Senior Director, NVIDIA Partnership

This is an incredible opportunity to be part of a company that has been at the forefront of AI and high-performance data storage innovation for over two decades. DataDirect Networks (DDN) is a global market leader renowned for powering many of the world's most demanding AI data centers, in industries ranging from life sciences and healthcare to financial services, autonomous cars, Government, academia, research and manufacturing.

"DDN's A3I solutions are transforming the landscape of AI infrastructure." - IDC

"The real differentiator is DDN. I never hesitate to recommend DDN. DDN is the de facto name for AI Storage in high performance environments" - Marc Hamilton, VP, Solutions Architecture & Engineering | NVIDIA

DDN is the global leader in AI and multi-cloud data management at scale. Our cutting-edge data intelligence platform is designed to accelerate AI workloads, enabling organizations to extract maximum value from their data. With a proven track record of performance, reliability, and scalability, DDN empowers businesses to tackle the most challenging AI and data-intensive workloads with confidence.

Our success is driven by our unwavering commitment to innovation, customer-centricity, and a team of passionate professionals who bring their expertise and dedication to every project. This is a chance to make a significant impact at a company that is shaping the future of AI and data management.

Our commitment to innovation, customer success, and market leadership makes this an exciting and rewarding role for a driven professional looking to make a lasting impact in the world of AI and data storage.

The Senior Director of NVIDIA Partnerships owns the strategic and commercial success of DDN's engagement with NVIDIA. You will be responsible for defining the joint strategy, orchestrating execution across both organizations, and ultimately driving significant revenue growth and market share through this critical alliance.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Alliance Leadership:
• Own, define, and drive the overarching strategy for the DDN-NVIDIA partnership, ensuring tight alignment on business objectives, joint initiatives, and revenue targets.
• Identify and champion opportunities to deeply integrate DDN's high-performance data solutions with NVIDIA's platforms (e.g., DGX, SuperPOD, OVX, AI Enterprise) creating unique, high-value joint offerings for AI, ML, HPC, and data-intensive workloads.
• Go-to-Market (GTM) & Sales Execution:
• Develop, launch, and manage impactful joint GTM strategies in close collaboration with DDN and NVIDIA marketing, sales, product, and engineering teams.
• Orchestrate joint marketing campaigns, demand generation programs, and industry event participation to build pipeline and accelerate market adoption.
• Actively engage with NVIDIA field sales teams to establish and execute effective co-selling motions, drive joint pipeline development, and win strategic customer deals.
• Create compelling joint customer success stories and case studies.
• Enablement & Revenue Growth:
• Equip DDN and NVIDIA sales and technical teams with the essential training, resources, and sales tools required to effectively position and sell joint solutions.
• Build and nurture strong, productive relationships with NVIDIA sales leadership and field teams globally to facilitate co-selling and achieve joint revenue goals.
• Track and report on all key performance indicators (KPIs), including pipeline growth, bookings, revenue contribution, and market penetration, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities.
• Partnership Management & Expansion:
• Define, negotiate, and manage partnership agreements to ensure mutual success and long-term scalability.
• Continuously monitor NVIDIA's product roadmap, strategic initiatives, and organizational changes to proactively identify new collaboration opportunities and mitigate risks.
• Executive Alignment & Advocacy:
• Serve as the primary internal and external advocate for the DDN-NVIDIA partnership, securing executive sponsorship and cross-functional buy-in.
• Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with key executives and stakeholders within NVIDIA GTM , SA and Sales team .
• Provide regular, insightful updates to senior leadership on partnership performance, strategic direction, and growth opportunities.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in strategic alliances, business development, or partner sales, preferably within the enterprise storage, HPC, or AI infrastructure sectors.
• Proven, demonstrable track record of successfully managing strategic alliances with NVIDIA, including developing and executing joint sales strategies that resulted in significant, measurable revenue growth.
• Direct experience working with NVIDIA field sales and channel organizations to build pipeline and close joint business.
• Deep understanding of NVIDIA's key technologies, solutions (e.g., GPUs, DGX, SuperPOD, Networking, AI Enterprise, Omniverse), partner programs, and overall go-to-market structure.
• Strong technical aptitude and understanding of cloud infrastructure, AI/ML concepts, HPC environments, and data management solutions.
• Exceptional ability to build C-level relationships, negotiate complex agreements, and influence cross-functional teams (internal and external).
• Outstanding communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Strategic thinker with strong execution capabilities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering, or a related field (MBA preferred).

Compensation:

This role includes a commission-based component. The estimated On-Target Earnings (OTE) range is $235,000- $436,000 (base + commission), dependent on experience and location.

DDN has a very strong orientation towards these 4 characteristics and any successful employee will demonstrate these capabilities:

Self-Starter - Takes independent action to identify and solve problems. Seeks out relevant information needed to make decisions. Gets involved with new initiatives.

Success/Achievement Orientation - Delivers quality results consistently. Targets, achieves (or exceeds) measurable results. Sets challenging goals, focuses on critical priorities, and is accountable.

Problem Solving - Recognizes problems and responds with a systematic assessment that identifies and addresses cause of issue. Practical, realistic, and resourceful.

Innovative - Builds and improves key business processes that enhance the effectiveness of DDN. Generates new ideas, challenges the status quo, and solves problems creatively.

DataDirect Networks, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, sex stereotyping, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

#LI-Remote