latest AI products, models, and tools. You follow the research, you know the builders, and you have a point of view on where things are headed.
- Experience: 2–5+ years of professional experience in a technical role — as a software engineer, ML/AI researcher, data scientist, technical product manager, or founder. Zero investing experience is completely fine — some of the best investors started as engineers and founders, not finance people. What matters is that you're eager to learn the craft, and we're committed to teaching you. We care far more about your technical depth and your ability to build relationships than your familiarity with term sheets.
- Location: Based in the San Francisco Bay Area. You need to be wherever you need to be - that might be in the office, it might be at a coffee shop or taking a hike with a prospective founder, but it’s unlikely to be sitting at home on your couch.
Why Bessemer?
Compensation & Performance Bonuses:
- Annual Salary: The base salary for this position is $175,000–$175,000 per year, determined based on your experience and qualifications.
- Annual Performance Bonuses: Eligible employees receive annual performance bonuses based on both individual and company performance.
- Shadow Carry: Opportunity to participate in the firm’s carry structure and share in the long-term success of our investments.
Equity & Investment Opportunities:
- Co-investment Opportunity: Opportunities to co-invest in deals alongside the firm.
- Retirement Plan: Access to a competitive retirement savings plan, including a 401(k) plan.
Health & Wellness Benefits:
- Generous Healthcare Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
- Life Insurance & Disability Insurance Policies: Coverage to provide peace of mind for you and your family.
- Health & Wellness Programs: A variety of programs to support your physical and mental well-being including a family planning allowance via Carrot.
Work-Life Balance & Paid Time Off:
- Unlimited PTO & Company Holidays: Unlimited paid time off with manager approval plus company holidays to ensure a healthy work-life balance.
- Parental Leave Support from Cocoon: Access to resources and assistance during your parental leave.
- Work from Home Allowance: Financial support for creating a productive home office environment.
- In-Office Perks: Provided lunches, snacks, and beverage options. Business casual attire.
Professional Development & Mentorship:
- Learning & Development Stipend: An annual stipend to invest in courses, conferences, and other professional development opportunities.
- 1:1 Mentorship: Personalized mentorship from a member of the investment team to guide your career growth.
- Continuous Training Sessions: Regular opportunities for training and learning and development led by experts to enhance your skills.
How to Apply
Interested in joining our team? Please complete the application below. We look forward to reviewing your application and learning more about how you can contribute to Bessemer.
Our Commitment to our ValuesBessemer Venture Partners is an equal opportunity employer and makes all employment decisions based on individual qualifications, business needs, applicable law, and our company values. We are dedicated to maintaining a workplace rooted in curiosity, empowerment, collaboration, intellectual honesty, and ongoing learning and mentorship. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and strive to create an environment where every team member is valued and supported to do their best work.
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Bessemer Venture Partners will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records for employment in accordance with the California Fair Chance Act, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and other applicable law. A background check will only be conducted after a conditional offer of employment has been made.
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