📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Sr. Director, Channel Partnerships
🔹 Company: DigitalOcean
🔹 Location: San Francisco, California, United States
🔹 Job Type: Full-time, Remote
🔹 Category: Software Development
🔹 Date Posted: August 7, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 10+ years
🔹 Remote Status: Remote (United States)
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Developing and executing DigitalOcean's channel strategy, focusing on cloud-native and AI-centric partners
- Recruiting, growing, and monetizing relationships with various partner types to drive revenue growth
- Collaborating cross-functionally with internal teams to drive partner-led pipeline and customer acquisition
- Building and leading a high-performing partner sales team
- Operating with a strategic mindset, strong business acumen, and excellent communication skills
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strategic, high-impact leader with a proven track record in channel partnerships, business development, or indirect sales within the cloud infrastructure, SaaS, or AI/ML ecosystem.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Define, lead, and execute DigitalOcean’s channel and partner strategy, with a focus on recruiting, growing, and monetizing relationships with cloud-native and AI-centric partners serving digital-native businesses
✅ Identify and recruit strategic, high-potential partners focused on AI and digital-native businesses, and develop joint GTM strategies and commercial models
✅ Partner with internal Sales and Marketing teams to design and execute joint marketing campaigns, co-selling programs, and event strategies that drive partner-led pipeline and customer acquisition
✅ Enable partners to deliver AI workloads and modern application solutions on DigitalOcean’s platform, leveraging products like Droplets, Kubernetes, App Platform, Spaces, and GPU offerings
✅ Track and report on pipeline generation, deal velocity, and close rates from the channel to ensure visibility and accountability across the organization
✅ Lead strategic negotiations and co-sell motions with top-tier partners, manage executive-level relationships, and create scalable onboarding, certification, and enablement programs
✅ Develop and manage partner tiers, incentive structures, and deal registration processes to support partner growth, alignment, and fairness
✅ Own forecasting, reporting, and operational KPIs for the partner channel, and work with systems and ops teams to define partner workflows, tooling, and performance tracking
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strong understanding of cloud computing concepts and technologies, familiarity with the needs and buying behaviors of digital-native companies, and experience in GTM motions targeting these segments.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in business, technology, or a related field required; MBA or advanced technical degree is a plus
Experience: 7+ years of experience in channel partnerships, business development, or indirect sales within the cloud infrastructure, SaaS, or AI/ML ecosystem, with a strong track record of building and scaling partner programs that deliver measurable revenue impact
Required Skills:
- Proven success recruiting, onboarding, and managing different types of partners, including VARs, MSPs, system integrators, ISVs, AI solution providers, and consultancies
- Understanding of cloud computing concepts and technologies (IaaS, PaaS, containers, Kubernetes, developer tools, AI/ML frameworks, GPU workloads)
- Familiarity with the needs and buying behaviors of digital-native companies, such as SaaS startups, AI-first businesses, e-commerce platforms, Web3 companies, and dev-centric teams
- Demonstrated ability to be a player/coach, build, and lead a high-performing partner sales team
- Strong strategic thinking and business acumen, with experience developing joint value propositions, co-selling frameworks, and partner programs aligned with revenue goals and customer value
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and executive engagement skills
- Entrepreneurial mindset with comfort navigating ambiguity, solving complex problems, and executing quickly in a fast-scaling, resource-constrained environment
Preferred Skills:
- Experience working cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Product, Legal, and Customer Success teams to deliver cohesive and scalable partner experiences
- Familiarity with CRM and PRM tools (e.g., Salesforce, Crossbeam, Impartner, PartnerStack, etc.)
