Business Developer, AI & Technology Partnerships

Business Developer, AI & Technology Partnerships

Austin, Texas

Mission Control - Growth and New Ventures /

Full-time /

On-site

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Who is Sonar?

Sonar is driving the future of agent-centric software development. As the leader in AI code review and verification, we solve a critical problem: ensuring that software generated by AI-assisted developers or autonomous agents is reliable, secure, and maintainable.

Integrating seamlessly with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini, and Devin, we help over 75% of the Fortune 100 build trusted, reliable, compliant software. Customers who use Sonar are 44% less likely to report an outage due to AI-generated code.

We believe code verification is the critical missing link in the Agent-Centric Development Cycle (AC/DC). Industry giants like Nvidia, ServiceNow, Booking.com, Goldman Sachs, AstraZeneca, and Ford Motor Company count on us to provide independent, explainable, consistent review and governance of their AI-generated code via products like:

• SonarQube: The world's leading AI code review and verification platform.

• SonarQube Foundation Agent: Currently topping the leaderboards for agentic software repair.

• SonarSweep & Sonar Context Augmentation: Providing the enterprise-grade context and constraints agents need to be truly effective.

Our team operates across global hubs in Austin, Bochum, Dubai, Geneva, London, Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington D.C. We move with a mindset we call CODE:

• Committed to our customers and community.

• Obsessed with quality.

• Deliberate in our decisions.

• Effective as one team.

With over $400M in revenue and profitable, fast-paced growth, we are building the backbone of the AI software revolution. If you're hungry to have an impact, want to build at a fast pace, and ready to work at the forefront of AI, we want to hear from you.

Position description:

We are seeking a highly strategic and experienced Business Development professional to join Sonar as the Principal, Distribution Tech Partnerships. Reporting directly to the VP of AI and Tech Partnerships, you will spearhead Sonar's efforts in this critical domain, building deep, impactful relationships and forging partnerships with technology partners who are positioned to resell or OEM Sonar's products. Initial target partners include IBM, Cisco, Dell, ServiceNow, Palo Alto Networks, Salesforce.com, SAP, and Oracle.

Your primary goal will be to establish integration and GTM partnerships that combine Sonar's code quality and code security products with a partner's related products in order to create innovative solutions that can be marketed to developer and/or engineering management teams within the partner's established and targeted customer bases. This involves defining partnership structures, negotiating licensing and collaboration agreements, and developing joint go-to-market plans.

What you will do:

• Strategy Development & Execution: Drive the execution of Sonar's partnership strategy specifically with the identified distribution technology partners, aligning closely with overall company growth objectives.
• Opportunity Identification & Analysis: Identify, evaluate, and prioritize strategic partnership opportunities. Conduct market analyses of the distribution technology partner landscape, and track their efforts to include home grown or partner-based code quality and security solutions within their first party solutions.
• Relationship Building & Management: Build, nurture, and manage strong, long-term relationships with key technical, product, and business leaders at the target companies. Conduct quarterly reviews in conjunction with Sonar's Sales and Channel Partner organizations.
• Deal Negotiation & Execution: Lead the end-to-end partnership lifecycle with selected technology resell or OEM partners. Define engagement models, draft term sheets, negotiate complex distribution agreements, align key internal stakeholders, and drive integration and GTM deals to closure.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with internal Sonar teams (Product Management, Engineering, Research, Legal, Marketing, Sales, Finance) to align on deal terms and construct plans for integration development, sales team enablement, sales team alignment, and transaction execution.

Experience and qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in business development, strategic alliances, technology partnerships, or related fields, preferably within the cybersecurity or code security markets.
• Proven track record of successfully defining, negotiating, closing, and managing high-impact, technology-centric partnerships, particularly those with OEM and/or resell GTM motions.
• Particular experience leading complex deal negotiations, including interpreting legal documents and working collaboratively with legal counsel on terms related to co-marketing, co-sell, resale, and OEM business models.
• Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with partners at a technical level, particularly with a strong foundational knowledge of the human and agentic code development ecosystem.
• Proven experience leading (or significantly contributing to) cross-functional teams, including those with Product Management and Engineering, to orchestrate and implement complex partnerships.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills, with experience influencing stakeholders at various levels, including senior executives.
• Ability to thrive, lead initiatives, and execute in a fast-paced, rapidly evolving, and often ambiguous technological landscape.
• MBA or advanced technical degree (e.g., MSCS, MSEE) preferred.

In-office culture

We're intentional about this. We believe the best teams are built in the room together. Three anchor days - Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays - create the collaboration rhythm that makes a hub office worth having.

Candidates need to be genuinely based in the location the role is posted - if that's not where you are today, we're happy to support relocation for the right person.

We value diversity, equity, and inclusion

At Sonar, we believe that our diversity is our strength. We are a global company that values and respects different backgrounds, perspectives, and cultures. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute their best. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome all qualified applicants, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

If you need any accommodation, please reach out to us at [email protected].

All offers of employment at Sonar are contingent upon the results of a comprehensive background check and reference verification conducted before the start date.

We do not currently support visa candidates in the US.

Applications that are submitted through agencies or third party recruiters will not be considered.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

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