ISV Partnerships Manager
Remote - US
Backblaze 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.
Founded 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.
But while there is a lot to celebrate in our past, there is almost as much opportunity ahead of us. We are seeking an: ISV Partnerships Manager!
About the Role
One of the fastest-growing adoption paths for Backblaze B2 is ISV integration across App & Infrastructure and Data & AI platforms. When a storage, backup, or data platform ships B2 as a validated storage endpoint, every customer that platform sells becomes a potential B2 customer without a single outbound motion. That is the flywheel.
This role owns the work of building B2 into the default storage layer for the ISV applications that serve App & Infrastructure and Data & AI workflows. You will own the ISV partnership program from signed integration to co-sell to joint reference architecture — and you will extend Flamethrower, our developer relations program, into the ISV ecosystem to create technical pull. This is a role for someone who is technically credible enough to lead an integration architecture review, and commercially sharp enough to run the sales and strategic relationship side of the partnership.
You will inherit a mix of established ISV relationships and open ground still to build across App & Infrastructure and Data & AI. Some partner asks are already on the table — storage tiering, simplified coverage models, and programmatic market development funds — while other parts of the program don't exist yet. Your mandate is to scale what's working and build out the next tier of ISV partners where it isn't.
What You'll Do
App & Infrastructure ISV Tier
- Own backup, recovery, and infrastructure software ISV partnerships end-to-end — from technical integration certification to co-sell activation to joint pipeline.
- Drive B2 into the validated storage endpoint documentation for each infrastructure ISV. Every deployment should be able to default to B2 as the cloud tier, at the same or better tier than other major cloud storage options.
- Work with Enablement to build ISV-specific sales plays — for example, immutable backup and data protection solutions pairing B2 with a partner platform — as repeatable deal structures.
- Develop a formal storage tiering narrative for infrastructure ISV partners who need it to win deals, and bring it to the partners who are asking for it.
Data & AI ISV Tier
- Own integrations with data and analytics platforms, positioning B2 as the data lake and log archive tier for AI and analytics workflows.
- Work with Developer Relations (Flamethrower) to drive technical co-development: B2 as the S3-compatible data source for lakehouse platforms, external table architectures, and archive storage use cases.
- Identify 2–3 net-new AI-adjacent ISV integrations per quarter — including opportunities in emerging verticals such as physical AI and surveillance.
Extend Flamethrower, Our Developer Relations Program, into the ISV Ecosystem
- Extend Flamethrower — Backblaze's developer relations program — into the ISV ecosystem: co-authoring integration guides, producing joint technical content, and running developer-facing webinars and workshops with ISV partners.
- Coordinate with Developer Relations to ensure every ISV integration produces a publishable, Flamethrower-grade technical asset — SDK documentation, an integration guide, or a reference architecture.
- Measure ISV health by integration depth, not just partner count: certified integration → co-sell activation → published joint reference architecture → Tier-1 analyst coverage.
ISV Partner Program Operations
- Own ISV partner relationships across App & Infrastructure and Data & AI, building out program mechanics — programmatic MDF, deal registration, QBR cadence, and dedicated support assignments — where they don't yet exist, and refining them where they do.
- Work with Revenue Operations to resolve partner coverage gaps, including dedicated sales, solutions engineering, and customer success support for our top partners.
- Evaluate the next tier of ISV partners and determine add vs. hold based on revenue contribution and technical fit.
Channel Sales & Commercial Execution
- Structure and negotiate commercial partnership terms — referral, resell, or embedded models — that create pull-through B2 revenue from ISV-sourced deals.
- Carry and deliver against a partner-sourced pipeline and bookings target, running this program with the discipline of a channel sales motion, not just relationship management.
- Build strategic account plans for top ISV partners that align the technical integration roadmap with commercial goals and executive-level relationships on both sides.
Goal Accountability
- Generate partner-sourced pipeline that contributes to our total contract value bookings goals — specifically through App & Infrastructure and Data & AI ISV integrations.
- Deliver two or more public co-branded reference architectures with ISV partners per quarter.
- Achieve three public customer references per quarter from the App & Infrastructure or Data & AI ISV tiers.
The Right Fit
Required
- 10+ years in technology partnerships, ISV alliances, channel sales, or developer ecosystem roles — in cloud infrastructure, storage, backup/recovery, or data platforms.
- Track record of quota-carrying sales or channel sales performance, including experience negotiating commercial partner terms such as resell, referral, or revenue-share agreements.
- Existing relationships at two or more ISVs in the backup, infrastructure, or data platform categories.
- Experience running ISV partner programs end-to-end: integration certification, co-sell activation, joint GTM, and MDF governance.
- Technical fluency sufficient to guide integration architecture conversations — you understand S3-compatible APIs, object storage tiering, and how backup/recovery or data pipeline ISVs connect to cloud storage.
- Experience managing a portfolio of ISV relationships simultaneously, balancing strategic account management with hands-on technical integration review.
- Salesforce proficiency for partner pipeline management and forecasting.
Strongly Preferred
- Experience at or with a cloud storage, backup ISV, or data platform vendor (not a hyperscaler).
- Familiarity with MDF governance, deal registration programs, and partner tiering structures.
- Understanding of AI/ML data pipeline use cases — training data storage, log archival, checkpoint management — specifically in the context of S3-compatible object storage.
- Experience building or running a channel sales motion with direct quota or pipeline accountability, not just alliance/relationship management.
This Role Is Not For You If
- You are a pure relationship manager who does not engage with technical integration depth — ISV partners will test your architecture knowledge immediately.
- You are not comfortable owning both sides of the partnership: the technical integration relationship and the commercial sales relationship, often with the same partner.
- You need a complete partner program to manage — parts of this are being built as you run it.
Logistics
- Remote US.
- 30–50% travel.
- Reports to: Head of Channel & Partnerships.
Backblaze Perks
- Healthcare for family, including dental and vision
- Competitive compensation and 401K
- RSU grants for full-time employees
- ESPP program
- Flexible vacation policy
- Maternity & paternity leave
- MacBook Pro to use for work plus a generous stipend to personalize your workstation
- Childcare bonus (human children only)
- Fertility treatment and support
- Learning & development program
- Commuter benefits
- Culture that supports a healthy work-life balance
To 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.
The base pay range for this position is $134,400 - $164,500.
At 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.