ASSUMPTION: Candidates with experience in both global and regional partner landscapes, as well as those with familiarity with the needs and buying behaviors of digital-native companies, will be strongly considered.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $230,304 - $345,456 per year (based on market data, relevant years of experience, and skills)
Benefits:
- Competitive array of benefits
- Employee Assistance Program
- Local Employee Meetups
- Flexible Time Off Policy
- Reimbursement for relevant conferences, training, and education
- Access to LinkedIn Learning's 10,000+ courses
- Equity compensation to eligible employees, including equity grants upon hire and the option to participate in the Employee Stock Purchase Program
Working Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on market data and may vary depending on the candidate's experience, skills, and location.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: DigitalOcean is a leading cloud computing platform provider, simplifying cloud infrastructure and fully managed offerings to help developers build, deploy, and scale digital products and services
Company Size: DigitalOcean has 1,001-5,000 employees, providing a mid-sized company environment with ample opportunities for growth and collaboration
Founded: DigitalOcean was founded in 2012, with a mission to simplify cloud computing and empower developers to build innovative applications that drive business growth
Company Description:
- DigitalOcean simplifies cloud computing so businesses can spend more time creating software that changes the world
- The company offers mission-critical infrastructure and fully managed offerings, helping developers at startups and growing digital businesses rapidly build, deploy, and scale
- DigitalOcean combines the power of simplicity, security, community, and customer support to enable customers to focus less on managing their infrastructure and more on building innovative applications
Company Specialties:
- Cloud Computing
- Cloud Servers
- Virtual Hosting
- Cloud Hosting
- Cloud Infrastructure
- Simple Hosting
- Virtual Servers
Company Website: DigitalOcean
ASSUMPTION: DigitalOcean's focus on simplicity, security, community, and customer support creates a unique work environment that prioritizes innovation and customer success.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: This role is at the senior leadership level, requiring a strategic mindset and proven track record in channel partnerships or business development
Reporting Structure: The Sr. Director of Channel Partnerships will report directly to the VP of Business Development or a similar executive role
Work Arrangement: This is a remote role, with the expectation that the candidate will be based in the United States
Growth Opportunities:
- Leading and expanding the partner sales team as the channel program grows
- Potential career progression into a VP or C-level role within the business development or sales organization
- Opportunities to collaborate with and learn from industry-leading experts in cloud computing, AI, and software development
ASSUMPTION: This role offers significant growth potential, both in terms of team expansion and career advancement within the organization.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: DigitalOcean has a hybrid work environment, with employees working remotely and on-site as needed
Office Location(s): DigitalOcean's headquarters is in Broomfield, Colorado, with additional offices in New York, San Francisco, and other locations worldwide
Geographic Context:
- San Francisco, California, is a major tech hub with a vibrant startup ecosystem and a high concentration of digital-native companies
- The city is known for its diverse culture, innovative spirit, and strong focus on work-life balance
- San Francisco offers a competitive job market, with numerous opportunities for professional growth and networking
Work Schedule: This role follows a standard full-time work schedule, with the expectation of occasional evening or weekend work as needed
ASSUMPTION: The remote nature of this role allows for greater flexibility in work-life balance, while still providing opportunities for collaboration and professional development.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Online application review
- Phone or video screen with the hiring manager
- On-site or virtual interview with the hiring team
- Final round interview with senior leadership
- Background check and offer extension
Key Assessment Areas:
- Strategic thinking and business acumen
- Communication and negotiation skills
- Technical understanding of cloud computing and AI/ML frameworks
- Familiarity with the needs and buying behaviors of digital-native companies
- Leadership and team-building skills
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience in channel partnerships, business development, or indirect sales within the cloud infrastructure, SaaS, or AI/ML ecosystem
- Demonstrate your understanding of cloud computing concepts and technologies, as well as your familiarity with the needs and buying behaviors of digital-native companies
- Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions that assess your strategic thinking, communication, and leadership skills
- Be ready to discuss your experience managing various partner types and driving measurable revenue impact through partner programs
ATS Keywords: Channel Partnerships, Business Development, Indirect Sales, Cloud Infrastructure, SaaS, AI/ML, Partner Management, GTM Strategies, Negotiation, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Operational Excellence, Strategic Thinking, Communication, Technical Engagement, Sales Enablement, Team Leadership
ASSUMPTION: DigitalOcean's hiring process is designed to assess candidates' strategic thinking, communication, and leadership skills, as well as their technical understanding of cloud computing and AI/ML frameworks.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- CRM and PRM tools (e.g., Salesforce, Crossbeam, Impartner, PartnerStack, etc.)
