Vice President, Emerging Tech Alliances

Merlin International Inc•Mclean, VA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President of Emerging Tech Alliances is responsible for developing, managing, and scaling Merlin Group’s strategic technology partnerships to drive qualified pipeline, revenue growth, and market differentiation. This role will lead engagement with priority and emerging ecosystem partners (e.g., hyperscalers, cybersecurity platform providers, and mission-aligned technology firms) to co-develop go-to-market strategies, expand joint offerings, and accelerate deal flow across federal and commercial sectors. This executive will also serve as Merlin's primary relationship owner for a portfolio of high-potential, not-yet-market-channel-ready emerging technology companies - particularly founder-led, early-stage firms navigating the path to federal revenue. Acting as the principal Merlin interlocutor with co-founders, CEOs, CTOs, and technical leadership, this leader will provide strategic guidance, market insight, and cross-functional orchestration to help these companies mature over a 12–18-month horizon toward their initial federal ARR. This responsibility includes, but is broader than, Merlin Ventures portfolio companies and extends across Merlin’s broader emerging technology ecosystem.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree (MBA or related) preferred
12+ years of experience in technology alliances, partner management, business development, or growth strategy within the federal or commercial technology sectors
Demonstrated success building and scaling strategic partnerships that drive measurable revenue and pipeline growth
Experience working with major technology ecosystems (e.g., cloud providers, cybersecurity platforms, enterprise SaaS providers)
Proven ability to influence and engage executive stakeholders internally and externally
Strong understanding of federal procurement, capture processes, and go-to-market strategies
Experience negotiating partnership agreements and managing complex partner relationships
Exceptional communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills

Nice To Haves

Existing relationships with key technology partners relevant to Merlin’s portfolio
Experience working directly with founder-led, early-stage technology companies and guiding organizations from product maturity through initial enterprise or federal revenue generation
Experience in cybersecurity, cloud, or digital transformation environments
Track record of leading co-sell motions and joint go-to-market initiatives
Familiarity with partner programs (e.g., hyperscaler partner tiers, marketplace strategies)
Experience in high-growth or mid-market consulting environments
Ability to operate in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment
Willingness to travel as needed to support partner engagement and business development efforts
Strong collaboration across distributed teams

Responsibilities

Define and execute the enterprise-wide technology alliance strategy aligned to Merlin’s growth priorities, with a focus on revenue generation and pipeline acceleration
Identify, prioritize, and mature high-impact partnerships across hyperscalers, cybersecurity platforms, and emerging technology providers
Establish measurable alliance KPIs (pipeline contribution, influenced revenue, joint wins, etc.) and track performance against targets
Drive co-sell motions with partners to generate qualified opportunities and expand pipeline
Partner with Business Development and Capture teams to integrate alliance partners into opportunity shaping, capture strategy, and proposal efforts
Enable joint account planning and coordinated engagement across target accounts
Build and maintain executive-level relationships with strategic partners
Serve as the primary escalation and governance point for alliance-related matters
Negotiate partnership agreements, teaming constructs, and joint investment initiatives
Serve as the senior Merlin relationship lead for a portfolio of emerging technology companies that are not yet market-channel ready, helping position them for successful entry into federal and regulated markets
Build trusted advisory relationships with founders, CEOs, CTOs, and executive leadership teams, providing strategic guidance on market readiness, federal go-to-market pathways, partnership strategy, and enterprise adoption
Act as the principal Merlin interlocutor and internal orchestrator across the company’s 12–18-month journey toward initial federal ARR, coordinating support across Merlin’s Invest, Enable, and Scale functions
Assess technical maturity, product-market fit, and commercialization readiness to determine the most effective path for growth and market acceleration
Facilitate executive access, customer introductions, strategic partnerships, and ecosystem engagement necessary to accelerate federal adoption and revenue realization
Support companies within and beyond the Merlin Ventures portfolio, ensuring Merlin’s broader emerging technology ecosystem is effectively cultivated and scaled
Collaborate with internal practice leaders to develop joint solutions and integrated offerings leveraging partner technologies
Lead joint marketing initiatives, campaigns, and events to increase brand visibility and demand generation
Ensure alignment of alliance activities with Merlin’s core capabilities (e.g., cyber, cloud, digital transformation)
Establish alliance engagement models, processes, and playbooks for internal teams
Educate and enable sales, capture, and delivery teams on partner capabilities and co-sell strategies
Coordinate across Sales, Delivery, Marketing, and Executive Leadership to ensure unified execution
Monitor technology ecosystem trends to identify emerging partnership opportunities
Assess partner capabilities and roadmap alignment to inform Merlin’s strategic positioning
Drive innovation through partner-enabled solutions and differentiated offerings