Director, Channel Partnerships
At a glance
Leadership Channel & Partnerships role at OpenRouter. Remote, United States · full-time.
Pay not stated
Growth Roles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Set the global indirect-sales plan across AWS, GCP, Azure, integrators, distributors, resellers, and technology partners
- Launch and improve marketplace listings, then support hyperscaler co-selling, private offers, and transactions
- Find, sign, and onboard GSIs, regional integrators, distributors, and AI solution providers
- Coordinate partner sellers and account executives through opportunities, deal cycles, and partner-sourced closes
- Create partner tiers, incentives, registration rules, conflict processes, and joint marketing programs
What you bring
- At least seven years in channel partnerships, alliances, or partner development for B2B SaaS or infrastructure
- A demonstrated record of creating indirect-sales programs from an early stage
- Experience hiring and managing partnership teams spanning marketplaces, integrators, distributors, and resellers
- Proof of driving cloud-marketplace revenue with AWS, GCP, and Azure partner teams
- Executive-level relationship skills, including leading QBRs and delivering substantial partner revenue
Who this fits
This role suits a senior channel leader who can begin as an individual contributor, build the partner program, and later hire and lead a team. You should be comfortable working with cloud marketplaces, enterprise integrators, distributors, resellers, and executive stakeholders. The role is remote within the United States.
From the employer
About OpenRouter
OpenRouter is the open AI routing and infrastructure layer that enterprises use to access, manage, and optimize the best large language models across providers—without lock-in, capacity constraints, or unnecessary cost. We power some of the most advanced AI teams in the world by giving them the flexibility to move fast, scale confidently, and stay future-proof as models evolve.
As enterprise adoption of AI accelerates, OpenRouter sits at the center of how organizations operationalize LLMs across research, product, and production workloads.
About the Role
As a Channel Partnerships Director, you will build our indirect sales motion from the ground up. You'll develop and execute a global partnership strategy across cloud marketplaces, system integrators, distributors, and resellers to expand OpenRouter's reach and drive revenue through partner channels. Starting as an individual contributor, you'll own the entire partner ecosystem while establishing the frameworks needed to scale. As the program matures and grows, you'll recruit and lead a team to deepen partner coverage and accelerate growth.
What You'll Do
Define and execute OpenRouter's global indirect sales strategy across cloud marketplaces (AWS, GCP, Azure), system integrators, distributors, resellers, and technology partners
Establish OpenRouter's presence on major cloud marketplaces, optimize listings, enable co-sell motions with hyperscaler sales teams, and drive private offers and marketplace transactions
Identify, recruit, and onboard high-potential partners, including GSIs, regional system integrators, technology distributors, and AI solution providers
Work closely with partner sales teams and OpenRouter's Account Executives to identify opportunities, support deal cycles, and close partner-sourced business
Build and maintain executive-level relationships with strategic partners, define joint goals, lead Quarterly Business Reviews, and resolve conflicts
Build partner tiering models, incentive structures, deal registration processes, and conflict resolution frameworks
Partner with marketing to develop joint campaigns, webinars, case studies, events, and content that showcase partner solutions
What We're Looking For
7+ years of experience in channel partnerships, alliances, or partner development at a B2B SaaS or infrastructure company
Proven track record in building indirect sales programs from early stages
Experience hiring, developing, and managing partnerships teams across multiple channel types (marketplaces, system integrators, distributors, resellers)
Track record driving cloud marketplace revenue and working with hyperscaler partner teams (AWS, GCP, Azure)
History of achieving significant partner revenue targets (30%+ of company revenue through indirect channels)
Executive presence with the ability to build relationships at the C-level and manage QBRs
Nice To Haves
Background in AI/ML, developer tools, or API infrastructure partnerships
Existing relationships with enterprise GSIs (Accenture, Deloitte, Capgemini) and hyperscaler partner organizations
Technical fluency to discuss API integrations and joint technical architectures
Has been a first partnership hire for a startup
If you don't think you meet all of the criteria below but still are interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box, and we're looking for someone who is excited to join the team.
Not this one either?
Claude or ChatGPT reads the other 90,537 for you.
Get better matches →
