Strategic Partnerships Lead—Enterprise & AI Ecosystems

Apple Inc.; Cupertino (CA); Hybrid; USD 186,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical coverage

Retirement benefits

Discounted products and free services

Educational expense reimbursement

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Apple Inc. is seeking an experienced Partner Business Development Lead to build and scale strategic partnerships across enterprise, AI-native startups, and industry solutions.

You will originate opportunities with global systems integrators, AI companies, and industry partners to accelerate Apple platform adoption. You will architect repeatable partner frameworks, co-sell and co-market plans, and executive engagement strategies.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in business development or partnerships within enterprise technology.
• Experience across at least three partner types: global systems integrators, enterprise software, AI/ML companies, healthcare/fintech providers, or VC/PE ecosystems.
• Demonstrated ability to architect repeatable partnership frameworks and execute joint GTM strategies.
• Working fluency in enterprise AI and privacy/security considerations in on-device vs cloud architectures.

Responsibilities

• Partnership Origination & Qualification: identify, qualify, and prioritize opportunities across partner types using strategic-fit frameworks.

Skills

Business development

Partnership origination

Enterprise technology

C-suite engagement

Framework architecture

Go-to-market strategy

Job description

Partner Business Development Lead, Worldwide Industries and Partnerships

Cupertino, California, United States Sales and Business Development

Apple is seeking an experienced, entrepreneurial Partner Business Development Lead to build, scale, and activate strategic partnerships that drive Apple platform adoption across industry verticals. This role sits within Worldwide Industries and Partnerships and suits someone who thrives at the intersection of business development, ecosystem strategy, and enterprise technology — equally comfortable engaging a Fortune 50 systems integrator, an AI-native startup, a healthcare payer, or a venture-backed platform company.This is a partnership origination and activation role, not traditional channel or alliance management. You'll identify where Apple has a differentiated advantage through partners, build the motions to get there, and drive measurable go-to-market outcomes across enterprise solution providers, AI frontier and AI-native companies, and industry-specific solution partners.The ideal candidate combines strong partnership instincts, fluency across multiple partner archetypes, and working knowledge of enterprise AI, with the ability to turn market opportunity into repeatable, scalable partner motions that generate real business value. On-device AI is the defining lever today, and this role will continuously evolve Apple's partner value proposition as the platform's advantages in privacy, security, and intelligence keep expanding.

Description

As Partner Business Development Lead, you'll build Apple's partner ecosystem across enterprise, AI, and industry-specific networks, focusing on partnerships that unlock new use cases, accelerate enterprise adoption, and position Apple's platform (on-device AI, security, and privacy architecture) as a key differentiator.You'll engage a broad partner landscape, including:Enterprise Partners: Global systems integrators and consultancies (e.g., Accenture, Deloitte) and enterprise software companies (e.g., SAP, ServiceNow) where platform standardization and joint solutions drive mutual value.AI Companies: Frontier and AI-native companies building models, agents, and applications suited to Apple's privacy-preserving, on-device approach.Industry Solution Partners: Domain specialists across industries such as healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing, whose expertise pairs with Apple hardware/software for differentiated solutions.A core part of this role is architecting repeatable, scalable partnership frameworks, not just managing relationships one at a time. You'll work closely with Industry Leadership, Enterprise/Partner Sales, Product Marketing, Engineering, and Operations to keep partnerships strategically aligned and measurably impactful.

Responsibilities

• Partnership Origination & Qualification: Identify, qualify, and prioritize opportunities across partner types using frameworks that assess strategic fit, technical alignment, and market opportunity.
• Framework & GTM Development: Architect repeatable partnership frameworks and joint go-to-market plans (co-sell, co-marketing, enablement, and pipeline targets) that scale across partner types and industries.
• Joint Value Proposition & Use Case Development: Co-develop partner-specific value propositions and validate enterprise use cases, sizing opportunities with market and revenue data.
• Partner Enablement & Activation: Design programs that equip partner sales/technical teams to position, demo, and deploy Apple solutions; track certification and activation velocity.
• Commercial Negotiation: Lead partnership agreements, revenue-sharing models, and co-development terms, balancing legal, commercial, and technical tradeoffs.
• Executive Relationship Management: Build trusted C-suite/VP relationships across partner organizations, serving as Apple's strategic point of contact.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Industry Leadership, Sales, Marketing, Engineering, and Operations to align strategy, remove blockers, and drive execution.
• Performance Measurement & Market Intelligence: Track partner-sourced pipeline, revenue, and activation metrics; monitor competitive and industry trends to inform strategy.

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years in business development, strategic partnerships, or ecosystem development within enterprise technology, with a track record of originating and activating partnerships that drove measurable go-to-market outcomes.
• Experience across at least three of: global systems integrators, enterprise software (ISVs), AI/ML companies, consulting firms, healthcare/fintech solution providers, or VC/PE ecosystems.
• Demonstrated ability to architect repeatable partnership frameworks that scale beyond individual relationships and execute joint go-to-market strategies.
• Working fluency in enterprise AI, including on-device vs. cloud architecture tradeoffs for privacy, security, and compliance.
• Strong commercial acumen: partnership agreements, joint business planning, revenue-sharing, and investment frameworks.
• Proven ability to engage and influence C-suite/VP executives and drive partner investment decisions.
• Strong analytical skills for market sizing and business-case development.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills; able to operate across a global, matrixed organization with significant autonomy in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in healthcare, financial services, or other regulated industries where privacy/compliance shape adoption.
• Experience with AI-native companies or AI/ML ecosystem players (model providers, app builders, infrastructure).
• Experience engaging VC/PE ecosystems to drive portfolio-company adoption or co-investment.
• Track record at a major platform company (Apple, Google, Microsoft, AWS, NVIDIA) or partnering closely with one.
• Experience designing partner programs, including certification, tiering, enablement, and success metrics.
• MBA or equivalent preferred but not required.

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $186,300 and $280,000, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple’s discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You’ll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant

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Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.