Global Director, Partnerships & Alliances

Reports to: Chief Revenue Officer Location: Bay Area strongly preferred, with significant global travel Team: Manages a distributed global team (regional partner managers across Americas, EMEA, APAC) WEKA is transforming how organizations build, run, and scale AI and accelerated compute workflows with NeuralMesh™, our intelligent, adaptive mesh storage system. Unlike traditional data infrastructures, which become more fragile as compute environments grow and performance demands increase, NeuralMesh becomes faster, stronger, and more efficient as it scales, providing a flexible, adaptable foundation for enterprise and agentic AI innovation that maximizes GPU utilization, accelerates time to first token, and lowers the cost of innovation. WEKA is a pre-IPO, growth-stage company backed by world-class venture capital investors and AI infrastructure industry leaders. Our technology, purpose-built for AI, has garnered over 140 patents and is trusted by more than 30% of Fortune 50 enterprises, as well as the world’s leading hyperscalers, neoclouds, and AI innovators. Our team is customer‑obsessed and works accountably, boldly, and collaboratively to ensure their success. If we sound like your kind of people, join us! About The Role WEKA is looking for a Global Director of Partnerships & Alliances to own and scale the company's entire partner ecosystem — from hardware OEMs who bundle WEKA's software to complementary technology vendors in the AI/inference stack. This is a build‑and‑run role: you'll manage existing relationships, originate new ones, build a team to execute regionally, and be the connective tissue between corporate partnership strategy and field sales execution. What You'll Own OEM & hardware partnerships — manage and grow relationships with server/hardware OEMs that bundle or resell WEKA's software (Supermicro, Dell, Lenovo, HPE, and similar), including commercial terms, roadmap alignment, and joint go‑to‑market planning Technology/ISV partnerships — build and manage relationships with complementary technology vendors across the AI infrastructure stack (e.g., Anyscale, Inferact, Spectro Cloud, and similar inference/orchestration/MLOps players) Partner GTM strategy — define the overall partner program structure (tiers, incentives, certification requirements) and ensure it ties directly to revenue and pipeline goals, not just logo collection Field enablement — translate corporate‑level partnerships into something the field sales org can actually use: playbooks, battlecards, co‑sell motions, and regional rules of engagement Cross‑functional orchestration — partner closely with: Technical/Solutions Engineering on joint solution architecture, certification, and validation testing Marketing on co‑marketing programs, funding allocation, and joint campaigns/events Sales leadership (regional VPs) on account mapping and co‑sell execution Team building — hire and manage a global team of partner managers who own relationships regionally and feed corporate strategy back from the field Pipeline/revenue accountability — own influenced/sourced pipeline and revenue targets tied to partner activity, reported against CARR contribution What We're Looking For 7+ years in partnerships, alliances, or channel roles at an infrastructure, storage, or AI/ML software company Direct experience managing OEM/hardware partnerships (bundling, co‑engineering, joint certification) — not just software ISV alliances Experience building and scaling a partnerships function, including hiring and managing a regional team Comfortable being the "connective tissue" role — equal parts strategic (structuring deals, negotiating terms) and operational (running QBRs, tracking joint pipeline, chasing certification timelines) Strong technical fluency — enough to hold your own in conversations with technical counterparts about joint solution architecture, even if you're not the one building it Track record of measurable revenue impact from partner programs, not just activity metrics Experience in AI infrastructure, high‑performance storage, or adjacent GPU/data‑center ecosystems is a strong plus Bay Area based strongly preferred, given proximity to key OEM and hyperscaler partner HQs The WEKA Way We are Accountable: We take full ownership, always— even when things don’t go as planned. We lead with integrity, show up with responsibility & ownership, and hold ourselves and each other to the highest standards. We are Brave: We question the status quo, push boundaries, and take smart risks when needed. We welcome challenges and embrace debates as opportunities for growth, turning courage into fuel for innovation. We are Collaborative: True collaboration isn’t only about working together. It’s about lifting one another up to succeed collectively. We are team‑oriented and communicate with empathy and respect. We challenge each other and conduct positive conflict resolution. We are being transparent about our goals and results. And together, we’re unstoppable. We are Customer Centric: Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We actively listen and prioritize the success of our customers, and every decision we make is driven by how we can better serve, support, and empower them to succeed. When our customers win, we win. Concerned you don’t meet every qualification? Don’t let it stop you from applying! Studies have shown that traditionally underrepresented groups may be less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t meet every qualification specified. WEKA is committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. If you are excited about this position but are concerned your past work experience doesn’t match up perfectly with the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway – you may be just the right candidate for this or other roles at WEKA. WEKA is an equal‑opportunity employer that prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. #J-18808-Ljbffr