Senior Manager, Business Development & Partnerships - AI & Agentic Solutions

Upwork; Brasil; Teletrabalho; USD 158.000 - 250.000; Tempo integral

Resumo da oferta

A leading freelance platform is seeking a Senior Manager, Business Development & Partnerships to shape the AI partner ecosystem. The role involves developing strategic partnerships, managing deal flows, and collaborating cross-functionally to drive growth. Candidates should possess strong discovery and partnership strategy skills, with a focus on AI tools integration.

Serviços

Comprehensive medical coverage

Unlimited PTO

401(k) plan with matching

12 weeks paid parental leave

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Qualificações

• Strong background in discovery and partnership strategy.
• Highly skilled at navigating diverse partnership models.
• Experience closing impactful deals.

Responsabilidades

• Contribute to the design and execution of AI partner ecosystem strategy.
• Drive end-to-end deal flow from discovery to contract execution.
• Stay ahead of AI infrastructure trends for emerging opportunities.
• Build and nurture partnerships with external stakeholders.
• Collaborate closely with Product and Engineering teams.
• Develop internal documentation for efficient partnership execution.
• Own a regular reporting cadence with product and executive leaders.

Conhecimentos

Deal Structuring & Activation

Storytelling & Positioning

Strategic Thinking

Innovation Mindset

Cross-functional Influence

AI & Agent Fluency

Feedback-Driven Adaptability

Descrição da oferta de emprego

Upwork ($UPWK) is the world’s human and AI-powered work marketplace that connects businesses with highly skilled, AI-enabled independent talent from across the globe. From entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 enterprises, companies rely on Upwork’s trusted platform and its mindful AI companion, Uma, to find and hire expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive business transformation. With on-demand access to professionals spanning more than 10,000 skills across AI & machine learning, software development, sales & marketing, customer support, finance & accounting, and more, Upwork enables businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and build agile teams for the age of AI and beyond.

Upwork’s platform has facilitated more than $25 billion in economic opportunity for talent around the world. Learn more atUpwork.comand follow us onLinkedIn,Facebook,Instagram,TikTok, andX.

We are looking for a Senior Manager, Business Development & Partnerships - AI & Agentic Solutions to make a founder-level impact as a strategic individual contributor driving the vision and execution of Upwork’s AI partner ecosystem. This is a pivotal role in shaping how we drive growth through innovative partnerships, particularly in partner product development and distribution channels. You will play a key role in building Upwork’s AI and agent-focused partnership strategy, with a focus on human-in-the-loop systems, agent-based tools, and next-gen talent models informed by AI that expand how businesses engage with independent professionals. You will work cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Design, Marketing, Legal, and Finance teams to bring Upwork’s solutions to more businesses by building strategic relationships with third-party platforms and industry-leading partners.

Success in this role requires a strong background in discovery, partnership strategy, cross-functional execution, and driving partner success. The ideal candidate is highly skilled at navigating diverse partnership models—particularly those that integrate AI tools with marketplaces—and has a proven track record of closing impactful deals. You will contribute meaningfully to Upwork’s long-term growth strategy and play a critical role in launching new distribution and revenue channels through strategic relationships across the evolving AI ecosystem and key industry verticals.

Responsibilities

• AI Ecosystem Strategy: Contribute to the design and execution of Upwork’s AI partner ecosystem strategy, including identifying and prioritizing high-value partnerships with AI-native startups, LLM platforms, and infrastructure providers.
• Partnership Execution & Pipeline Management: Drive end-to-end deal flow—from discovery and value proposition development to negotiation and contract execution—while maintaining a qualified pipeline that meets or exceeds strategic performance goals.
• Market & Trend Intelligence: Stay ahead of AI and agentic infrastructure trends to uncover emerging opportunities that inform both partnership strategy and product innovation.
• Relational Leadership: Build and nurture trusted partnerships with key external stakeholders, serving as the primary point of contact and championing long-term success across the partner lifecycle.
• Product Alignment & Feedback Loops: Collaborate closely with Product and Engineering to create feedback loops, ensuring partnership opportunities align with platform capabilities and roadmap priorities.
• Operational Excellence: Develop internal documentation and processes to scale partnership execution and measurement efficiently across teams.
• Reporting & Communication: Own a regular reporting cadence with product and executive leaders to share progress, insights, and blockers on prioritized projects.
  
  

What it takes to catch our eye

• Deal Structuring & Activation: Strong discovery and sales background with demonstrated success driving partnerships across varied models (e.g., integrations, embedded tooling, co-development), and a customer-zero mindset to validate and improve partner experiences from the ground up.
• Storytelling & Positioning: Strong communicator who can translate complex technical partnerships into compelling business narratives, internally and externally.
• Strategic Thinking + Executional Rigor: Demonstrated ability to own partnership strategies end-to-end within mid-sized to large organizations, balancing 0–1 ambiguity with a strong focus on owning outcomes and commitment to excellence from concept to scale.
• Innovation Mindset: Embraces experimentation and isn’t afraid to build and break fearlessly—rapidly testing, learning, and iterating to unlock new partnership opportunities and scalable solutions.
• Cross-functional Influence: Comfort working across diverse functions and influencing without authority in a matrixed, fast-paced environment—playing to win as a team.
• AI & Agent Fluency: Understanding of the AI value chain, from foundation models to last-mile applications and human-in-the-loop workflows. Experience working with AI-native companies is a plus.
• Feedback-Driven Adaptability: A growth mindset and comfort working cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment.

Come change how the world works.

At Upwork, you’ll shape the future of work for a global, remote-first workforce, creating economic opportunities for professionals worldwide. While we have a physical office in Palo Alto, we currently hire full-time employees in 21 U.S. states, making it easier than ever to join our mission from wherever you call home.

Our culture is built on trust, risk-taking, customer focus, and excellence, all in service of our core mission: to create economic opportunities so people have better lives. We embrace authenticity and inclusion, encouraging everyone to bring their whole selves to work. Personal and professional growth is a priority here, supported through development programs, mentorship, and our Upwork Belonging Communities.

We’re proud to offer benefits that go beyond the basics, including comprehensive medical coverage for you and your family, unlimited PTO, a 401(k) plan with matching, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Visit our Life at Upwork page to learn more about our values, working principles, and the overall employee experience.

Ready to help shape the future of work? Check out our Careers page and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X. to learn more about life at Upwork.

Upwork is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or other legally protected characteristics under federal, state, or local law.

Please note that a criminal background check may be required once a conditional job offer is made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered in accordance with applicable law, including the California Fair Chance Act and local Fair Chance ordinances.

The annual base salary range for this position is displayed below. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salary for this position, and individual base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Additionally, this position is eligible for the annual bonus plan or sales incentive plan and eligibility to participate in our long term equity incentive program.

Annual Base Compensation $158,000 — $249,500 USD

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