Director, Emerging Infrastructure Ecosystems

Equinix, Inc.; Redwood City (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Equinix, Inc. is seeking a Director of Emerging Infrastructure Ecosystems to shape the company’s ecosystem strategy for high-growth infrastructure categories, starting with AI infrastructure and expanding into quantum computing and related markets.

The role requires identifying ecosystem anchors, translating technical dependencies into business outcomes, and building actionable development plans with senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Owner­ship and accountability in fast-changing markets.
• Experience in business development, partnerships, and ecosystem building.
• Ability to translate technical shifts into commercial plans.
• Strong understanding of AI/ML infrastructure, GPUs, and data center needs.
• Proven track record building relationships with senior execs and technical leaders.
• Excellent communication, simplifying complex topics for executives.

Responsibilities

• Build a point of view on how ecosystems form in AI infrastructure, quantum computing, and adjacent markets.
• Identify priority ecosystem anchors; develop market maps and commercial theses.
• Translate technical requirements into commercial strategy.
• Partner with sales, product, strategy, and finance to shape offerings and narratives.
• Cultivate senior relationships with customers and ecosystem influencers.
• Test hypotheses via customer conversations, partner engagement, and early motions.
• Create operating rhythms and metrics to turn opportunities into pipeline and value.

Skills

Ownership

Bias for action

Ambiguity handling

Business development

Strategic partnerships

Ecosystem development

Product strategy

Market development

AI/ML infrastructure

Executive communication

Job description

Who are we?

Equinix is the world’s digital infrastructure company®, shortening the path to connectivity to enable the innovations that enrich our work, life and planet.

A place where bold ideas are welcomed, human connection is valued, and everyone has the opportunity to shape their future. A career at Equinix means being at the center of shaping what comes next and amplifying customer value through innovation and impact. You’ll work across teams, influence key decisions, and help shape the path forward. You’ll find belonging, purpose, and a team that welcomes you—because when you feel valued, you’re empowered to do your best work.

Job Summary

The Director, Emerging Infrastructure Ecosystems will help define Equinix’s ecosystem strategy for high-growth infrastructure categories, with an initial focus on AI infrastructure and future expansion into quantum computing and adjacent markets.

This role requires someone who can see where markets are forming, identify the companies that may become ecosystem anchors, understand how technical dependencies shape commercial outcomes, and turn early signals into actionable business development plans.

The ideal candidate combines strategic market insight, technical fluency, commercial creativity, and executive presence. You do not need to be a deep engineer, but you must be credible with technical leaders and able to translate infrastructure shifts into business outcomes. Most of all you are capable of delivering outcomes while operating in ambiguous and dynamic markets.

Responsibilities

• Build a point of view on how ecosystems form in AI infrastructure, quantum computing, and adjacent emerging infrastructure markets
• Identify priority ecosystem anchors across neoclouds, AI-native companies, GPU/accelerator providers, networks, data platforms, and enterprise customers. Develop market maps, target lists, and commercial theses
• Translate technical requirements — latency, data gravity, network architecture, power, density, deployment models — into commercial strategy
• Partner with sales, product, technical solutions, strategy, finance, and regional teams to shape offerings, narratives, and execution plans
• Build senior relationships with customers, and ecosystem influencers.
• Test market hypotheses through customer conversations, partner engagement, research, and early commercial motions
• Create operating rhythms, metrics, and feedback loops that turn emerging opportunities into measurable pipeline and platform value

What success looks like

• Equinix has a clear, actionable ecosystem development plan with an AI infrastructure ecosystem forming
• Priority ecosystem anchors are identified, engaged, and converted into meaningful commercial opportunities
• Internal teams are aligned around execution
• Emerging infrastructure ecosystems are translating into pipeline, deployments, interconnection growth, and durable market position

Qualifications

Required

• High ownership, bias for action, and comfort operating in ambiguous, fast‑changing markets
• Strong experience in business development, strategic partnerships, ecosystem development, product strategy, or market development in technology infrastructure or adjacent sectors
• Experience building new markets, categories, partner ecosystems, or commercial motions where the path was not already defined
• Strong understanding of AI/ML infrastructure, including GPU infrastructure, AI cloud platforms, data gravity, hybrid cloud, networking, and data center requirements
• Proven ability to build relationships with senior executives and technical leaders
• Strong commercial judgment, with the ability to connect market trends to revenue, platform value, and ecosystem effects
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to simplify complex technical and market topics for executive audiences

Preferred

• Relationships across hyperscalers, AI-native companies, GPU/accelerator providers, OEMs, networks, venture capital, private equity, deep tech, quantum, or research ecosystems
• Working knowledge of quantum computing commercialization, ecosystem participants, likely timelines, and infrastructure implications