Head of Partnerships
About The Position
LaunchDarkly is hiring a player/coach partnerships leader to rebuild and scale our global partner ecosystem across GSIs/SIs, Cloud, VARs, and Technology Partners. This leader will build and launch our Partner Program, stand up and operationalize PRM, and define GSI/SI service offerings that extend the LaunchDarkly platform while working cross‑functionally to maximize impact. You will: Lead a small, high-output partnerships team while personally owning a subset of top partners and initiatives. Redesign our partner program (tiers, incentives, give/gets) to reflect our multi-product portfolio and FY27+ growth strategy. Drive implementation and adoption of a PRM platform integrated with Salesforce. Establish a repeatable model for service packaging with GSIs/SIs (implementation, modernization, AI/DevOps transformations) in partnership with Professional Services. Align with Sales, Product, Finance, Marketing, and RevOps so partner motions are embedded in core GTM, not run in parallel.
Requirements
- 15+ years in B2B SaaS partnerships, including meaningful experience with Services / SI / GSI partners.
- 7+ years leading partnerships teams with a proven player/coach profile (hands-on partner ownership plus people leadership).
- Demonstrated success rebuilding or relaunching partner programs (tiers, incentives, agreements, operations).
- Hands-on ownership of PRM and partner data models, including deal registration and attribution in Salesforce.
- Direct experience designing or scaling GSI/SI services offerings and motions (subcontracting, referrals, co-delivery).
- Track record of delivering partner-sourced and partner-influenced revenue and compressing deal cycles through co-sell.
- Strong cross-functional leadership: you have driven complex initiatives across Sales, Product, Finance, Marketing, Legal, and RevOps.
- Experience in DevOps, developer tools, observability, or AI/ML ecosystems.
- Prior experience or ownership of hyperscaler or data platform partnerships (e.g., AWS, Snowflake, Databricks) and marketplace motions.
- Experience with Corporate Development initiatives at past companies and with partners.
- Familiarity with LaunchDarkly or other feature management / experimentation platforms.
Responsibilities
- Lead as a player/coach
- Manage and develop a lean partnerships team while carrying direct executive relationships with a focused set of strategic partners.
- Set operating rhythms: Partner QBRs, joint business plans, pipeline reviews, and internal partner councils.
- Define and report on partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline and ARR, by region and segment.
- Restructure / relaunch the partner program and PRM rollout
- Own the redesign of the LaunchDarkly Partner Program for Services/SI, Resell/VAR, Cloud, and Technology/ISV partners.
- Define clear tiers, requirements, benefits, and incentives (discounts/margins, referral fees, MDF, certifications).
- Work with Finance, Legal, and RevOps to codify commercial models, agreements, and governance.
- Partner with Marketing and Enablement to deliver a simple, well-documented program understood by sellers and partners.
- Lead selection (if needed), implementation, and rollout of a PRM platform integrated with Salesforce, Skilljar, Saleshood.
- Partner with RevOps and Sales Enablement to drive training, playbooks, and dashboards that make PRM part of everyday workflows.
- Develop GSI/SI service packages and delivery motions
- In collaboration with Professional Services, Customer Success, and Product, define a small set of standard services offerings for GSIs/SIs (e.g., release modernization, feature flag adoption, experimentation on Snowflake, AI/GenAI SDLC, observability/Guardian).
- Co-design and pilot offerings with a shortlist of priority GSIs/regional SIs, validate pricing and scope, and codify repeatable GTM plays.
- Clarify subcontracting vs. referral motions, including economics, sales compensation impacts, and customer experience guidelines.
- Build a partner enablement path (certifications, playbooks, demo access) so partners can independently sell and deliver LaunchDarkly-based services.
- Drive cross-functional alignment with constrained resources
- Work directly with Sales Leaders to embed partners across LaunchDarkly’s account base, maintaining a consistent cadence across leadership forecasts, sales QBRs and other engagement opportunities.
- Collaborate with Product and Solutions/Architects on joint solutions, integrations, and specialization areas (DevOps, AI, observability, experimentation).
- Work with Finance and Deal Desk on partner economics, marketplace transactions, and approvals that balance growth and margin.
- Coordinate with Marketing, Field & Events, and Partner Marketing on a focused calendar of high-impact co-marketing and field plays, not a long tail of one-offs.
- Use clear prioritization frameworks (Tier A accounts, top partners, highest ROI plays) to protect the team from fragmentation.
Benefits
- Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), health, vision, and dental insurance, and mental health benefits in addition to salary.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
Education Level
No Education Listed
