Sr. Business Development and Strategic Alliances Director (AI Ecosystem)

Netskope

About The Position

Netskope is seeking an accomplished and strategic leader to fill the role of Sr. Development and Strategic Alliances Director (AI Ecosystem). This pivotal position is responsible for overseeing, developing, and executing the global strategy for our key technology partnerships in the larger AI marketplace, with a strong focus on leading organizations in the larger AI ecosystem from hardware to software to application layers. This role will drive the overall vision, strategy, and execution plan to create substantial value from these partnerships, directly impacting Netskope's market penetration, revenue growth, and product adoption. This position must work to establish Netskope as an AI cybersecurity leader and as the pre-eminent thought leader in AI driven cybersecurity applications.

Requirements

Minimum of 15 years of experience in business development, strategic alliances, or partnership management in the enterprise software or cybersecurity industry.
Proven experience leading and managing a global, cross-functional, and virtual team.
Deep understanding of the AI ecosystem, including chip architectures, machine learning models, and the AI cybersecurity landscape.
Demonstrated ability to develop and implement complex, multi-faceted alliance strategies that result in measurable business impact.
Exceptional communication, presentation, and negotiation skills with the ability to influence senior executives both internally and externally.

Responsibilities

Partnership Strategy and Execution
Develop and implement the overall strategy and execution plan for AI technology alliances, including defining the go-to-market (GTM) actions and technical integrations for critical AI partners.
Establish and manage joint business plans, key performance indicators (KPIs), and mutually beneficial targets with alliance partners to ensure alignment and drive desired outcomes.
Lead the identification, prioritization, and negotiation of strategic technical integrations focused on embedding Netskope's tools and platform with partners, including chipmakers such as Nvidia, Qualcomm, TSMC, AMD, and Intel, and leading AI models like OpenAI, Meta, Anthropic, Microsoft, and Google.
Leverage existing relationships and Marketplace programs to increase Netskope's sales productivity and generate incremental pipeline opportunities within the AI ecosystem.
Team Leadership and Cross-Functional Collaboration
Lead a highly collaborative, virtual Emerging Tech & AI Alliances team that includes Product Marketing, Partner Marketing, Solution Architects, and Cloud Sales Operations.
Foster a high-performance culture, providing mentorship, guidance, and strategic direction to the alliance team members.
Serve as a highly cross-functional leader, working closely with various internal teams including Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, Sales, Customer Success, Legal, Finance, and Operations, to ensure seamless execution of AI partnership initiatives.
Drive internal alignment and accountability across organizations to maximize the return on alliance investments.
Internal and External Enablement
Be the face of AI Alliances inside Netskope, providing internal advocacy, updates, and thought leadership related to these strategic partnerships.
Act as a primary enablement engine for Netskope's Sales leaders and field sellers, equipping them with the knowledge and resources necessary to effectively position and sell Netskope's value in the context of partner AI solutions.
Educate partners on the Netskope value proposition and communicate the value of our partnerships internally to the field and channel, and externally to customers.