Director, Partnerships
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 Director of Partnerships, you will lead the strategy and growth of Toptal’s global partner ecosystem, turning strategic relationships into measurable revenue, differentiated services, and expanded market opportunity across Toptal’s existing and emerging services, products, and new businesses.
Reporting to the Chief Customer Officer, AI Services, you will work closely with Sales, Services, Talent, Marketing, and senior leadership to identify, activate, and grow strategic partners. This includes joint go-to-market motions, partner-sourced and influenced pipeline, co-selling, joint solutions, marketplace and reseller opportunities, talent certifications, partnership tiers, executive relationships, and partner-funded programs such as Marketing Development Funds (MDF) and sponsorships.
The successful candidate will combine commercial instincts, partnership strategy, operational discipline, and executive relationship management. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can develop the strategy, put pen to paper, build the plans and materials, work directly on opportunities, and drive execution through measurable business results.
This is a remote position that can be done from anywhere. Due to the remote nature of this role, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship. 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 hands-on partnerships leader with strong commercial instincts, executive communication skills, and experience across partnerships, sales, services, and business operations.
Key responsibilities include:
- Drive partnership revenue and pipeline: Build and execute partnership strategies that generate partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline, accelerate sales opportunities, and expand revenue across Toptal’s services, products, and new businesses.
- Own strategic partner relationships: Develop joint business plans with priority partners, build executive and field-level relationships, establish shared goals, and lead regular business reviews focused on revenue, pipeline, adoption, and growth.
- Build joint GTM and co-sell motions: Turn partnerships into actionable sales motions through joint solutions, account mapping, co-selling, marketplace opportunities, reseller programs, sales enablement, campaigns, and events.
- Grow Toptal’s position within partner ecosystems: Drive certifications, specializations, partnership tiers, designations, marketplace listings, and other requirements that increase Toptal’s access, credibility, benefits, and commercial opportunity within each ecosystem.
- Secure partner investment: Identify and capture Marketing Development Funds (MDF), sponsorships, enablement funding, event support, sales incentives, and other partner-funded programs that can accelerate growth.
- Manage the partnership lifecycle: Own partnerships from identification and business case through contracting, onboarding, launch, activation, growth, and ongoing performance management.
- Coordinate cross-functional execution: Work closely with Sales, Services, Talent, Marketing, Legal, Finance, Product, and leadership to ensure partnership commitments are translated into clear owners, deliverables, and measurable outcomes.
- Measure portfolio performance: Establish and track KPIs across revenue, pipeline, certifications, tier progression, partner engagement, co-sell activity, and partner investment, while maintaining clear visibility into priorities, blockers, and next steps.
- Build scalable partnership operations: Create the processes, tools, documentation, and operating cadence required to manage a growing partner portfolio efficiently without losing speed or accountability.
- Stay hands-on in execution: Personally develop partner plans, presentations, applications, business cases, enablement materials, and other work required to move partnerships forward and convert strategy into results.
In the first week, expect to:
- Build context on Toptal’s partnership strategy, priority partners, current pipeline, and active initiatives.
- Meet key stakeholders across Sales, Services, Talent, Marketing, Legal, Finance, Product, and leadership.
- Begin transitioning ownership of priority partner relationships, operating cadences, and near-term opportunities.
In the first month, expect to:
- Develop a clear view of the partner portfolio, including revenue opportunity, tier status, certifications, GTM motions, and key gaps.
- Take ownership of partnership priorities, partner engagement, pipeline visibility, and cross-functional execution.
- Identify immediate opportunities to accelerate co-sell activity, partner-funded programs, certifications, and tier progression.
In the first three months, expect to:
- Establish joint business plans and measurable growth priorities for Toptal’s most strategic partners.
- Launch or strengthen partner-sourced and partner-influenced GTM motions, including co-selling, account mapping, enablement, marketplace, and joint solution opportunities.
- Implement scalable processes and metrics for revenue, pipeline, certifications, tier progression, partner investment, and overall portfolio performance.
In the first six months, expect to:
- Demonstrate measurable commercial impact through partnership-driven pipeline, revenue opportunities, partner activation, and stronger ecosystem positioning.
- Advance priority partners through certifications, designations, tiers, marketplaces, and other programs that expand Toptal’s commercial opportunity.
- Establish a consistent operating rhythm across partner planning, executive engagement, pipeline reviews, GTM execution, and performance management.
In the first year, expect to:
- Build a scalable partnerships function that is a meaningful contributor to Toptal’s revenue growth and go-to-market strategy.
- Develop a portfolio of strategic partners with clear joint business plans, measurable pipeline and revenue impact, stronger partner tiers, and active co-sell motions.
- Create the systems, relationships, and operating model required to continue expanding Toptal’s partner ecosystem across existing and emerging services, products, and new businesses.
Qualifications and Job Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree is required.
- 8+ years of experience in strategic partnerships, alliances, business development, professional services, sales, or related commercial roles, with demonstrated ownership of complex partner relationships.
- Proven experience developing and executing partnership strategies that have contributed to pipeline, revenue growth, co-sell activity, joint solutions, or market expansion.
- Experience working with technology, platform, cloud, AI, software, marketplace, or professional services partners is strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to build relationships across both executive and field organizations and translate those relationships into actionable joint business plans.
- Experience navigating partner programs, including certifications, specializations, tiers, marketplaces, reseller or co-sell programs, MDF, and partner-funded initiatives.
- Strong commercial instincts and the ability to identify where a partnership can create meaningful value for both Toptal and the partner.
- Proven ability to operate at both the strategic and hands-on executional levels, including developing plans, presentations, business cases, partner applications, and GTM materials.
- Strong cross-functional leadership skills with the ability to drive execution across Sales, Services, Talent, Marketing, Legal, Finance, Product, and Operations without relying on direct authority.
- Excellent executive communication, negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Experience using CRM, pipeline management, analytics, and collaboration tools such as Salesforce, Google Workspace, Slack, and AI productivity tools.
- 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.
