Head Strategic Partnerships & Alliances (Data & AI)

Job Description: Head – Strategic Partnerships & Alliances (Data & AI)

Role Overview

We are seeking a high-caliber, growth-driven Head – Strategic Partnerships & Alliances for our Data & AI service line. This is a high-impact, revenue-enabling leadership role focused on building a strategic partner ecosystem to expand market access, enhance go-to-market (GTM) capabilities, and drive top-line profitability.

This is not a relationship-management or administrative position. You will be directly responsible for identifying the right partners, forging executive-level relationships, creating compelling joint value propositions, and converting alliances into a measurable, repeatable pipeline. You will collaborate closely with internal Data & AI specialist sales, presales, solutioning, and delivery teams.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Ecosystem Development

• Formulate Strategy: Define and execute a robust partnership and alliance strategy tightly aligned with corporate growth and revenue priorities.
• Portfolio Management: Build a curated portfolio of high-value partners based on strategic fit, market adjacency, and revenue potential.
• Hyperscaler & AI Alliances: Identify and scale strategic relationships across major hyperscalers (including Databricks and Snowflake), emerging AI startups, and consulting organizations.

Go-To-Market (GTM) & Revenue Generation

• Drive GTM Outcomes: Architect and scale repeatable co-selling motions, referral programs, account mapping activities, and industry-specific sales plays.
• Pipeline Ownership: Build and manage a transparent, measurable partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline.
• MDF Optimization: Strategize, secure, and execute Market Development Fund (MDF) activities to maximize ROI on joint GTM initiatives.
• Sales Alignment: Work hand-in-hand with Sales leadership to pinpoint target accounts, uncover whitespace opportunities, and secure executive introductions.

Governance & Relationship Management

• Executive Engagement: Cultivate trusted, peer-level relationships with partner CXOs, alliance executives, and sales leaders.
• Performance Tracking: Establish rigorous joint business plans, governance frameworks, Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), and clear KPIs to track strategic growth.

Qualifications & Experience

Required Experience

• Overall Tenure:15+ years of overall experience in IT services or adjacent technology sectors.
• Domain Expertise:8+ years of dedicated experience leading strategic partnerships, alliances, or partner-led sales.
• Proven Track Record: Demonstrated success in transforming alliance relationships into commercial pipelines and closed revenue (not just relationship management).
• Market Knowledge: Deep understanding of enterprise technology buying cycles, with specific exposure to the North American technology-services market.

Skills & Competencies

• GTM Excellence: Mastery of co-selling structures, account mapping, and running joint marketing/proposal pursuits.
• Leadership & Influence: Ability to build consensus and collaborate across matrixed internal teams, including Sales, Marketing, Delivery, and Innovation.
• Network Advantage: Pre-existing relationships within major data, cloud, and AI technology ecosystems are highly advantageous.
• Communication: Exceptional negotiation, commercial judgment, and executive presentation skills.

Education & Travel Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's degree required; an MBA or equivalent postgraduate degree is preferred.
• Travel: Willingness to travel frequently within India and periodically overseas as business requires.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to shape and scale a critical growth engine for our Data & AI business line.
• A highly rewarding career trajectory with clear professional development opportunities.
• A highly competitive salary, performance incentives, and benefits package.