Senior Director, Business Development

DigitalOcean•Seattle, WA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

DigitalOcean is seeking a driven Senior Director of Business Development to join their Strategic Partnerships team. This high-impact role involves spearheading alignment with leaders in the AI ecosystem, forging critical product and distribution partnerships. The ideal candidate will possess deep market insight into the AI landscape, particularly AI model developers, and the negotiation acumen to structure high-value, bespoke commercial agreements. This role will bridge cutting-edge AI technology with DigitalOcean’s platform, identifying new business opportunities and navigating complex negotiations to drive business growth and solidify DigitalOcean's position as a leader in the global AI-Native Cloud market. The position reports to the VP of Strategic Partnerships.

Requirements

Proven expertise in building strategic technology partnerships within the AI and cloud computing sectors.
Demonstrated success negotiating complex agreements, including OEM, revenue share, and bespoke commercial models.
Exceptional interpersonal skills with a proven ability to influence C-suite stakeholders and articulate a transformative vision.
Robust technical acumen with the ability to navigate and communicate sophisticated technological frameworks.
Deep familiarity with the AI ecosystem including the AI model providers.
Strategic mindset capable of syncing partnership initiatives with high-level corporate objectives.
Bilingual fluency in Mandarin and English.

Responsibilities

Proactively identify emerging AI market opportunities and define partnership playbooks to address them.
Partner with Product and Engineering leadership to secure alliances with premier AI technology providers, directly enhancing DigitalOcean’s AI-Native Cloud capabilities.
Orchestrate the end-to-end evaluation of potential partners, managing all engagement facets across internal stakeholders and external executives.
Develop and advocate for optimal business models, including marketplace, OEM, referral, or M&A, aligned with DigitalOcean’s long-term strategic vision.
Drive the execution of commercial agreements by leading negotiations in concert with Finance and Legal teams.
Orchestrate seamless transitions to Product and Go-To-Market organizations, ensuring the long-term expansion of new strategic partnerships.