The Challenge
Bland is building the most human AI phone agents in the world-backed by $65M from top-tier VCs. You're the first Head of Partnerships, tasked with architecting a partner ecosystem across telephony, CRM, contact centers, and enterprise software that'll unlock massive revenue and distribution.
Your Mission
Map and prioritize 50+ strategic partners across CPaaS (Twilio, Five9), CRM platforms, BPOs, and system integrators; schedule 15+ exploratory calls
Define partner tiers, ideal partner profiles, commercial structures, and co-sell motions; socialize framework internally with product and sales
Hire your first Account Manager and identify FDE/customer engineer gaps; establish hiring criteria and interview process
Close 2-3 pilot or LOI partnerships with warm network contacts to validate go-to-market motion
Build and lead full partnerships team (Account Manager, 1-2 FDEs, customer engineers); establish onboarding and success playbooks
Close 6-8 strategic partnerships with signed agreements and committed co-sell roadmaps
Drive $500K-$1M ARR pipeline from partner channel; track partner-sourced customer health and expansion
Establish partner enablement program: training, GTM assets, technical integration guides, and quarterly business reviews
KPIs You'll Own
Partner Pipeline (ARR)
Quarterly new ARR from partner-sourced customers; target $500K-$2M by end of Year 1.
Partner Activation Rate
% of signed partnerships delivering customer logos and revenue within 90 days of launch.
Time to First Deal
Avg days from partnership LOI to first joint customer close; baseline <120 days.
Partner NRR
Net revenue retention from existing partner relationships; target >110%.
Tools & Stack
Your Team
Your Manager
CEO or COO (not specified; confirm in conversation)
Current Team
You're the founding partnerships lead; no existing team
You'll build: 1 Account Manager, 1-2 Forward Deployed Engineers, customer engineers (backfill + growth)
The Package
Salary
$180K-$240K base
Variable
Likely 10-20% bonus tied to partnership revenue targets
Equity
Series B grant; typical 0.25%-0.75% for VP-level, 4-year vesting
Remote
On-site, San Francisco, CA
Benefits & Perks
Company Intelligence
Bland AI builds the most human AI phone agents in the world, enabling voice automation at scale for enterprises. Backed by $65M from top-tier investors, the 75-person Series B startup powers conversational AI for customers like Samsara and TP, sitting at the intersection of telephony, CRM, contact center infrastructure, and AI.
Team Size
75
Funding
$65M Series B (Emergence Capital, Y Combinator, PayPal and Twilio founders)
Customers
Samsara, TP, and other enterprise customers
Culture
Fast-moving, bias toward speed and execution; player-coach mentality; direct and no corporate fluff
Is This Role For You?
- You've built a partnerships or channel function at a Series B-D SaaS company and can architect from zero to a functioning org
- You own a warm, deep network across telephony, CPaaS, CRM, contact centers, BPOs, or enterprise software-you know who to call day one
- You've negotiated complex partnership deals involving revenue share, co-sell, technical integrations, and joint GTM; you understand deal structuring for mutual value
- You thrive in scrappy, fast-moving environments and can do much of the work yourself while building structure; you're energized, not frustrated, by VP hands-on work
- You have technical fluency (APIs, SaaS architecture, integrations) enough to have credible conversations with technical partners and guide engineers
- You're a partnerships 'manager' waiting to hand off work; this role demands a player-coach who rolls up sleeves and closes deals yourself in months 1-3
- Your network is theoretical, not warm; you need 6+ months to figure out who to call. Bland needs day-one velocity
- You lack sales chops: you've never negotiated commercial terms, structured revenue share, or owned a full deal cycle from prospecting through close
- You need perfect process and visibility before moving; bias toward speed and shipping wins here means building playbooks as you scale, not before
Interview Process
Phone Screen (30 min)
Hiring manager explores your partnerships track record, network depth, and appetite for VP-level execution. Confirm fit on speed and scrappiness.
Deep Dive (60 min)
Walk through a complex partnership deal you've closed: structure, negotiation, integration, GTM motion. Assess technical fluency and deal-making judgment.
Founder/CEO Round (45 min)
Vision and strategy: how would you approach building the Bland partner ecosystem? Discuss warm intros and initial 90-day plan.
Reference Calls (async)
Expect 2-3 calls with former partners, customers, or colleagues who can speak to your execution, team-building, and deal closing.
Ready when you are
Interested in this role?
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Context
About Partnerships roles
Partnerships professionals build and manage strategic relationships that drive revenue — through channel partners, affiliates, co-marketing, integrations, or business development deals.