Acquisition & Ecosystem Strategy Manager

Schedule: 4-day week, 32 hours a week

By Lumikha Teams — Jun 18, 2026

You'll mix market research, basic data work, and AI tools to build a system for finding startups that works consistently, instead of starting from zero with every new program.

Every innovation program (we call them "challenges") needs a solid group of qualified startups to apply. Your job is to figure out where to find them, how to reach them, and how to make sure enough good ones actually sign up — every single time, not just when things happen to go well.

You'll mix market research, basic data work, and AI tools to build a system for finding startups that works consistently, instead of starting from zero with every new program.

• Based on each program's goals, decide what kind of startups we should be looking for — industry, size, location, technology
• Figure out the best places to find them: investor networks, startup accelerator programs, online communities, databases, events, newsletters
• Turn a goal like "20 qualified applicants" into a clear plan — how many people we need to reach, at each stage, to hit that number

• Stay current on new industries, trends, and startups worth watching
• Build a map (literally and mentally) of where relevant startups and startup communities are, locally and globally
• Adjust how we search as the startup landscape shifts

• Build outreach plans across multiple channels — direct messaging, partner networks, online communities, paid ads, events
• Decide which channels are worth prioritizing and estimate how many people from each will actually apply
• Set clear, measurable targets and track how each channel is performing, together with the operations team
• Keep adjusting the plan based on what the results actually show

• Build AI tools into how we search for and evaluate startups
• Use software that automatically gathers and organizes startup information, so there's less manual digging
• Work with the Growth Ops team to build search processes that use automation well
• Spot the moments where a tool can do the job faster than a person can, and make the case for it

• Team up with the Ecosystem Operations Specialists, who handle the day-to-day legwork
• Coordinate with the Engagement team to make sure the startups we bring in are actually a good fit
• Partner with Growth Ops on how we track and organize everything

• 2–4 years of experience in growth, startup programs, venture-related work, consulting, or accelerator programs
• A real understanding of how the startup and founder community works
• Experience building strategies to attract people, customers, or partners (acquisition or growth experience)
• Comfortable working with numbers — setting targets, building plans, and predicting outcomes
• Strong research skills and the patience to dig into industries you're not already an expert in
• Equally happy thinking strategically and rolling up your sleeves to do the actual work
• Hands-on experience with AI tools, basic data scraping, or automation to find and organize information

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