Director of Partner Management

Shutterstock•New York City, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Opportunity Shutterstock’s Model Training division is driving the company’s next era of growth, powering AI model training, creative automation, and data-driven innovation for many of the world’s leading technology companies. We provide high-quality, large-scale datasets and Model Services across the full training lifecycle that enable partners to build, train and fine-tune the next generation of AI models. We are seeking a Director of Partner Management to lead the team at the center of these strategic relationships. This leader will set the vision for how Partner Management delivers value across the full customer journey and ensure flawless execution of complex, multi-stakeholder partnerships. As the connective tissue between our customers and product teams, the Partner Management organization plays a critical role in driving customer success, accelerating adoption, and influencing Shutterstock’s roadmap. In this role, you will lead a growing global team of Partner Managers and directly manage a small set of accounts, working in close alignment with our New Business team to support the growth of our model training partnerships. You will guide the team in uncovering partner needs, shaping innovative solutions, and providing white-glove service across our expanding offering, including emerging offerings such as Model Services and our 3P partner data network. This is a role for a proven, strategic leader who can operate cross-functionally, inspire operational excellence, and deliver meaningful growth through team development, customer advocacy, internal collaboration and thoughtful partnership management.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in partner management, customer success, strategic account leadership, or a related discipline, with at least 3+ years leading a high-performing team.
Deep experience managing complex partnerships across Product, Technology, and/or Marketing environments; familiarity with data licensing, workflow integrations, or AI-driven solutions is a plus.
Proven ability to guide teams through complex partnership executions, integration cycles, and multi-stakeholder project management.
Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence both technical and commercial audiences at all levels.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess partner needs, identify patterns, and propose actionable improvements.
A roll-up-your-sleeves mentality, comfortable diving into details, filling resource gaps, and navigating ambiguity while maintaining strategic focus.
A track record of exceeding performance targets by driving measurable growth, retention, and partner satisfaction.

Nice To Haves

familiarity with data licensing, workflow integrations, or AI-driven solutions is a plus.

Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Development Lead, mentor, and scale a growing team of Partner Managers, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and customer-centricity.
Establish team standards for partner engagement, internal collaboration, GTM readiness, and operational execution.
Develop career paths, coaching frameworks, and performance management processes to elevate the team’s capabilities and impact.
Strategic Partner Management Operate as a true player-coach: oversee execution across high-value data and Model Services partnerships while also directly managing a small portfolio of strategic accounts to ensure alignment with commercial objectives, product strategy, and partner needs.
Guide the team in identifying growth opportunities within existing accounts and partner with New Business Directors to shape upsell and renewal strategies.
Serve as an executive point of escalation for high-impact partner needs, complex project deliverables or integration challenges.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Influence Serve as the internal voice of our partners, capturing demand signals and translating them into insights that inform product roadmaps, GTM planning, and operational improvements.
Collaborate closely with the New Business team to support due diligence, proposals, customer meetings, and business reviews, acting as product experts and early adopters of new GTM offerings.
Work closely with Product, Marketing, Operations, and other teams to design and deliver effective partner solutions that meet and anticipate partner and industry demand.
Operational Excellence & Execution Partner with the Implementation team to ensure flawless execution of partnership commitments, coordinating internal teams to deliver on integration timelines, SLAs, and reporting requirements.
Build scalable processes, templates, and playbooks that enable consistency, repeatability, and efficiency across the partner lifecycle.
Track and report team KPIs, partner health metrics, and program performance to senior leadership.
Ensure partners receive white-glove support and maximize the value of Shutterstock’s solutions.