Partner Director - AWS Alliance Partnership, Japan

About the role

You will own the direct relationship with AWS Japan while mobilizing the broader services-partner ecosystem around high-value customer opportunities in Japan. This is a hands-on individual contributor role that operates primarily through influence, requiring comfort moving between executive stakeholder engagement and detailed operational execution. You will jointly shape and execute the Japan AWS alliance strategy, translating the strategic alliance into durable commercial outcomes. In this role, you will build and own the Japan GTM strategy with AWS, developing repeatable solutions, field playbooks, and governance structures. You will coordinate AWS-related opportunities and drive co-sell execution across AWS Japan field teams and OpenAI's Japan Partner Director. The position demands strong operating discipline and the ability to scale co-sell motions across Japan's customer segments. You will aggregate feedback from AWS stakeholders and translate it into actionable recommendations for OpenAI product and GTM leadership.

Key facts

What you'll do

Coordinate the AWS Japan alliance relationship and field teams alongside OpenAI's Japan Partner Director to execute the joint strategy.

Build trusted relationships with AWS alliance leaders, sales teams, technical teams, cloud architects, industry leaders, and delivery stakeholders across Japan.

Develop joint account plans and drive co-sell execution across AWS Japan, OpenAI Sales teams, services partners, and the Japan Partner Director.

Identify, shape, and accelerate qualified AWS-related opportunities and customer engagements in the Japanese market.

Mobilize AWS-focused practices within systems integrators, consulting firms, and specialist services partners to expand capacity.

Help partners develop repeatable OpenAI offerings, reference architectures, delivery methodologies, and GTM motions aligned with AWS infrastructure.

Drive operating discipline across AWS ACE, Marketplace, partner programs, funding mechanisms, pipeline tracking, partner attribution, and deal-progression workflows.

Build and run the AWS governance model in Japan, including pipeline reviews, operating cadences, executive business reviews, milestone tracking, and escalation management.

Develop scalable sales plays, enablement materials, field communications, and engagement strategies that Japan GTM teams and partners can reuse.

Lead or support contracting where appropriate, coordinating with OpenAI's Japan Partner Director and legal, finance, and leadership teams.

Represent OpenAI with executive presence in AWS, partner, customer, and market-facing conversations across Japan and the region.

Travel regularly within Japan, with occasional travel to the United States to support strategic initiatives and stakeholder engagement.

Aggregate feedback from AWS stakeholders, services partners, customers, and OpenAI Japan GTM teams to inform strategic recommendations.

Coordinate with Marketing on AWS-related launches, campaigns, enablement activities, and events to ensure alignment and impact.

Drive measurable partner-sourced opportunities, customer wins, and repeatable solutions through strategic alliance leadership.

Requirements

Direct AWS alliance experience is required for this role.

Detailed knowledge of APN onboarding, ACE, AWS Marketplace, funding models, and AWS co-sell workflows is required.

You must bring 8+ years of experience in partnerships, cloud alliances, ecosystem sales, business development, consulting partnerships, or related GTM roles.

Your background should include significant experience building and scaling hyperscaler-alliance motions in Japan.

You must have established relationships across the AWS Japan alliance, sales, and technical organizations.

You should have experience working with global and regional systems integrators and consulting firms with substantial AWS cloud practices.

A proven record of driving measurable partner-sourced opportunities, customer wins, and repeatable solutions through strategic partnerships is essential.

Experience operating in a matrixed, cross-functional environment while maintaining strict ownership and accountability is required.

You must demonstrate comfort engaging C-level stakeholders while remaining hands-on in execution.

Practical notes

Travel is required as part of this position.

You will coordinate with OpenAI's Japan Partner Director and legal, finance, and leadership teams on contracting activities.

Regular participation in pipeline reviews, operating cadences, executive business reviews, milestone tracking, and escalation management is expected.

This role supports AWS-related launches, campaigns, enablement activities, and events in coordination with Marketing.