Strategic Partner Programs Manager - Public Sector

Datadog•Washington, DC

5h•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Strategic Partner Program Manager, you will own and operate critical programs that enable Datadog’s U.S. public sector partner ecosystem to execute with speed, consistency, and compliance. Embedded within the Channel & Alliances organization, this role is responsible for designing, running, and scaling the operational programs that support partner-led selling, contracting, and delivery across federal, state, and local government customers. This role is best described as a program management position with deep public sector and partner context. You will lead cross-functional initiatives that span partner onboarding, compliance readiness, capture execution, and procurement alignment, ensuring partners and internal teams can move efficiently while meeting public sector requirements (e.g., GovCloud, FedRAMP, agency procurement constraints). Success in this role requires strong program ownership, structured execution, and the ability to coordinate across highly matrixed teams. At Datadog, we place value in our office culture - the relationships and collaboration it builds and the creativity it brings to the table. We operate as a hybrid workplace to ensure our Datadogs can create a work-life harmony that best fits them.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in program management, partner operations, business operations, or strategic alliances within cloud services or SaaS organizations, with demonstrated experience supporting enterprise and public sector partner ecosystems.
Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional programs involving sales, legal, finance, security, product, and partners, delivering outcomes in highly regulated environments.
Strong operational judgment and the ability to bring structure to ambiguous problems, translating strategic goals into executable programs, workflows, and operating cadences.
Comfortable engaging with partner and internal stakeholders at multiple levels, including supporting executive-level initiatives and escalations.
Ability to understand technical and compliance concepts (e.g., cloud architectures, GovCloud, FedRAMP) and communicate requirements clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Highly organized, detail-oriented, and metrics-driven, with experience building dashboards, tracking program health, and driving continuous improvement.
Willingness to travel approximately 15–20% to support program planning, partner alignment, and key public sector initiatives.

Responsibilities

Own and program-manage partner business operations for the U.S. public sector, defining how partners engage, transact, and deliver Datadog solutions.
Design and maintain repeatable operational workflows that support partner-led sales, contracting, and delivery across public sector markets.
Serve as the central coordination point across Channels, Sales, Legal, Security, Finance, Product, and Enablement to remove execution bottlenecks.
Lead cross-functional programs related to partner onboarding, compliance readiness, and operational scale, ensuring consistent execution.
Partner with Legal and Finance to standardize and streamline contracting processes, reducing cycle times and friction.
Adapt global partner programs to align with public sector procurement vehicles, agency buying motions, and compliance requirements.
Program-manage capture support initiatives with strategic FSIs and partners, helping define execution plans for complex public sector opportunities.
Establish operating cadences, dashboards, and success metrics to track partner readiness, program health, and execution efficiency.