Strategic Partnerships Manager (Founding Role)

Location: San Francisco Bay Area, Peninsula. On-site expected. Frequent travel required.Type: Full timeCompensation: $180,000 to $230,000 cash, plus meaningful equity.

About the company

Our client is a venture-backed voice AI company building AI agents that handle the sales, support and logistics calls enterprise contact centers once staffed with large human teams. Thousands of companies run on the platform, including Fortune 500 names in healthcare, travel and technology. Revenue has grown more than tenfold since the start of 2025 with a team of about 50, and the company was recently ranked the top place to work in the Bay Area by a major business publication.

Their 2026 goal is a full CX platform where AI workers act as frontline agents, QA analysts and managers, improving every customer interaction rather than waiting for a human to retune them.

About the role

The company is hiring a founding partnerships leader to build and scale its ecosystem partnerships and go-to-market alliances. The person in this seat identifies, negotiates and manages strategic relationships across cloud providers, AI platforms, systems integrators, channel partners and enterprise technology ecosystems, working directly with the founders and GTM leadership to expand reach, drive partner-sourced pipeline and build relationships that compound.

This is a cross-functional seat that combines business development, partnerships, strategic relationship management and ecosystem growth. It suits someone commercially minded and relationship-driven who wants significant ownership in a fast-moving company. The role reports directly to company leadership.

Key responsibilities

• Own a portfolio spanning cloud hyperscalers, CCaaS and CRM platforms, and consultancies, SIs and BPOs
• Own the outcomes for that portfolio: activated partnerships, partner-sourced SQLs, co-sold pipeline and closed-won repeatable revenue against quarterly targets
• Run the cloud hyperscaler motion: launch and grow marketplace and co-sell programs, manage partner development relationships, drive joint outbound with partner AEs, deliver field presentations, and show up at partner conferences and kickoffs
• Run the CCaaS and strategic partner motion: build joint offerings with CCaaS and CRM platforms, SIs, consultancies and BPOs. Establish co-sell, resale, referral and implementation models, enable partner teams, map shared accounts, and support joint pursuits through deployment
• Vet, sign and activate strategic partners: build enablement such as training paths, certification, GTM plays and shared marketing assets so partner consultants can position and deploy the product in client work
• Drive co-marketing across the portfolio and represent the company in the ecosystem through joint launches, demos, industry conferences and partner events
• Work with Legal, Sales, forward deployed engineering, Product, Engineering and Marketing to keep partner performance aligned with revenue strategy

What they are looking for

• 5+ years in strategic or channel partnerships at a high-growth SaaS company
• Deep experience with cloud hyperscalers, CCaaS or CRM platforms, consultancies, SIs or BPOs
• Proven ability to build partner programs from zero and launch marketplace, co-sell, resale or implementation motions
• Strong executive presence and the ability to influence senior stakeholders
• Excellent organizational, communication and relationship-management skills
• An IC builder mindset. This seat is not being built as a people management role

The company is open to two levels here. Either a senior manager, director or head-level person who wants to build zero to one as an IC, or a VP with a sales or partnerships background ready to step toward a CRO-type seat. The VP profile has to be willing to carry a bag for a while.

Interview process

Four rounds: a recruiter screen, a GTM team interview on sales process and methodology, a CEO interview focused on selling technical products, and a half-day onsite deep dive on past partnerships and cross-functional execution.

Benefits

100% medical, dental and vision coverage, a daily meal credit, and monthly wellness, commuter, phone and internet reimbursements. The company sponsors work authorization for qualified candidates.

How to apply

This search is run by Riderflex on the company's behalf. Apply through this posting and the company name and full details are shared on the first call.

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