{"id":327672,"url":"https://alion.io/job/backblaze-oem-partnerships-manager","title":"Sr. OEM Partnerships Manager","company":{"id":37551,"name":"Backblaze","domain":"backblaze.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/backblaze","size_band":"201-500","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":95,"open_postings":15,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":111,"computed_at":"2026-10-03T05:45:00Z"}},"role":"Sales","role_family":"Sales","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"remote","remote_scope":"stated_countries","remote_scope_basis":"posting_text","remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":[],"countries":[],"hiring_countries":["US"],"hiring_countries_total":1,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":108000,"max_usd":224000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":1236},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"Amazon S3","optional":false},{"name":"Salesforce","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-11T01:39:30Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-24","last_verified_at":"2026-10-04T00:26:41Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":53,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":53},"description":"Sr. OEM Partnerships Manager\nRemote - US\nBackblaze is the object storage leader in the open cloud movement, fueling customer success with cloud storage built purposefully to unlock budgets, unburden administrators, and unleash innovators. Together with our partners, we're helping customers break free from the restrictive, overpriced legacy solutions that hold them back, and blaze forward with the full power of the open cloud in their hands.\nFounded in 2007, we scaled the business with less than $3 million in outside funding until 2021, when we did a traditional IPO on the Nasdaq stock exchange. Today, Backblaze generates over $100m in revenue and is the leading specialized storage cloud - managing over three billion gigabytes of data storage for 500K+ customers in 175+ countries, including businesses, developers, IT professionals, and individuals.\nBut while there is a lot to celebrate in our past, there is almost as much opportunity ahead of us. We are seeking a: Sr. OEM Partnerships Manager\nAbout the Role\nBackblaze recently closed a landmark, $300M+ TCV NeoCloud win - proof that the flywheel works. But it stalls without validated reference architectures embedded at the silicon and systems layer.\nThis role owns getting B2 designed-in at leading GPU/xPU silicon providers and the OEM/ODM hardware tier, so that every GPU cluster configured for AI inference or training has B2 as the default object storage layer. At the same time, you'll build out the storage tiering motion from flash-tier storage platforms to object storage on HDD with Backblaze. You are the person who makes Backblaze the storage answer before a customer ever talks to a sales rep.\nThis is a build role: some relationships and reference architectures already exist, and a meaningful part of the program is still being created as you run it. You'll need to be technically credible enough to lead a silicon-level architecture conversation, and commercially sharp enough to run the sales and strategic relationship side of the partnership.\nWhat You'll Own\nDesigned-In at the Silicon Layer\nEstablish and advance Backblaze B2 as a validated storage tier within leading GPU and AI data platform ecosystems - integrated, reference-architecture-certified.\nDrive \"design-in\" motions with major xPU and accelerator vendors to close competitive gaps in reference architecture positioning.\nBuild relationships with emerging xPU vendors early enough to be designed into their validated stacks before competitive displacement occurs.\nOEM & ODM Tier\nOwn the joint go-to-market with leading OEM/ODM hardware manufacturers - turning their hardware deployments into B2-integrated solutions sold as complete infrastructure.\nExtend these relationships into the flash-tier storage space, building a clear tiering narrative from flash-tier storage platforms to object storage on HDD.\nStructure OEM agreements and co-sell motions that create pull-through B2 ARR from hardware-first deals. Build the commercial model - referral, resell, or embedded - for each OEM tier.\nIdentify and close 2-3 new OEM/ODM partnerships per year that generate $10M+ in partner-influenced ARR within the first 6 months.\nTurnkey Reference Architectures\nDeliver 5+ published, co-branded reference architectures by end of FY2026 - pairing GPU compute configurations with B2 as the validated storage layer.\nWork with the NeoCloud team and Developer Relations (Flamethrower) to produce technical validation content that serves both the partner and the end customer.\nEnsure reference architectures are submitted to and accepted by Tier-1 analyst firms.\nChannel Sales & Commercial Execution\nNegotiate and structure commercial OEM terms - referral, resell, or embedded models - that convert designed-in positions into sourced, quota-bearing pipeline.\nCarry and deliver against an OEM-sourced pipeline and bookings target, running this program with the discipline of a channel sales motion, not just technical alliance management.\nPartner with Account Executives to convert OEM-designed (\"powered by\") positions into sourced pipeline and closed revenue.\nCross-Functional\nFeed product roadmap gaps - cold storage tier, archive - to Product & Engineering.\nCoordinate with Solutions Engineering so every OEM co-development produces a publishable, reusable reference asset.