VP, Strategic Partnerships

Profound; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Profound is seeking a VP of Strategic Partnerships to lead the global partnership strategy and drive relationships within the AI ecosystem. This executive role requires a proven track record in strategic partnerships and business development in high-growth tech environments.

The ideal candidate will have deep experience in navigating agency networks and running successful marketplace programs, ensuring Profound's leadership in AI search optimization.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in strategic partnerships within high-growth technology or SaaS.
• Experience running a Global Systems Integrator (GSI) program.
• Hands-on experience with AWS, GCP, or Azure marketplace systems.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute global partnership strategy.
• Build and scale a Global Systems Integrator program.
• Negotiate complex partnerships and agreements.

Skills

Strategic partnership development

Business development

Agency ecosystem navigation

Cloud marketplace experience

Executive communication

Job description

Profound is the marketing platform for the AI era. As people increasingly turn to ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini to decide what to buy, we give brands the intelligence to see how AI represents them and the Agents to act on it. Today, ~13% of the Fortune 500, plus companies like Ramp, Figma, Chime, Calendly, and DocuSign, use Profound to turn AI Search from a black box into a measurable growth channel.

Backed by Lightspeed, Sequoia, Kleiner Perkins, and Khosla Ventures at a $1B valuation, we're a lean, fast-moving team across NYC, SF, Buenos Aires, and London, shipping at a relentless pace and defining a new category at the biggest shift in marketing in 25 years. If you want to do the best work of your career at the frontier of AI, come build it with us.

As our VP of Strategic Partnerships, you will architect and lead the global partnership strategy that establishes Profound as the definitive platform for AI search optimization. You will define the vision, build the team, and personally drive the highest‑leverage relationships across the AI ecosystem — from major agency networks and global systems integrators to hyperscale cloud marketplaces and enterprise B2B platforms.

This role operates at the executive level, sitting at the intersection of product strategy, revenue, and market positioning. You will own the full partnership lifecycle while leading cross‑functional alignment to ensure deep integrations and joint go‑to‑market programs deliver transformational value for Profound and our partners.

What You’ll Do

• Define and execute Profound's global partnership strategy across product, channel, agency, and data partnerships — with direct accountability for partnership‑sourced pipeline and revenue
• Build and scale a Global Systems Integrator (GSI) program, establishing and deepening relationships with the likes of Accenture, Deloitte, Bain, Cap Gemini etc.
• Own and grow Profound's presence within the Agency ecosystem — forging strategic alliances with holding companies and independent digital agencies who are shaping how brands approach AI search and discoverability
• Develop and lead hyperscale go‑to‑market programs through cloud marketplaces including AWS Marketplace, Google Cloud Marketplace, and Azure — driving co‑sell motions, committed spend agreements, and enterprise co‑marketing investments
• Structure and negotiate complex, executive‑level partnership agreements balancing commercial terms, technical integration requirements, and long‑term strategic value
• Lead a cross‑functional partnership function working closely with Product, Engineering, Analytics, Marketing, and Sales to take partnerships from concept through commercial launch
• Serve as the executive point of contact for Profound's most strategic partners — leading QBRs, tracking performance, and proactively identifying expansion and upsell opportunities
• Drive joint marketing initiatives, co‑selling motions, and customer enablement programs alongside Marketing and Sales leadership
• Represent Profound externally as a thought leader in the AI ecosystem — at industry events, in partner announcements, and through content and case studies
• Maintain a living view of the AI ecosystem landscape and competitive dynamics, informing product and go‑to‑market strategy at the executive level

Who You Are

• 7+ years in strategic partnerships, business development, or alliances in high‑growth technology or SaaS, with a demonstrated track record of building programs that drive significant revenue and product value
• Deep experience running a GSI program
• Proven experience navigating the Agency ecosystem — you understand how holding companies and independent agencies make technology decisions and how to position a platform as essential to their client work
• Hands‑on experience driving co‑sell and marketplace programs through AWS, GCP, or Azure at scale, including marketplace listings, co‑sell activation, and cloud‑committed revenue motions
• Deep fluency in the AI landscape — including LLM providers, AI platforms, search technologies, and the broader application layer — and a clear point of view on where it's heading
• Executive‑level communicator and relationship builder with a track record of closing complex, multi‑stakeholder deals involving commercial terms, data licensing, technical integrations, and joint go‑to‑market commitments
• Existing C‑suite and VP‑level relationships across AI platform companies, agency networks, cloud providers, and enterprise SaaS
• Experience leading and scaling partnerships teams in a high‑growth startup environment
• Background in analytics, marketing technology, SEO, or SaaS platforms serving enterprise customers is a strong plus