Partner Development Manager - AI Partnerships

Zs Associates; South San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive total rewards package

Career progression paths

Flexible work model

Job summary

Zs Associates in South San Francisco is searching for a Partner Development Manager to enhance AI Partnerships. In this role, you will drive market growth by formulating the AI Partnership strategy and managing performance metrics. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in business and partner development, specifically within enterprise technology.

The position offers a hybrid work model and opportunities for travel as you engage with clients and partners.

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of business development or partner development experience.
• 5+ years selling enterprise technology solutions.
• Experience managing programs across teams.

Responsibilities

• Own alliance performance and governance metrics.
• Develop and execute partner strategy annually.
• Drive co-sell pipeline and revenue opportunities.

Skills

Business development

Partner development

Sales management

Technical fluency

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Tools

AI technology solutions

Cloud platforms

Salesforce

Job description

ZS is a place where passion changes lives. As a management consulting and technology firm focused on improving life and how we live it, we transform ideas into impact by bringing together data, science, technology and human ingenuity to deliver better outcomes for all. Here you’ll work side‑by‑side with a powerful collective of thinkers and experts shaping life‑changing solutions for patients, caregivers and consumers worldwide. ZSers drive impact by bringing a client‑first mentality to each and every engagement. We partner collaboratively with our clients to develop custom solutions and technology products that create value and deliver company results across critical areas of their business. Bring your curiosity for learning, bold ideas, courage and passion to drive life‑changing impact to ZS.

The Partner Development Manager – AIPartnerships is responsible for strengthening the overall health, growth, and market impact of the AI Partnerships (specifically AI Frontier labs). The role will develop and implement mechanisms that own AI Partnership Strategy and execution to amplify and simplify engagement with across sales, solutioning, marketing, and executive alignment.

What you’ll do

• Own alliance performance and governance: Track KPIs across pipeline, revenue, and engagement; define success metrics and establish operating rhythms to measure the impact of AI Partnership initiatives
• Develop and execute partner strategy: Define annual plans, priorities, and growth plays; lead QBRs and drive follow‑through on joint initiatives focused on scaling generative AI adoption
• Drive co‑sell pipeline and revenue: Partner with ZS teams and Partner sellers to identify, shape, and progress opportunities; support commercial alignment and deal execution across client engagements
• Expand joint solutions and GTM: Identify priority use cases (generative AI, LLM applications, automation, analytics); develop scalable joint offerings and repeatable client propositions
• Deepen partner engagement and account alignment: Build relationships across both organizations; lead account mapping, introductions, and whitespace identification to accelerate growth
• Strengthen credentials and visibility: Build ZS's reputation as a leader with our partners in AI powered solutions through case studies, thought leadership, and external visibility
• Enable internal teams: Coordinate training and ongoing enablement to build AI Partnership fluency across ZS sellers, delivery teams, and client‑facing stakeholders
• Execute joint marketing: Partner with alliance marketing to deliver campaigns, events, and content that build market awareness and support pipeline generation

What you’ll bring

• Bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree preferred
• 8‑10+ years of business development, partner development, sales or alliances management experience
• 5+ years of experience selling enterprise technology solutions or platforms, preferably with exposure to AI, data, or cloud ecosystems
• Experience building and scaling strategic alliances with technology partners, including co‑sell motions, executive relationships, joint business planning, and partner marketing
• Enough technical fluency to be credible in architecture‑level discussions — you don't need to write code, but you can follow the conversation and ask the right follow‑up questions when a partner architect walks through how they are applying AI solutions to a customer problem
• Experience managing programs across cross‑functional teams and building processes to drive joint initiatives forward
• Experience communicating across technical and non‑technical audiences, including executive level stakeholders or clients
• Experience with hyperscaler or cloud ecosystem partnerships (e.g. GCP, AWS, Azure) considered in lieu of direct experience with AI Lab partnerships
• Fluency in English
• Intense work ethic
• Collaborative spirit and problem‑solving approach

How you’ll grow

• Cross‑functional skills development & custom learning pathways
• Milestone training programs aligned to career progression opportunities
• Internal mobility paths that empower growth via s‑curves, individual contribution and role expansions

Perks & Benefits

At ZS, your growth matters. We offer a comprehensive total rewards package that supports your health and well‑being, financial future, time away, and professional development. With robust skills‑building programs, multiple career progression paths, internal mobility, and a deeply collaborative culture, you’ll have the opportunity to do meaningful work, expand your capabilities, and thrive as part of a global community. For details on total rewards in United States, visit ZS US office locations | Where we work | ZS.

Hybrid working model

We are committed to giving our employees a flexible and connected way of working. A flexible and connected ZS allows us to combine work from home and on‑site presence at clients/ZS offices for the majority of our week. The magic of ZS culture and innovation thrives in both planned and spontaneous face‑to‑face connections.

Travel

Travel is a requirement at ZS for client‑facing ZSers; business needs of your project and client are the priority. While some projects may be local, all client‑facing ZSers should be prepared to travel as needed. Travel provides opportunities to strengthen client relationships, gain diverse experiences, and enhance professional growth by working in different environments and cultures.

Considering applying?

At ZS, we honor the visible and invisible elements of our identities, personal experiences, and belief systems—the ones that comprise us as individuals, shape who we are, and make us unique. We believe your personal interests, identities, and desire to learn are integral to your success here. We are committed to building a team that reflects a broad variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Learn more about our inclusion and belonging efforts and the networks ZS supports to assist our ZSers in cultivating community spaces and obtaining the resources they need to thrive.

Equal Opportunity Statement

ZS is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment and advancement opportunities without regard to any class protected by applicable law.