\nGoal Accountability\nContribute to the OEM-influenced bookings goal through designed-in positions and OEM-sourced pipeline.\nDeliver two flagship reference architectures - one with a leading silicon/GPU platform, one with a leading OEM/ODM hardware partner - as co-marketed technical validation.\nConvert designed-in positions at top target accounts into closed, OEM-sourced revenue.\nThe Right Fit\nRequired\n10+ years in technology partnerships, alliances, or OEM/ODM business development - preferably in cloud infrastructure, storage, or AI systems.\nExisting relationships at major GPU/xPU silicon providers or leading server/storage OEMs - you know who owns the ecosystem programs and you can get a meeting.\nTrack record of quota-carrying sales or channel sales performance, with experience negotiating commercial OEM terms such as referral, resell, or embedded agreements.\nExperience structuring and closing OEM agreements - referral, resell, embedded, or co-sell - with a track record of partner-influenced ARR.\nTechnical fluency in AI/ML infrastructure: you understand GPU cluster architecture, storage tiering, accelerator software stacks, and how storage fits into training and inference workflows.\nDemonstrated ability to drive reference architecture co-development - from whiteboard to published, co-branded technical validation.\nProficiency with Salesforce for partner pipeline tracking and forecasting.\nStrongly Preferred\nExperience working inside or alongside a major GPU/xPU vendor's partner ecosystem program.\nFamiliarity with S3-compatible object storage in AI data pipeline contexts (training data ingestion, checkpoint storage, inference output).\nBackground at a cloud storage, IaaS, or AI infrastructure vendor - not a hyperscaler; we are explicitly the non-hyperscaler option.\nExisting relationships at emerging xPU vendors is a significant differentiator.\nThis Role Is Not For You If\nYou need a mature partner program handed to you - this is a build role. The reference architecture playbook exists for one flagship deal; you are extending it across the OEM tier.\nYou lead with slide decks instead of relationships - the first 90 days are relationship mapping and meeting cadences, not program documentation.\nYou are not comfortable with technical conversations at the SE/architect level - OEM partners will disqualify you fast if you cannot hold the storage-in-AI-systems discussion.\nLogistics\nRemote US.\n30-50% travel.\nReports to: Head of Channel & Partnerships.\nBackblaze Perks\nHealthcare for family, including dental and vision\nCompetitive compensation and 401K\nRSU grants for full-time employees\nESPP program\nFlexible vacation policy\nMaternity & paternity leave\nMacBook Pro to use for work plus a generous stipend to personalize your workstation\nChildcare bonus (human children only)\nFertility treatment and support\nLearning & development program\nCommuter benefits\nCulture that supports a healthy work-life balance\nTo provide greater transparency to candidates, we share base pay ranges for all US-based job postings regardless of state. We set standard base pay ranges for all roles based on function, level, and country location, benchmarked against similar-stage growth companies. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors, including candidate location, skills, depth of work experience, and relevant licenses/credentials, and may vary from the amounts listed below.\nThe base pay range for this position is $134,400 - $164,500, plus variable.\nAt Backblaze, we value being fair and good to our customers, partners, and employees. That's why diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of our values. We are committed to fostering a workforce where all employees feel a sense of belonging regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, socio-economic status, ability, veteran status, and education. We believe that our dedication to cultivating a diverse workspace not only allows us to better serve our customers in over 175 countries, but further reinforces our commitment to doing the right thing. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.","description_format":"text","description_chars":8437,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["401k plan","Apple Macbook","Equity","Flexible vacation policy"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Cloud Storage & File Sharing"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-05T17:03:13Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 1 · green card filings: 3","filings_12m":1,"filings_prev_12m":3,"green_card_filings_12m":3,"median_offered_wage_usd":137500,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-03T21:08:04+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)","US Department of Labor: PERM disclosure data (green cards)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":75,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.828,"p_room":0.9,"age_days":53,"expected_fill_days":111,"reasons":["conf:7","velocity","win:mid"],"computed_at":"2026-10-03T05:45:00Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/backblaze-oem-partnerships-manager","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/backblaze-oem-partnerships-manager.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-04T01:19:46Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","usage":{"tier":"crawler","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":1744,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":3256,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-10-05T00:00:00Z"}}}