Partner Manager, OpenAI for Government

OpenAI; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading artificial intelligence organization is looking for a Partner Manager to manage its significant partnerships, including with AWS. This role involves coordinating internal resources, driving commercial outcomes, and ensuring effective execution against shared objectives. The ideal candidate will have 8–12 years of experience in business development and program management, strong communication skills, and the ability to manage complex relationships. A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field is required. This position is based in Washington, D.C., and promotes an inclusive work environment.

Qualifications

• 8–12+ years of experience in business development, program management, or strategic operations.
• Experience managing large, complex external relationships.
• Proven ability to manage multiple strategic priorities simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of key strategic partners including AWS.
• Drive commercial outcomes through partner collaborations.
• Track partnership performance and manage dependencies.

Skills

Business development

Program management

Stakeholder coordination

Strong communication skills

Executive presence

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Technology, Public Policy, or a related field

Job description

About The Team

OpenAI’s mission is to build safe artificial general intelligence (AGI) which benefits all of humanity. This long‑term undertaking brings the world’s best scientists, engineers, and business professionals together in one lab to accomplish this.

About The Role

We are seeking a Partner Manager to join OpenAI’s Government Partnerships team to help lead and scale OpenAI’s most important partner relationships. This role sits at the center of partner management, cross‑functional execution, and internal governance. You will help shape how OpenAI works with major platform, cloud, systems integration, and go‑to‑market partners to unlock durable commercial outcomes, strengthen delivery readiness, and improve coordination across internal and external teams.

In This Role, You’ll

• Own day‑to‑day management of a portfolio of key strategic partners, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) and other high‑priority AI ecosystem relationships.
• Serve as a central point of coordination for joint planning, governance, escalation management, and cross‑functional execution.
• Build and run partner operating cadences across leadership reviews, working teams, business development, technical alignment, and delivery stakeholders.
• Help drive commercial outcomes by supporting co‑sell motions, opportunity coordination, and execution against shared objectives.
• Track partnership performance, milestones, dependencies, and risks across multiple workstreams and internal teams.
• Coordinate internal resources across Go‑to‑Market, partnerships, product, legal, security, communications, policy, finance, and operations to support partner success.
• Support implementation and operationalization of partnership agreements, statements of work, enablement plans, and governance structures.
• Identify and resolve blockers across joint initiatives, including issues related to prioritization, delivery readiness, technical engagement, or executive alignment.
• Help define the model for how OpenAI engages with partners such as cloud providers, strategic platforms, and other major partners over time.
• Develop clear internal reporting on partner health, strategic priorities, and progress against business goals.
• Drive consistency in how OpenAI manages partner communications, commitments, and cross‑functional follow‑through.
• Contribute to long‑term expansion strategies for strategic relationships, including identifying new areas for product, Go‑to‑Market, or delivery collaboration.

We’re Seeking Someone With Experience Including

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Technology, Public Policy, or a related field; equivalent practical experience welcomed.
• 8–12+ years of experience in business development, program management, or cross‑functional strategic operations.
• Experience managing large, complex external relationships with meaningful commercial, operational, or technical scope.
• Strong program management capabilities, including operating cadence design, dependency tracking, stakeholder coordination, and executive communications.
• Experience working across technical, commercial, legal, and policy teams to move partnerships from concept through execution.
• Proven ability to manage multiple strategic priorities simultaneously and operate effectively in ambiguous environments.
• Strong executive presence and comfort engaging senior leaders both internally and externally.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex issues into clear recommendations and action plans.
• Experience supporting cloud, AI, enterprise software, or platform partnerships.
• Familiarity with enterprise go‑to‑market motions, delivery models, and partner ecosystems.
• Experience working with AWS specifically is a plus, particularly in program management, operations, cloud go‑to‑market, or ecosystem development.

Nice To Have Experience

• Experience at a major cloud provider or managing strategic relationships with one is a strong plus.
• Familiarity with mission domains such as AI/ML, data platforms, cybersecurity, or defense systems.
• Prior experience in both technology companies and government‑facing organizations. Active security clearance or eligibility to obtain one.
• Engineering degree or prior technical experience.

You Might Thrive In This Role If You

• Are an exceptional program manager. You bring structure, discipline, and momentum to complex strategic partnerships. You know how to establish operating cadences, manage dependencies, track commitments, and ensure follow‑through across multiple workstreams.
• Are highly organized and execution‑oriented. You excel at turning high‑level partnership goals into clear plans, governance mechanisms, and repeatable processes that drive results.
• Can align diverse stakeholders. You are skilled at coordinating across business, technical, legal, product, and operations teams to keep priorities clear and execution on track both internally and externally.
• Operate well in complexity. You are comfortable managing ambiguity, resolving blockers, balancing competing priorities, and maintaining alignment in fast‑moving environments.
• Have strong partnership judgment. You build trust, communicate clearly, and help ensure key strategic relationships are managed with rigor, consistency, and long‑term focus.
• Are energized by AI and cloud ecosystems. You are excited by the opportunity to help shape how OpenAI works with major strategic partners to support meaningful growth and high‑impact collaboration.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.

For additional information, please see OpenAI’s affirmative action and equal employment opportunity policy statement. Background checks for applicants will be administered in accordance with applicable law. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment consistent with those laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, for U.S.‑based candidates.