Director, Partnerships Operations

About Toptal

Toptal is a global network of top talent in business, design, and technology that enables companies to scale their teams, on-demand. With $200+ million in annual revenue and team members based around the globe, Toptal is the world’s largest fully remote workforce.

We take the best elements of virtual teams and combine them with a support structure that encourages innovation, social interaction, and fun. We see no borders, move at a fast pace, and are never afraid to break the mold.

Job Summary:

As a Director of Partnerships Operations, you will be leading and executing strategic initiatives to grow Toptal’s Services business. This role’s primary focus will be on developing Toptal’s Partnerships strategy and operating model alongside a Partnerships leader. In addition, this role will work with Services Leadership to support new business opportunities and ad-hoc projects.

Reporting to the Head of Customer Operations, this role works directly with Services Leadership and cross-functionally with Sales, Talent Operations, Analytics, Product, and Finance Operations to deliver outcomes.

The Customer Operations team supports GTM strategy and execution across three stakeholder groups: Sales, Services, and New Business Products. This team is critical in bridging the gap between strategic projects and business-as-usual (BAU) processes, with a focus on revenue growth, operational excellence, and efficiency.

This is a remote position. We do not offer visa sponsorship or assistance. Applicants must be authorized to work in the US at the time of hire. Resumes and communication must be submitted in English.

Responsibilities:

The following information is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or required skills.

We are looking for an experienced, strategic, and collaborative problem-solver with strong communication skills and a background in partnerships, sales, professional services, and/or business operations.

Key responsibilities include:

• End-to-end partnership lifecycle management: Operationalize partnerships from partner identification and onboarding through contracting, enablement, marketplace listing, launch, tier progression, and ongoing partner reviews.
• Partner onboarding & administration: Own high-volume execution required to onboard and maintain partners, including registrations, applications, data collection, documentation, certifications, training requirements, and partner portal management.
• Marketplace & ecosystem operations: Build and manage the operating infrastructure required to scale a rapidly expanding ecosystem across hyperscalers, compute providers, model companies, and other marketplace partners.
• Cross-functional coordination: Orchestrate inputs and dependencies across Practice Leaders, GTM/Sales, Legal, Finance, and other internal teams to move partnerships forward and ensure deliverables are completed on time.
• Partner program & tier management: Track partner requirements, certifications, benefits, commitments, and progression through partner tiers, ensuring Toptal captures the full value of each partnership.
• GTM and co-sell enablement: Translate signed partnerships into executable GTM motions by coordinating sales enablement, listings, co-sell processes, and internal adoption across the sales organization.
• Operating cadence & portfolio management: Establish and run the partnerships steering committee call, maintaining visibility into pipeline, status, blockers, milestones, owners, and next steps across a growing portfolio of 40+ partner relationships.
• Scalable processes and tooling: Move the function away from manual, one-off execution by developing repeatable workflows, documentation, tracking, and systems that allow the partnership portfolio to scale efficiently.

In the first week, expect to:

• Onboard into Toptal’s partnerships ecosystem, strategy, and operating model.
• Build context on the active partnership portfolio, including priority hyperscaler, AI, compute, model, and marketplace partnerships.
• Meet key stakeholders across Practice Leadership, Sales, Legal, Finance, Operations, and other cross-functional teams.
• Begin transitioning ownership of existing partnership workflows, operating cadences, and priority initiatives.

In the first month, expect to:

• Develop a detailed understanding of the end-to-end partnership lifecycle, from onboarding and contracting through enablement, launch, tier management, and ongoing partner operations.
• Take ownership of the Partnerships operating cadence, including portfolio tracking, priorities, dependencies, blockers, and next steps.
• Begin driving execution across priority partnerships in close coordination with Practice Leaders and cross-functional stakeholders while exercising discretion and independent judgment.
• Identify immediate opportunities to streamline high-volume, manual partnership processes and improve visibility across the portfolio.

In the first three months, expect to:

• Establish a consistent operating model for managing Toptal’s growing portfolio of partnerships and marketplace relationships.
• Deliver early improvements to partner onboarding, administration, certification, enablement, and ongoing management.
• Build scalable processes, documentation, and tracking that reduce manual effort and create clear accountability across partnership initiatives.
• Strengthen coordination between Practice Leaders, GTM teams, and cross-functional partners to accelerate partnership launches and activation.

In the first six months, expect to:

• Demonstrate measurable improvements in the speed, consistency, and effectiveness of partnership execution.
• Scale the operational infrastructure required to support a growing ecosystem of hyperscaler, technology, compute, model, and marketplace partners.
• Establish clear frameworks for partner lifecycle management, tier progression, enablement, co-sell readiness, and ongoing performance management.
• Ensure signed partnerships are effectively translated into activated GTM opportunities through strong cross-functional execution.
• Serve as the operational owner of the Partnerships program, balancing strategic improvements with hands-on execution where needed.

In the first year, expect to:

• Build a mature, scalable Partnerships Operations function capable of supporting continued growth in Toptal’s partner ecosystem.
• Establish repeatable systems and processes that allow Toptal to onboard, activate, and manage a significantly larger portfolio of partners efficiently.
• Create strong visibility into partnership health, performance, requirements, and opportunities through clear operating rhythms, metrics, and reporting.
• Enable Practice and GTM leaders to focus on partner relationships and commercial opportunities by providing the operational foundation required to execute them successfully.
• Continuously evolve the Partnerships operating model as partnerships become increasingly embedded within Toptal’s broader go-to-market strategy.

Qualifications and Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree is required.
• 8+ years of experience in partnerships operations, business operations, professional services, sales operations, process improvement, or a related role.
• Partnerships strategy and program management experience is required.
• Proven experience managing both strategic projects and day-to-day operations in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• High degree of ownership and a willingness to operate at both the strategic and executional levels.
• Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving abilities.
• Proficiency with Salesforce, Tableau, Claude, Gemini, Slack, Google Suite (Sheets, Docs, BigQuery).
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, rapidly growing company and handle a wide variety of challenges, deadlines, and a diverse array of contacts.
• You must be a world-class individual contributor to thrive at Toptal. You will not be here just to tell other people what to do.

Essential Job Functions:

• Regularly and reliably attend scheduled virtual team meetings on camera.
• Work independently with minimal supervision.
• Use all required digital collaboration tools.
• Prioritize and self-manage workflows and deadlines.

US FLSA Classification: Full-Time/Exempt

This position receives a base salary and is also eligible to receive a discretionary bonus. For candidates who meet the qualifications and job requirements listed above, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. In the US, Toptal’s benefit offerings include participation in a 401(k) retirement plan; medical, dental, and vision health insurance plans; basic life insurance coverage and short-term and long-term disability coverage; access to flexible spending, dependent care, and health savings accounts; access to telehealth virtual doctors; an employee assistance program; and flexible paid time off.

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