Director, Strategic Partnerships

Details

GitLab is seeking a Director, Strategic Partnerships to own two strategic external relationships: one hyperscaler and one major AI lab. Reporting to the VP of Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships, this role will shape partnership strategy and personally drive its execution across technical integration, roadmap alignment, commercial alignment, and joint go-to-market initiatives. Success is measured by technical integration depth, roadmap alignment, joint execution, and durable business outcomes rather than partner-sourced pipeline or quota attainment.

The role supports GitLab's AI-powered DevSecOps strategy and requires hands-on ownership of both multi-year planning and weekly operational execution in a fully remote, asynchronous environment.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary owner and point of contact for one hyperscaler and one major AI lab, managing the direction, operating rhythm, and outcomes of each partnership.
• Develop and execute multi-year partnership strategies and joint plans connecting GitLab's business priorities, product roadmap, and AI strategy with partner initiatives.
• Build relationships with executive, product management, engineering, sales, and marketing stakeholders across partner organizations.
• Establish operating cadences for complex initiatives, including priorities, owners, timelines, coordination points, and follow-through.
• Coordinate cross-functional work across GitLab's product, engineering, sales, marketing, and executive teams.
• Translate partner opportunities and requests into internal plans covering roadmap discussions, integration needs, commercial motions, and executive recommendations.
• Track and communicate measurable partnership outcomes, including pipeline influence, annual recurring revenue impact, integration progress, and joint go-to-market execution.
• Prepare executive recommendations and briefings and represent the partnerships at the executive level.

Requirements

• Significant experience building and managing strategic partnerships, business development relationships, or alliance programs in enterprise software, cloud, and/or AI.
• Experience owning one or two strategic relationships in depth, including hands-on execution rather than managing a broad partner portfolio or channel program.
• Strong ownership mindset and ability to manage both strategy and execution personally.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill complex partnership topics into clear recommendations.
• Strong project and program management skills, including organizing complex workstreams and keeping multiple initiatives moving.
• Technical fluency in software development, platform integrations, and the AI or machine learning landscape.
• Ability to engage engineering and product teams in substantive discussions about cloud infrastructure, development tools, and CI/CD integrations.
• Experience working with senior stakeholders on high-visibility initiatives, preparing executive briefings, framing recommendations, and driving follow-through.
• Ability to influence without formal authority, build relationships across internal and external teams, and navigate competing priorities.
• Familiarity with the DevSecOps ecosystem and with measuring partnership impact through business and product outcomes.
• Candidates based in US Eastern or Central time zones are preferred; flexibility is available for candidates in other US time zones.

Benefits

• Benefits supporting health, finances, and well-being.
• Flexible paid time off.
• Team member resource groups.
• Equity compensation and employee stock purchase plan.
• Growth and development fund.
• Parental leave.