Strategic Partnerships Director

• As the Director, Strategic Partnerships, you will own GitLab’s relationships with its two major cloud infrastructure partners: AWS and Google Cloud. This is a single-threaded owner role, reporting to the VP, Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships
• You will shape partnership strategy from the top down and drive execution from the ground up, this is as much about running the weekly grind of a partnership as it is about setting its direction, turning strategic relationships into durable business outcomes
• You will own the commercial relationship end-to-end: managing GitLab’s cloud infrastructure spend and consumption commitments, and leading renewal negotiations for enterprise agreements (e.g., EDPs, MACCs, or equivalent) before they come due
• You will also own the technical and go-to-market side of each relationship: driving product integrations, shaping joint go-to-market strategy, and connecting GitLab’s product roadmap and AI strategy to concrete partner initiatives
• This is not a co-sell, channel, or revenue-through-partners role. Success here looks like disciplined commercial ownership, technical integration depth, and renewal outcomes that protect and grow GitLab’s position, not partner-sourced pipeline or quota attainment
• This role sits close to GitLab’s evolving AI strategy and the future of our AI-powered DevSecOps platform. You will develop a clear point of view, represent these partnerships with senior stakeholders, and personally drive the day-to-day work that spans multi-year planning and weekly execution, chasing down blockers, keeping workstreams on track, and doing the detailed follow-through yourself rather than delegating it
• Serve as the primary owner and point of contact for GitLab’s cloud infrastructure partnerships with AWS and Google Cloud, personally accountable for the direction, operating rhythm, and outcomes of each
• Own the full commercial lifecycle of each relationship: negotiating rates and terms, tracking consumption against committed spend, and leading renewal negotiations well ahead of contract expiration
• Manage cloud infrastructure spend as a standing responsibility, partnering with Finance/FinOps on forecasting, true-ups, and cost optimization across both hyperscalers
• Drive product integrations with each partner, working directly with engineering and product management counterparts on both sides to identify, scope, and deliver joint technical initiatives
• Develop and lead joint go-to-market strategy for each partnership, connecting GitLab’s business priorities, product roadmap, and AI strategy to concrete partner initiatives, and then own getting those plans executed
• Build strong working relationships across partner organizations, including executives, product management, engineering, sales, and marketing stakeholders
• Run a disciplined operating cadence across complex initiatives, with clear priorities, owners, timelines, coordination points, and follow-through you drive yourself
• Coordinate cross-functional work inside GitLab to support partnership goals, aligning teams across product, engineering, sales, marketing, finance, and the executive group
• Translate partner opportunities and requests into actionable internal plans, including roadmap discussions, integration needs, commercial terms, and executive recommendations
• Track and communicate measurable partnership outcomes such as spend efficiency, consumption trends, renewal terms secured, integration progress, and joint go-to-market execution
• Represent the partnerships at the executive level by preparing clear recommendations, briefing executives, and helping drive alignment on investments, trade-offs, and next steps

Benefits

• We offer benefits to manage your health, wealth, and well-being regardless of location
• Flexibility in schedule to be there for life’s important moments
• Equity compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan offered
• Generous Paid Time Off

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill complex commercial and partnership topics into clear recommendations for executives and cross-functional stakeholders
• Ability to influence without formal authority, build strong working relationships across internal and external teams, and navigate multiple priorities with sound judgment
• Preferred: candidates based in US Eastern or Central time zones, given close cross-functional coordination needs
• Genuine technical fluency in software development, platform integrations, and cloud infrastructure, with comfort engaging engineering and product counterparts in substantive conversations, not just positioning technology commercially
• Strong project and program management skills, including the ability to organize complex workstreams, prioritize effectively, and keep multiple initiatives moving through direct, hands-on management
• Direct experience managing enterprise cloud commercial agreements (e.g., EDP, MACC, or similar consumption/spend commitments) with at least one major hyperscaler, including experience owning a renewal cycle from expiration planning through negotiation and close
• Familiarity with the DevSecOps ecosystem and a results-oriented approach to measuring partnership impact through spend efficiency and business/product outcomes rather than partner-sourced revenue or quota attainment
• Strong ownership mindset with the ability to operate as a single-threaded owner who is accountable for both strategy and execution, and comfortable doing the hands-on work personally rather than handing it off
• Significant experience owning strategic partnerships, alliance relationships, or vendor/commercial relationships in enterprise software, cloud, and/or AI, with a track record of being in the details, not just setting direction. This experience should reflect owning one or a small number of relationships in depth, not administering a large multi-partner channel ecosystem
• Experience driving product or technical integrations with a cloud partner, and shaping joint go-to-market strategy that connects a product roadmap to partner initiatives
• Experience working with senior stakeholders on high-visibility initiatives, including preparing executive briefings, framing recommendations, and driving follow-through
• Please note that we welcome interest from candidates with varying levels of experience; many successful candidates do not meet every single requirement. Additionally, studies have shown that people from underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to a job unless they meet every single qualification. If you’re excited about this role, please apply and allow our recruiters to assess your application