Director, Strategic Alliances-AI Ecosystem

Zscaler•San Jose, CA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Zscaler is a pioneer and global leader in zero trust security. The world’s largest businesses, critical infrastructure organizations, and government agencies rely on Zscaler to secure users, branches, applications, data & devices, and to accelerate digital transformation initiatives. Distributed across more than 160 data centers globally, the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform combined with advanced AI combats billions of cyber threats and policy violations every day and unlocks productivity gains for modern enterprises by reducing costs and complexity. Here, impact in your role matters more than title and trust is built on results. We believe in transparency and value constructive, honest debate—we’re focused on getting to the best ideas, faster. We build high-performing teams that can make an impact quickly and with high quality. To do this, we are building a culture of execution centered on customer obsession, collaboration, ownership and accountability. We champion an “AI Forward, People First” philosophy to help us accelerate and innovate, empowering our people to embrace their potential. If you’re driven by purpose, thrive on solving complex challenges and want to make a positive difference on a global scale, we invite you to bring your talents to Zscaler to help shape the future of cybersecurity. We are looking for a Director, Strategic Alliances-AI Ecosystem to join our team. This role offers flexible location options including onsite or hybrid at our San Jose Office, or remote within the USA, reporting to the Senior Director, PM-AI Security & Strategic Initiatives in the PM - Security AI department. This role is business development focused.

Requirements

5+ years in product management or business development (including BDM and strategic partnerships), with at least 3 years dedicated to AI/ML ecosystems or cloud security platforms
Proven track record of identifying, negotiating, and closing strategic technology partnerships with hyperscalers (AWS, Azure, GCP) or major AI ecosystem players (Anthropic, OpenAI, Databricks, CoreWeave, etc)
Strong technical acumen in AI/ML architectures and integration patterns, with the ability to translate between partner product teams and internal product stakeholders
Experience developing and executing partnership go-to-market strategy that drive measurable revenue impact and platform adoption
Excellent executive communication and relationship management skills, with demonstrated ability to engage C-level and VP-level stakeholders at partner organizations

Nice To Haves

Experience in cybersecurity or zero-trust architecture, particularly in how AI is applied to threat detection, data protection, or security operations
Existing relationships within the AI ecosystem (e.g., model providers, inference platforms, AI infrastructure vendors) or major hyperscaler partner programs
MBA or advanced technical degree, or equivalent experience building and scaling partnership programs at a high-growth enterprise SaaS company

Responsibilities

Identify, engage, and cultivate strategic partnerships with AI ecosystem players and hyperscaler partners, owning the outreach pipeline from initial contact through executive-level meetings
Develop and execute a partnership go-to-market strategy that aligns AI ecosystem integrations with Zscaler’s security platform roadmap and revenue objectives
Serve as the technical bridge between partners and Zscaler product management, translating partner capabilities and integration requirements into actionable product collaboration opportunities
Build and maintain a structured partner engagement framework, including joint roadmap planning, co-development agreements, and ongoing relationship management cadences
Represent Zscaler’s AI security vision externally at industry events, partner forums, and ecosystem working groups to expand brand presence and attract new partnership opportunities