Head of Partnerships

About the Role

We're building the next layer of growth beyond direct sales: a partner ecosystem.

We've validated that there's real demand for it. Today, referrals from agencies already generate substantial ARR with no dedicated owner and no formal program. We believe there is a much bigger opportunity with different personas. Leadership is aligned and ready to invest in a person who owns this end-to-end, from proving out the size of the opportunity to building the program that scales it.

This is a build-from-zero role. There is no existing partnerships function, no partner ops, and no program infrastructure. You'll start by answering one question: how big is the real referral partner universe for Starbridge, and where is it? Then you'll build the function needed to capture it. Compensation includes a quota component, so this role is accountable to revenue as well as activity.

What You'll Do

Phase 1: Prove the partner universe (0 to 1)

The first few weeks are about finding the real universe, not building infrastructure prematurely. You will:

• Start inside the base: Mine the existing customer base, CRM data, call recordings, and sellers to identify which agencies, consultants, and firms are already showing up around our 500+ customers.
• Define the IPP: Build the Ideal Partner Profile from real, observed examples rather than firmographic guesses. Starbridge's partner universe is wider than traditional public-sector consultancies. It includes Clay/RevOps/GTM-engineering and outbound agencies that happen to serve GovTech and EdTech clients, investors, conference and event businesses that hold MDF budgets, independent operators and advisors in govcon/govtech/edtech, and media, data-sharing, and PR partners.
• Land the first anchor referral partners: Prioritize influence over size. The goal is strong, founder-level engagement with a handful of the right partners.
• Define and create incentives for our IPP: These can range from thought leadership and data content to networking and PR opportunities.

Phase 2: Build the program

Once the universe and the economics are proven, you'll build the infrastructure to scale it, including:

• Partner enablement, certification, and a partner directory/tiering structure.
• Partner activation: making it easy for partners to routinely refer strong pipeline.
• Seller activation: making it easy and incentivized for the Starbridge sales team to work with partners.
• A repeatable recruitment and onboarding motion across every IPP category, not only agencies.
• Reporting and forecasting for partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline and revenue.

What you bring

• Proven 0>1 builder: A track record building a partnerships, channel, or alliances function from zero to one, beyond running an existing program.
• Quota-driven mindset: Comfortable being measured on partner-sourced pipeline and revenue, not only program activity.
• Strong at market mapping: Able to identify a non-obvious partner universe through research, customer/CRM data, and direct outreach rather than relying on existing lists or inbound.
• Founder-mode relationship skills: A genuine relationship-builder who can earn founder-level trust with a small agency or independent operator as easily as with a larger firm.
• Comfortable in office 5 days a week: Willing and able to be in the Starbridge NYC office for in-person collaboration.

Bonus If You Have

• 3+ years of experience in partnerships.
• Existing relationships or credibility in the agency, GovCon, GovTech, or EdTech ecosystem.
• Experience with adjacent partner types beyond agencies: VC/PE networks, conference/MDF businesses, media or data-sharing partnerships, or PR partnerships.
• Experience standing up partner tiers, certification programs, or partner enablement content.

Interview Process

• We move fast - really fast.
• Getting back to someone today beats tomorrow, and our interview process reflects that mindset.
• Please keep us posted on your timeline so we can move quickly and speed things up where needed.
• All interviews are conducted via Google Meet and onsite in our NYC office.

How We Work

• Build Bridges to Help Customers Win - We pride ourselves on being obsessively customer-centric.
• Shooting Star Speed - We move with extreme speed. We value momentum, decisiveness, and the ability to accelerate when it matters.
• Fun Is a Feature - We intentionally design Starbridge to be an energizing place to do hard work. Joy, humor, and camaraderie make great teams faster, sharper, and more resilient.
• In the Arena - We believe the best ideas come from living close to the work, feeling the friction, hearing the nuance, and experiencing the details firsthand.

Benefits Include

• Competitive salary + early-stage equity
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Company-provided lunch in the office every day
• Gym stipend
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Unlimited PTO
• Regular offsites (NYC + global locations)