Public Sector Partnerships Lead - Middle East

About ElevenLabs ElevenLabs is an AI research and product company transforming how we interact with technology. We launched in January 2023 with the first human-like AI voice model. Today, we serve millions of users and thousands of businesses - from fast-growing startups to large enterprises like Deutsche Telekom and Meta. Our investors are some of the world's most prominent, including Andreessen Horowitz, ICONIQ Growth and Sequoia. We've raised $781M in funding and our last valuation was $11B - multiples of 11, always. We have expanded from voice into three main platforms: ElevenAgents enables businesses to deliver seamless and intelligent customer experiences, with the integrations, testing, monitoring, and reliability necessary to deploy voice and chat agents at scale. ElevenCreative empowers creators and marketers to generate and edit speech, music, image, and video across 70+ languages. ElevenAPI gives developers access to our leading AI audio foundational models. Everything we do is the result of the creativity and commitment of our team - builders doing the best work of their lives. We are researchers, engineers, and operators. IOI medalists and ex-founders. If you want to work hard and create lasting positive impact, we want to hear from you. How we work High-velocity: Rapid experimentation, lean autonomous teams, and minimal bureaucracy. Impact not job titles: We don’t have job titles. Instead, it’s about the impact you have. No task is above or beneath you. AI first: We use AI to move faster with higher-quality results. We do this across the whole company—from engineering to growth to operations. Excellence everywhere: Everything we do should match the quality of our AI models. Global team: We prioritize your talent, not your location. What we offer Innovative culture: You’ll be part of a generational opportunity to define the trajectory of AI, surrounded by a team pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Growth paths: Joining ElevenLabs means joining a dynamic team with countless opportunities to drive impact - beyond your immediate role and responsibilities. Learning & development : ElevenLabs proactively supports professional development through an annual discretionary stipend. Social travel : We also provide an annual discretionary stipend to meet up with colleagues each year, however you choose. Annual company offsite: Each year, we bring the entire team together in a new location - past offsites have included Croatia and Italy. Co-working : If you’re not located near one of our main hubs, we offer a monthly co-working stipend. About the role We are seeking an experienced and dynamic leader to build ElevenLabs' public sector business across the Middle East. The Public Sector Partnerships Lead will identify and build relationships with government institutions across the region, bridging the gap between government and our GTM team to drive adoption of ElevenLabs' products and grow government into a strong, durable revenue stream for the company. The role also involves building strategic partnerships with policymakers, industry associations, and coalitions, as well as monitoring regulatory developments and supporting policy campaigns and impact initiatives. In this role, you will: Drive government adoption and revenue (primary) Identify government partnership opportunities across the Middle East — from healthcare and education to smart city initiatives, sovereign wealth funds, and other state-owned enterprises — and bridge the gap between government institutions and the GTM team to drive adoption and deployment of ElevenLabs' products. Build and maintain a wide network of relationships across government institutions in the region — spanning ministries, regulatory authorities, sovereign funds, and SOEs across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and beyond — not limited to regulatory or policy counterparts. Promote government adoption of ElevenLabs products and services in partnership with the GTM team. Build strategic partnerships (secondary) Build and maintain strong relationships with policymakers, regulators, industry associations, and civil society groups. Represent ElevenLabs at conferences and industry events, advancing the company's public policy goals. Monitor and advise on policy (tertiary) Lead ElevenLabs engagement with government bodies and officials across the Middle East, with a focus on AI governance, safety, copyright, privacy, transparency, data protection, competition, and/or digital rights. Monitor, analyze, and advise on emerging regulations impacting the company. Support the development of internal policies by our Legal, Safety, Security, and other teams. Provide strategic counsel to company leadership on regional policy trends and their business implications. Define and implement policy campaigns and impact initiatives that advance company objectives. Who you are: You're genuinely interested in the future of AI and emerging technologies, bringing curiosity and enthusiasm to your role. You stay up-to-date on AI regulation and industry trends, and are eager to apply this expertise to cutting-edge products. You thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic startup environment, working cross-functionally with teams across the organization to support and scale a growing business. You're comfortable working independently and handling ambiguity, excelling in situations where you must make informed decisions quickly. You bring a proactive, solution-oriented approach to each project, focused on moving the business forward. What you bring: Primary requirements 10–15 years' experience in public and private sector (in-house, firm) roles, with a track record of building relationships with government that led to commercial or technology-adoption outcomes — not solely policy or regulatory roles. A wide, current network of contacts across government institutions in the Middle East — spanning ministries, regulatory authorities, sovereign wealth funds, and SOEs, with particular depth in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Relationships at the level of government decision-makers and technology buyers are essential; prior government experience is a plus but not required if network breadth and seniority are strong. Experience identifying and opening doors for technology partnerships with government institutions is strongly preferred. Contacts or experience across other GCC markets (Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman) is a plus. Also required Strong knowledge of the regional AI policy landscape, including general AI governance, safety, copyright, privacy, transparency, data protection, competition, and digital rights. Demonstrated success in designing, advocating for, and influencing policy outcomes, as well as coalition building. Public policy experience across the UAE and broader Middle East. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including when briefing government officials and other policymakers. Fluency in English and Arabic. Location This role is located in Dubai. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability or other legally protected statuses.