Director, Technology Partnerships

Job descriptionThis is an opportunity to join a newly formed Strategic Partnerships organization at Kiteworks and lead technology partnerships that define how Kiteworks shows up in the cybersecurity and privacy ecosystem. This role builds strategic partnerships with companies such as CrowdStrike, ServiceNow, Palo Alto Networks, AWS, and Microsoft, turning them into joint integrations and growth opportunities for Kiteworks. This is not a sales job — it's a Strategic Partnerships role focused on building solutions, a partner ecosystem, and new business opportunities, for a proactive self-starter. Reporting to the SVP, Strategic Partnerships and Strategy, the Director, Technology Partnerships executes the SVP's strategy for Kiteworks' most strategic technology partnerships, owning the business relationship with top-tier technology partners to ensure each delivers mutual value through joint integrations, co-developed solutions, and executive alignment. This leader builds what Sales and Channel Alliances take to market — account mapping and deal execution belong to those teams. Working with Product Management, Partner Architecture, GSI Partnerships, Partner Operations, Marketing, Legal, and Finance, this leader aligns partner strategy, roadmap priorities, and executive engagement from concept to execution. The ideal candidate combines strong relationship management with technical fluency to navigate complex partnerships in a fast-evolving, AI-driven cybersecurity landscape. Hybrid roleThis is a hybrid role with at least three days a week in our San Mateo office, with occasional travel to meet target management teams. What you'll doStrategic partner relationship managementExecute the partnership plan defined by the SVP for each assigned strategic technology partner.Operationalize joint partnership plans with clearly defined milestones, deliverables, and success metrics for each strategic partner.Build and maintain multi-threaded relationships across partner organizations, including executive sponsors, product leaders, business development, and technical teams, up to and including C-level sponsorship on both sides.Conduct regular business reviews with strategic partners to assess partnership health, progress against goals, and opportunities for expansion.Solution and integration developmentServe as the Kiteworks business owner who brings Kiteworks and partner Product Management and Engineering teams together to design, develop, and launch joint integrations and solutions. The Director, Partner Architecture leads technical architecture and the day-to-day technical conversation; this role drives business direction, commitments, roadmap alignment, and cross-functional follow-through.Partner with Product Management and Partner Architecture to ensure every technology partner integration (API, Model Context Protocol (MCP), and AI Skills-based) has a clearly scoped architecture, a committed position on the Kiteworks product roadmap, and a defined path to GA and support.Cross-functional executionPartner with Legal on partnership agreements, joint solution terms, and integration-related contractual matters.Partner with Finance on partnership economics, joint investment cases, and the business case for new integrations.Partner with Partner Operations on program requirements, partner onboarding, documentation, internal process alignment, CRM hygiene, and tracking needed to keep partnership work moving across teams.Align with the GSI Partnerships leader extending strategic technology integrations through GSI delivery channels where applicable.Enablement of sales, channel, and go-to-marketHand off joint partner solutions and opportunity context to Sales and Channel Alliances for regional execution, providing the partner context, positioning, and relationships they need to be successful in the field.Work with Sales Alliances and Channel teams to develop partner-specific messaging, competitive positioning, and co-sell playbooks.Collaborate with Marketing and Partner Operations on joint go-to-market activity, including co-branded assets, webinars, events, and case studies.Represent Kiteworks at partner events, advisory boards, and executive briefings to strengthen relationships and elevate partnership.Champion partner success stories internally and externally to drive awareness and adoption of joint solutions.Executive alignment and reportingProvide regular updates to the SVP and Kiteworks executive team on the status, progress, and direction of each technology partnership.Escalate partnership risks and blockers with clear recommended actions and owners.Deliver quarterly partnership scorecards measuring integration adoption, partnership health, and present a consolidated Technology Partnerships business review to the executive leadership team. What you'll bringExecution Excellence. Disciplined operator who turns strategy into measurable outcomes by tracking commitments, driving follow-through, and delivering results on time.Integration Fluency. Comfort engaging in technical discussions on integrations, APIs, MCP, AI Skills, and agentic workflows with the Director, Partner Architecture, Product, and Engineering, with the ability to shape practical joint solutions and identify where these patterns unlock real customer value.Relationship Building. Skill in developing deep, trust-based relationships across multiple levels of partner organizations, up to and including the C-suite.Cross-Functional Leadership. Ability to align and mobilize internal teams across Product, Engineering, Partner Operations, Marketing, Legal, Finance, GSI Partnerships, and Sales/Channel Alliances around partnership objectives.Business Acumen. Understanding of enterprise software economics, partner business models, and how technology partnerships translate to ecosystem value and pipeline.12+ years of experience in technology alliances, strategic partnerships, or business development, with a minimum of 5 years leading strategic technology partnerships at a Director or Sr. Director level.Demonstrated track record in enterprise software, cybersecurity, or data protection of executing strategic technology partnerships and driving joint integrations and solution development, ideally with partners such as CrowdStrike, ServiceNow, Palo Alto Networks, AWS, or Microsoft.Strong technical fluency; experience with API-based integrations, cloud architectures, and modern AI/agent frameworks (MCP, AI Skills) is highly preferred.Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience; MBA or advanced degree preferred. About KiteworksThe Kiteworks single-tenant-by-design virtual appliance delivers full data sovereignty, governing employees’ and AI agents’ access to, use, and sharing of sensitive data under the same identity, policy, encryption, and audit controls. Compliance is built in, not bolted on. The values that define usExecution – We deliver results with focus, ownership, and consistency. Our teams take initiative, solve challenges proactively, and continuously optimize how we work to create meaningful impact for our customers.Transparency – We communicate openly and clearly, ensuring stakeholders have the information they need to make informed decisions. We foster a culture of trust, welcome feedback, and embrace accountability in everything we do.Integrity – We uphold the highest standards of honesty and responsibility. Our teams act ethically, consistently honor commitments, and build trust through principled, reliable actions. Compensation range Annual Base Salary Range of $250,000 – $280,000Base pay depends on many factors, such as location, education, experience, and skills. Base pay is only one part of Kiteworks competitive Total Rewards package that can include benefits, perks, equity, and bonuses. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. Benefits & perks Equity - stock options to share in company successHealthcare3 Cigna plans (PPO, EPO, HDHP)90% covered (PPO/EPO) + $0 premium HDHP$1,200–$2,400 HSA contributionCompetitive vision and dental coverageSavings & retirementFSA + Dependent Care FSA401(k) with 100% match (up to $5K), immediate vestingCoverage - Fully paid life & disability insuranceFamily benefits16 weeks (birthing) / 8 weeks (non-birthing)$10K lifetime reimbursement fertility benefitCare & support - One Medical membership + EAP counselingTime off & flexibilityUnlimited PTO + 10 holidays10 work-from-anywhere daysPerks - Catered lunches + in-office massage days Commitment to equal opportunity & inclusionKiteworks is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. Other requirementsAbility to meet Kiteworks, customer, and/or government security screening requirements for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the following specialized security screenings.Kiteworks Background CheckThis position requires passing the Kiteworks background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.Please note that this role is open to individuals who already have U.S. work authorization. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.