Community Manager

About IFM

The Institute of Foundation Models (IFM) is a global AI research lab dedicated to open and independent development of frontier-class foundation models. Launched in May 2025 by MBZUAI, IFM operates from advanced lab facilities in Abu Dhabi, Silicon Valley and Paris. IFM’s model portfolio includes K2 series, the fully open-source fleet of LLMs; Jais, the most advanced Arabic LLM; and PAN, the next-gen World Model for embodied reasoning and real-world simulation.

Role Summary

The Community Manager builds and sustains IFM’s developer community in Silicon Valley, bringing together people interested in our large language models (LLMs) and World Models. The role turns interest in IFM into ongoing participation, collaboration and lasting relationships.

You will own local events, hackathons, online engagement and ecosystem partnerships. Working closely with Developer Relations (DevRel), researchers and Marketing, you will create opportunities for members to learn, build together and stay connected with IFM.

This role requires strong relationship skills and experience building active technical communities. A technical background is highly preferred.

Travel requirement: Up to 50%

Key Responsibilities

• Build ongoing relationships with developers, founders, researchers and students, connecting them with IFM and with each other across our model portfolio.
• Plan and deliver meetups, workshops and hackathons, owning audience development, format, logistics and follow-up, with technical content provided by DevRel and researchers.
• Manage engagement across relevant online channels, welcoming members, encouraging useful discussions and connecting questions with the right people.
• Develop partnerships with universities, developer groups, accelerators and local organizations to create sustained community programs.
• Make useful introductions, support member-led activities and showcase community projects to maintain engagement between events.
• Work with DevRel, researchers and Marketing to shape relevant programs, share community feedback and connect interested builders with deeper technical support.
• Track active participation, repeat engagement, partner activity and project follow-through, using feedback and results to improve community programs.

Qualifications

Academic qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, or equivalent practical experience.

Minimum requirements

• Experience building and sustaining developer or technical communities, with evidence of active participation, repeat engagement and lasting member relationships.
• Experience delivering events, workshops or hackathons from planning through execution and follow-up, with strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• A track record of developing productive partnerships with organizations such as universities, developer groups, accelerators or open-source communities.
• Experience managing online communities, including moderation, member onboarding, discussions and timely follow-up.
• A working understanding of AI and the developer ecosystem, sufficient to engage credibly with builders, understand their interests and recognize when technical expertise is needed.
• Clear written and verbal communication, sound interpersonal judgment and the ability to coordinate programs independently across technical and non-technical teams.

Preferred experience

• A technical background in computer science, engineering, AI or a related field is highly preferred, ideally with hands-on experience building software or working with AI models.
• Established relationships within the Silicon Valley developer, startup or university ecosystem.
• Experience with AI or open-source communities, including programs that help participants continue building beyond an initial event.
• Experience coordinating community programs across locations and working with international teams.

Visa Sponsorship

This position is eligible for visa sponsorship.

Compensation

$150,000 – $200,000/year + discretionary performance bonus + benefits

The posted salary range represents the company’s good faith estimate of the base compensation for this position upon hire. The actual base compensation offered may vary within this range depending on individual qualifications, including but not limited to relevant skills, experience, education, certifications, and specific business needs. In addition to base salary, total compensation includes an annual discretionary performance bonus and comprehensive benefits.

Benefits Include

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Bonus
• 401K Plan
• Generous paid time off, sick leave and holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Assistance Program
• Life insurance and disability