Strategic Partnerships Director

About the Position

Bluefish is seeking a Strategic Partnerships Director to build and lead our technology partnerships function at a pivotal moment in the company's growth. This role is designed for a sharp, polished operator with a strong track record of originating and closing complex, high-value partnerships with major technology companies. We are looking for someone to own relationships with AI platforms, enterprise software companies, and channel partners, and to help shape how Bluefish is positioned at the highest levels of the technology and enterprise world.

You will work closely with the Senior Leadership Team to develop partnership strategy, prioritize opportunities, and represent Bluefish in senior-level external conversations. Success in this role requires exceptional commercial instincts, an uncompromising standard of quality in all external-facing output, and the ability to manage multiple high-priority threads simultaneously in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.

What You'll Be Doing

• Own and advance a portfolio of high-priority strategic technology partnerships with AI platforms, enterprise software companies, and channel partners.

• Collaborate closely with the CEO and senior leadership to develop partnership strategy and represent Bluefish in senior-level external conversations.

• Lead the creation of partnership proposals, decks, and supporting materials designed for C-suite audiences at the world's leading technology companies.

• Build and manage a partnerships pipeline from origination through close, bringing structure and rigor to how Bluefish tracks and advances complex, multi-stakeholder deals.

• Work cross-functionally with Product, Marketing, and Client Success to ensure partnership structures are commercially sound and operationally deliverable.

• Serve as a force multiplier for the leadership team, ensuring continuity across open partnership threads and that no opportunity falls through the cracks.

• Contribute to building out the partnerships function as the team scales, establishing standards, playbooks, and best practices for how Bluefish originates and manages strategic relationships.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in management consulting, strategic partnerships, or business development.

• Demonstrated track record of structuring and closing complex, high-value technology partnerships with large enterprise or platform organizations.

• Exceptional communication and executive presence; equally comfortable in a room with a senior technology executive as when building internal strategy documents.

• Uncompromising attention to detail and a high standard of quality in all external-facing output.

• Strong commercial and analytical instincts, with the ability to assess deal value, model partnership scenarios, and structure creative terms.

• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment where ownership and initiative are expected.

• Familiarity with the AI ecosystem, including LLM providers, AI-powered search, and enterprise AI tooling.

• Marketing / Ad Tech ecosystem experience and familiarity is preferred.

• Experience as an early or founding partnerships hire at a high-growth startup is a plus

• Background at a Tier 1 management consulting firm, or within a strategic partnerships or business development team at a major technology company is a plus

• Willingness to be based in or regularly work from our New York City headquarters.

About Bluefish:

Bluefish believes that AI represents the next major chapter of the internet - and that consumers will increasingly use AI to consume information and media online. On this new AI internet, brands will need new tools and technologies to tell their stories to consumers online - and a new marketing ecosystem will be created around AI. Bluefish is building the platform that helps brands engage consumers on this new AI channel, with powerful enterprise tools to manage AI brand safety and engage consumers with thoughtful and personalized AI marketing experiences.

The Bluefish team is a tight-knit group of mar-tech industry veterans who previously helped build foundational ad-tech platforms now owned by Meta and Microsoft. Bluefish, the leading AI marketing platform for the Fortune 500, recently announced a $20M Series A funding round led by NEA, with participation from Salesforce Ventures. Additional investors include Crane Venture Partners, Swift Ventures, and Bloomberg Beta. We are a globally distributed team, with business operations based in New York City and engineering based in Berlin.

Why Bluefish & Our Values:

• Unique opportunity to join on the ground floor of a fast-moving startup building at the center of AI

• Tackle challenging and abstract problems while disrupting the $300BN legacy mar-tech industry

• Join an experienced high-performing team where you will have immediate ownership and impact

• Experience a true meritocracy with significant career growth upside as the business scales

Our Values:

• Demonstrated grit and resourcefulness; you find creative solutions, adapt quickly, and aren't afraid to roll up your sleeves in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

• Thoughtful and strategic thinker with the ability to anticipate needs, ask the right questions, and deliver insights that truly drive value.

• Proven ability to collaborate across functions and roles, fostering open communication and shared ownership of outcomes.

• Commitment to craftsmanship; you take pride in delivering high-quality work, paying attention to the small details while keeping the big picture in mind.

• Self-starter with a proactive mindset and a strong sense of accountability; able to drive projects forward independently while staying aligned with team goals.

• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and learning new tools, processes, or technologies to get the job done.