Director, Business Development - AI Partnerships

Qualcomm • San Diego, CA

4d • $213,100 - $319,700 • Onsite

About The Position

Qualcomm is seeking a Director of AI Partnerships to develop and grow strategic AI ecosystem relationships across North America. This role will be responsible for identifying, shaping, and advancing partnerships that accelerate adoption of Qualcomm AI solutions, strengthen Qualcomm’s position across the AI ecosystem, and create measurable value across compute, edge AI, cloud, software, and emerging AI application domains.
The successful candidate will manage a portfolio of AI partners, including AI startups, cloud providers, software companies, PC ecosystem participants, and strategic industry stakeholders. This role will partner closely with Business Development, Marketing, Product Management, Sales, and internal AI teams to translate ecosystem opportunities into joint plans, go-to-market initiatives, commercial proposals, executive engagement, and long-term partnership outcomes.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and 10+ years of Sales, Business Development or related work experience.
• Associate's degree and 12+ years of Sales, Business Development or related work experience.
• High School Diploma or equivalent and 14+ years of Sales, Business Development or related work experience.
• Completed advanced degrees in a relevant field may be substituted for up to two years (Master’s = one year, Doctorate = two years) of work experience.

Nice To Haves

• 12+ years of experience in business development, strategic partnerships, alliance management, account management, product marketing, or related roles within the technology industry.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience working with AI, cloud, software, semiconductor, PC compute, or technology ecosystem partners.
• Experience managing strategic partner accounts, building executive-level relationships, and driving cross-functional account plans.
• Strong familiarity with the AI industry, including AI platforms, models, developer ecosystems, software applications, enterprise AI adoption, and emerging market trends.
• Experience collaborating with product marketing, partner marketing, business development, sales, and go-to-market teams to develop joint business initiatives.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to identify partnership opportunities and translate them into measurable business outcomes.
• Excellent communication, presentation, executive presence, and relationship management skills.
• Proven ability to influence and coordinate cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Strategic thinker who can balance long-term partnership objectives with day-to-day execution.
• Experience negotiating partnership agreements and managing complex stakeholder relationships.
• Self-starter with strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience working with the PC software ecosystem, including AI applications, productivity software, developer platforms, enterprise software vendors, or Windows-based computing environments; familiarity with AI deployment in the PC market is highly desirable.
• Experience working with major AI platform providers, cloud service providers, leading AI software companies, semiconductor, mobile, edge AI, or enterprise technology ecosystems preferred.
• MBA or equivalent business experience preferred.
• Experience leading global or multi-regional partner and/or marketing relationships preferred.
• Strong AI and PC Compute marketing experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Drive AI partnership strategy: Develop and execute a comprehensive AI partnership strategy that supports Qualcomm’s business objectives and expands the company’s AI startup, software, cloud, and compute ecosystem.
• Build strategic relationships: Build, manage, and grow relationships with AI companies, cloud providers, software partners, PC ecosystem stakeholders, and other key industry participants.
• Lead partner portfolio execution: Serve as the business lead for a portfolio of AI partners, driving engagement cadence, joint planning, opportunity development, and long-term account success.
• Identify growth opportunities: Identify and develop new partnership opportunities that create value for customers, partners, and Qualcomm business units.
• Orchestrate cross-functional alignment: Collaborate with Business Development, Marketing, Product Management, Sales, and internal AI teams to align partnership initiatives with broader company priorities.
• Drive go-to-market programs: Partner with AI and marketing teams to develop joint marketing programs, industry events, partner communications, and go-to-market initiatives.
• Shape AI ecosystem positioning: Gather market intelligence and partner feedback to help inform AI product positioning, messaging, competitive insights, and ecosystem priorities.
• Support commercial execution: Support commercial negotiations, partnership frameworks, and legal agreements that drive business growth and expand Qualcomm’s AI market presence.
• Represent Qualcomm externally: Represent Qualcomm at industry events, customer meetings, and partner engagements to strengthen relationships and promote Qualcomm’s AI vision.
• Monitor market developments: Track AI industry trends, competitive developments, partner announcements, and ecosystem dynamics to identify emerging opportunities.
• Advance Compute AI initiatives: Drive AI partnership initiatives that support Qualcomm’s Compute business, working with AI software providers, PC ecosystem partners, and strategic industry participants to accelerate AI adoption across next-generation Windows and enterprise computing platforms.

Benefits

• competitive annual discretionary bonus program
• opportunity for annual RSU grants
• highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director