- Cloud computing platforms (e.g., DigitalOcean, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)
- AI/ML frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, etc.)
- Containerization and orchestration tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)
- Version control systems (e.g., Git, GitHub)
ASSUMPTION: Familiarity with these tools and technologies is essential for success in this role, as they are integral to DigitalOcean's platform and the AI workloads and modern application solutions it enables.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Simplicity
- Security
- Community
- Customer Support
Work Style:
- Collaborative and team-oriented
- Innovative and solutions-driven
- Customer-focused and results-oriented
Self-Assessment Questions:
- Do you thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment where you can think big, bold, and scrappy?
- Are you comfortable navigating ambiguity and solving complex problems with limited resources?
- Do you have a strong bias for action and a powerful sense of responsibility for customers, products, employees, and decisions?
ASSUMPTION: DigitalOcean's culture values innovation, collaboration, and a strong customer focus, making it an ideal fit for candidates who are comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and who share these values.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Managing a high volume of partner relationships and ensuring their success on the DigitalOcean platform
- Balancing the needs and priorities of various internal teams, such as Sales, Marketing, Product, and Customer Success
- Navigating the competitive cloud computing landscape and differentiating DigitalOcean's offerings in the market
- Adapting to the evolving needs and buying behaviors of digital-native companies, as well as changes in the AI/ML landscape
ASSUMPTION: These challenges require a strategic, adaptable, and customer-focused approach, as well as strong communication and collaboration skills.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- Compared to other channel partnership roles, this position focuses more on cloud-native and AI-centric partners, requiring a deeper understanding of these technologies and their applications
- DigitalOcean's focus on simplicity and customer support differentiates it from other cloud computing providers, offering unique opportunities for partners and customers alike
- Career progression in this role may differ from traditional sales or business development paths, with opportunities to specialize in cloud computing and AI/ML partnerships
ASSUMPTION: This role offers a unique blend of strategic, technical, and customer-focused responsibilities, making it an attractive opportunity for candidates with relevant experience in channel partnerships or business development.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing and executing a joint GTM strategy with a strategic AI-centric partner, targeting digital-native businesses and driving measurable revenue growth
- Creating a scalable onboarding, certification, and enablement program for a new partner tier, ensuring partners are technically and commercially equipped to succeed with DigitalOcean
- Negotiating and managing a strategic co-sell motion with a top-tier partner, aligning on joint investment and ensuring alignment with DigitalOcean's revenue goals and customer value
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects illustrate the strategic, collaborative, and customer-focused nature of the Sr. Director of Channel Partnerships role at DigitalOcean.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- How does DigitalOcean differentiate its cloud computing offerings from competitors, and how does this impact partner strategy?
- What are the most successful partner relationships DigitalOcean has established, and what factors contributed to their success?
- How does DigitalOcean support its partners' technical and commercial enablement, and what resources are available to ensure their success?
- What are the key priorities for the Sr. Director of Channel Partnerships in the first 90 days, and how can I contribute to driving immediate impact?
- How does DigitalOcean measure the success of its partner program, and what metrics are most important for the Sr. Director of Channel Partnerships to track and optimize?
ASSUMPTION: These questions demonstrate your interest in understanding DigitalOcean's partner strategy, as well as your strategic thinking and customer-focused mindset.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience in channel partnerships, business development, or indirect sales within the cloud infrastructure, SaaS, or AI/ML ecosystem
- Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions that assess your strategic thinking, communication, and leadership skills
- Be ready to discuss your experience managing various partner types and driving measurable revenue impact through partner programs
- Follow up with the hiring team one week after submitting your application, inquiring about the status of your application and expressing your continued interest in the role
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
