Activations Manager, Startups

WebHosting; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 280,000 - 330,000; Full time

Job summary

Vercel in the United States (NY area) is seeking a leader to build and grow the Startups Activations team. This role will recruit from diverse backgrounds and develop talent into trusted advisors for technical founders.

You’ll design a high-velocity activation motion using outbound outreach, product signals, community, accelerators, VCs, and AI tooling to drive early deployments on Vercel. If you’re near one of our offices (SF, NY, London, Berlin), expect in-office days; otherwise the role is

Qualifications

• Proven experience building and leading high-performing startup activation or similar teams.
• Ability to hire, develop, and scale talent across diverse backgrounds.
• Experience designing high-velocity, repeatable sales/activation motions using data and product signals.

Responsibilities

• Hire, onboard, and ramp a diverse activation team.
• Coach 1:1s, run reviews, and develop sellers into technical advisors for founders.
• Design and operate the activation machine combining outbound, product signals, and partnerships.
• Be the voice of Vercel to startups and explain how the platform enables build, ship, and scale.
• Leverage AI and automation to amplify team impact and codify winning plays.
• Own activation, conversion, and bookings targets; define leading indicators.

Skills

People management

Coaching

Strategic planning

Outbound/ABM

Tools

CRM

AI tooling

Job description

Hybrid Full-time Not specified Operations

Job Description

About Vercel:

Vercel is the agentic infrastructure company, freeing people and agents to ship what’s next. For more than a decade we’ve helped builders move from idea to production with speed, security, and exceptional developer experience.

Now we’re scaling our products for both agents and people to ship and run software, built in the open and trusted by OpenAI, PayPal, Ramp, Supreme, and millions of developers worldwide.

About the Role:

We’re looking for a leader to build and grow the Startups Activations team. This team is the voice of Vercel to the earliest-stage startups, helping founders make great infrastructure decisions from day one and land on Vercel before they ever need to migrate.

You’ll hire and develop up-and-coming talent from a wide range of backgrounds, including former founders, developers, and early-career sellers, and turn them into trusted advisors for technical founders. You’ll build the machine: a high-velocity, repeatable motion that uses AI, automation, and product signals to reach thousands of early startups at the right moment. You’ll set the operating rhythm, coach relentlessly, and turn what works into playbooks the rest of the Startups org can scale.

If you’re based within a pre-determined commuting distance of one of our offices (SF, NY, London, or Berlin), the role includes in-office anchor days on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. If you’re located beyond that distance, the role is fully remote. For location‑specific details, please connect with our recruiting team.

What You Will Do:

• Hire & Grow Talent: Recruit, onboard, and ramp a diverse team of former founders, developers, and early-career sellers. Build a bench that grows into future AEs and leaders across Vercel.
• Coach & Develop: Run 1:1s, call reviews, and skill‑building sessions that turn new sellers into credible, technical advisors for founders.
• Build the Activation Machine: Design a high‑velocity motion that combines outbound, product‑led signals, community, and ecosystem partners (accelerators, VCs, AI tooling) to get early startups deployed on Vercel.
• Be the Voice of Vercel to Startups: Make sure every early founder understands how Vercel’s platform and Agent Stack help them build, ship, and scale, and why starting here is the right infra decision.
• AI, Automation & Playbooks: Use AI and automation to multiply team impact, spot patterns in usage and signups, and turn winning plays into repeatable motions.
• Pipeline & Execution: Own activation, conversion, and bookings targets. Define the leading indicators that predict long‑term customer growth and hold the team to them.
• Forecasting & Performance Management: Inspect pipeline health, own forecast accuracy, and manage performance against activity, conversion, and quota.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Partner with Marketing, Product, Growth, RevOps, Solutions Engineering, and the Greenfield and Install Base teams to make handoffs seamless as startups scale.

Bonus If You:

The San Francisco, CA base pay range for this role is $280,000 - $330,000. Actual salary will be based on job-related skills, experience, and location. Compensation outside of San Francisco may be adjusted based on employee location. The total compensation package may include benefits, equity‑based compensation, and eligibility for a company bonus or variable pay program depending on the role. Your recruiter can share more details during the hiring process.

• Equal Opportunity:Vercel is committed to fostering and empowering an inclusive community within our organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Vercel encourages everyone to apply for our available positions, even if they don’t necessarily check every box on the job description.