Startups Program Lead San Francisco

vercel.com; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 148,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation package

Flexible time off

Work from home budget

Mentorship and networking opportunities

Job summary

A leading tech company located in San Francisco is seeking a Startup Program Lead to build and scale their global startup program. In this role, you will manage the end-to-end program strategy and execution, strengthen partnerships with VC firms, and support early-stage founders. The ideal candidate should have over 6 years of experience in ecosystem roles, demonstrable skills in building programs, and the ability to engage effectively with developers. This position offers a competitive compensation package, including equity and flexible time off.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in programs, partnerships, or ecosystem roles.
• Strong track record managing or leading teams.
• Experience engaging with technical audiences across Engineering, Product, and Design.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead Vercel’s global startup program strategy and execution.
• Design and scale programs to drive startup engagement.
• Develop relationships with venture capital firms and startups.

Skills

Experience with programs and partnerships

Building and scaling programs

Strong communication skills

Technical understanding of modern frontend technologies

Data-driven mindset

Relationship building with VCs and accelerators

Job description

Vercel gives developers the tools and cloud infrastructure to build, scale, and secure a faster, more personalized web. As the team behind v0, Next.js, and AI SDK, Vercel helps customers like Ramp, Supreme, PayPal, and Under Armour build for the AI-native web.

Our mission is to enable the world to ship the best products. That starts with creating a place where everyone can do their best work. Whether you're building on our platform, supporting our customers, or shaping our story: You can just ship things.

About the Role

Vercel is seeking a Startup Program Lead to build, lead, and scale our global startup program and startup program team. This individual will own the startup program end to end, leading strategy, execution, and team operations. They will be responsible for how the program operates, scales, and delivers a high-quality experience for early stage founders. They will also play a critical role in supporting our efforts to build strong partnerships with venture capital firms, accelerators, incubators, and startup enablement programs. You’ll work closely with our Startup marketing, sales, partner, and events teams to grow Vercel’s footprint across early‑stage technology communities and identify strategic opportunities to support startup founders.

This role is ideal for someone who is deeply connected to the startup and VC community, has a strong understanding of developer‑first products, and a track record of building and scaling programs.

What You’ll Do

Own and lead Vercel’s global startup program strategy, roadmap, and execution end to end, focused on early stage startups from pre‑seed through Series A.

Build, manage, and mentor a high‑performing startup program team.

Design and scale programs that drive adoption, activation, and ongoing engagement of startups building on Vercel, like the Vercel AI Accelerator.

Develop and grow relationships with venture capital firms, accelerators, incubators, and founder communities to bring high‑quality startups into Vercel’s ecosystem as customers from day one.

Partner closely with Sales to identify high‑potential startups within the program and support their progression into long term, successful customers.

Establish clear pathways from early stage adoption to deeper product usage, expansion, and retention, and track performance across the startup lifecycle.

Work cross‑functionally with Marketing, Vercel Media, Partnerships, and Developer Relations to integrate the startup program into campaigns, content, and ecosystem distribution.

Identify opportunities to embed Vercel into the early stage ecosystem, including VC platforms, accelerator programs, and founder experiences.

Serve as a visible leader and ambassador for Vercel in the startup ecosystem by hosting events, advising founders, and building long‑term relationships.

Bring insights from early stage founders and developers back into Vercel’s marketing, product, and go‑to‑market strategies.

About You

6+ years of experience in programs, partnerships, or ecosystem roles, ideally within a high‑growth technology or developer‑focused company.

Experience building and scaling programs from 0 to 1, with clear impact on marketing, growth, or revenue.

Proven experience managing or leading teams.

Strong track record of building strategic relationships with VCs, accelerators, and early stage companies.

Deep understanding of the startup ecosystem and the needs of founders and developer teams.

Ability to engage credibly with technical audiences across Engineering, Product, and Design, with familiarity in modern frontend technologies such as React, Next.js, Vite, Astro, and Remix.

Strong cross‑functional operator who can partner effectively with Marketing, Media, Sales, Product, and Engineering.

Data‑driven mindset with experience defining success metrics and optimizing programs based on performance.

Excellent communication, storytelling, and relationship‑building skills.

Contribute to open‑source projects related to modern frontend technologies (e.g., React, Next, Vite, Astro, Remix, etc.).

Have existing relationships with top‑tier VCs, accelerators (e.g., Y Combinator, Techstars), or founder communities.

Have built applications at scale with modern frontend technologies.

Competitive compensation package, including equity.

Learn and Grow – we provide mentorship and send you to events that help you build your network and skills.

Flexible Time Off.

We will provide you the gear you need to do your role, and a WFH budget for you to outfit your space as needed.

The San Francisco, CA base pay range for this role is $148,000 – $185,000. 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.

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.

We value belonging and believe in fostering an environment where a diversity of perspectives can thrive. As part of this commitment, we invite you to voluntarily provide demographic information. Your responses will be used (in aggregate only) to help us better understand the diversity of our applicants and identify areas of improvement in our recruitment and hiring process. Your responses, or decision not to respond, will be kept confidential and will only be used in aggregate form for diversity and inclusion efforts. This information will not be associated with your specific application and will not be disclosed to the hiring team or used in the hiring decision in any way. Individuals seeking employment are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation. Asking the below questions helps us comply with federal and state Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action record‑keeping, reporting, and other legal requirements.