Corporate Business Development Lead

About the Role
We are a small, fast-moving partnerships team that shapes and executes OpenAI’s most strategic collaborations. In this role, you will lead initiatives spanning everything from strategic deals to enabling new ecosystem launches in consumer and enterprise software as well as hardware. You will build deep relationships, set and ensure we have the right joint strategy and programs in place, lead cross-functional workstreams, and iterate on complex deals to break new ground and advance OpenAI’s mission.

You are a seasoned leader with deep experience in architecting complex deals across all aspects of the business, comfortable operating amid ambiguity, and capable of driving alignment at the executive level while simultaneously pushing critical programs to delivery. You have a background in both software and hardware industries and prior experience scaling new platforms and ecosystems.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the partner relationship end-to-end. Be the primary point of contact internally and externally for OpenAI’s most important strategic partners.

• Define and drive joint strategy and roadmap alignment. Collaborate with product, engineering, finance, sales, legal to translate product and engineering priorities into partner roadmaps, milestones, and decision points.

• Technical diligence and partner strategy. Evaluate build/buy/partner options, understand where advantages/risks sit, and provide clear recommendations grounded in technical and business analysis (user experience, data sets, cost targets, silicon device HW/SW stack, timelines etc.).

• Structure and negotiate complex agreements. Lead negotiations with the partner, owning the lifecycle from initial deal structure through launch, expansion and renewal.

• Run operating rhythm and governance. Establish and lead QBRs, steering committees, and exec briefings. Unblock issues fast and hold both sides accountable to outcomes.

• Measure and communicate impact. Own the KPI framework and reporting: launch milestones, partner adoption, revenue or usage impact, ecosystem growth, strategic leverage, and partner health.

• Build trusted, long-term relationships with partner executives; influence roadmaps, investment decisions, and capacity allocation.

Qualifications:

• 12+ years of experience in business development, strategic partnerships, or general management of marketplaces/ecosystems. Commercial leaders