Amazon

Principal APN Programs Lead, Scalable GTM and Funding Programs

Amazon$176K — $238K *
Information Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 7+ years in Cloud Technology Services (Compute, Edge, Hybrid, Security, Networking)
  • 7+ years of Go-To-Market, Business Development, Sales, or Consulting experience
  • 7+ years in Data & AI technologies (AI/ML, GenAI, Analytics, Database, Storage)
  • Bachelor's degree required
  • Proven experience developing strategies that influence organizational leadership decisions
  • Demonstrated ability to drive innovation through a successful partner ecosystem

Responsibilities

  • Define and own the strategy for the AWS Specialization Program to drive partner validation and growth
  • Architect the transition from a validation framework to an AI-powered partner development platform
  • Develop partner performance indices to guide program success and renewals
  • Set priorities and make trade-off decisions across partner portfolios
  • Influence senior leadership on strategic program direction and resource allocation
  • Create an AI-driven APN Program that automates partner assessment and development
  • Work across teams to align incentive structures that promote capability development

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, vision)
  • 401(k) matching
  • Paid time off and parental leave
  • Flexible spending accounts
  • Adoption and surrogacy reimbursement coverage
  • Mental health support and EAP services
Full Job Description
This position is part of the AWS Specialist and Partner (ASP) Organization, within the WW Scalable GTM and Funding Programs team. As a Senior Technical Business Development leader for Specialization and APN Programs, you will define and drive the worldwide strategy for how AWS validates, develops, and scales partner capacity and capability-ensuring the right partners are equipped to deliver the right outcomes for customers across every workload and industry.

You will own the strategic direction of the AWS Specialization Program-a multi-billion-dollar revenue-generating segment of the AWS Partner Network encompassing thousands of partners across the full portfolio of designations-and lead its transformation from a manually-operated validation framework into an agentic, AI-powered partner development platform. Your charter is to dramatically increase the number of partners who have proven capacity and capability to serve customers, while reducing the friction and cost of validation at scale. You will architect the next generation of programmatic partner key performance indicators that feed AWS recommendation engines (Marketplace, Solution Matching Engine, Field Advisor), directly shaping how customers discover and select partners.

This is a strategy-defining role. You will set the multi-year vision for how specialization drives AWS Partner Network growth, you will work across the team to define key partner performance metrics and index and influence investment priorities, make trade-off decisions across competing stakeholder demands, and influence senior leadership on program direction. You will create entirely new mechanisms-including agentic program that use AI to automate partner assessment, launch readiness, and cohort management at scale. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in AWS Partner Network strategy, technical business development at enterprise scale, and the ability to drive organizational alignment around a bold, forward-looking vision in ambiguous environments.

Key job responsibilities

Specialization & APN Strategy

- Define and own the strategy for AWS Specialization Program, setting the vision for how partner validation drives AWS Partner Network growth and customer outcomes

- Architect the strategic shift from designation-as-gate to designation-as-growth-accelerator, increasing the number of partners with proven capacity and capability to serve customers

- You develop customer intake signals of what is needed from partners to drive business transformation across different partner types (ISVs, SIs, Startups)

- Develop the partner performance index that drives AWS Specialization Program achievement and renewals

- Set priorities and make trade-off decisions across the specialization and partner portfolio, balancing stakeholder demand against resource constraints and strategic impact

- Influence AWS senior leadership on program direction, securing alignment on business value, resource investment, and acceptable trade-offs

Agentic APN Program Design

- Create and drive the vision for an Agentic APN Program that partner performance data and AI to automate partner assessment, validation, renewal, and development at unprecedented scale

- Design autonomous program operations that significantly reduce human-in-the-loop processing, enabling the team to manage exponential partner growth without linear headcount scaling

- Architect AI-powered launch readiness frameworks that compress designation launch cycles from months to weeks

- Define how agentic systems generate partner development recommendations, automatically routing partners to enablement resources based on capability gaps and customer demand

AWS Partner Network Growth & Partner Capability

- Own the strategy for increasing the total addressable partner base with validated, customer-ready capabilities across priority workloads. This includes understanding the needs of customers across Geos and market trends.

- Work across Core Programs and Delivery team to influence incentive structures and program mechanisms that motivate partners to invest in capability development and maintain excellence post-designation

- Create scalable pathways for emerging partners (Startups, ISVs, SIs) to achieve specialization and APN tier growth expanding the AWS Partner Network.

- You create the Core messaging for APN in the market and an enablement strategy that fuels this growth to meet customer demand. This includes working with the Enablement Shared Services Team to restructure the enablement programs to meet the needs of the business

- Define how specialization signals integrate into AWS recommendation algorithms (Marketplace, SME, Field Advisor, Alchemy) to drive measurable customer adoption of validated partners

Cross-Functional Influence & Execution

- Operate as the strategic connective tissue between Engineering, Solution Architects, WWSO, and Field teams-aligning resources and roadmaps to program priorities

- Own executive-level operating mechanisms (WBRs, QBRs, leadership reviews) that communicate program health, partner growth metrics, and strategic decisions

A day in the life

You measure key partner performance metrics across the AWS Partner Network. You review customer signals and market trends on what they need from partners. You meet with Specialist and Geo teams to understand the needs of the business. From this you understand how to drive growth of the AWS Partner Network, and drive strategy and changes. You build process, tools, and agents that leverage data and create recommendations of what an AI Partner Program can do to fuel their growth. You develop the mechanisms that need to be in place to drive a success AI Partner Program. This includes shaping the Partner Performance Index and aligning the performance of partners to different benefits across AWS Partner Network and tiers. You drive launch strategy including messaging, enablement, and success of adoption.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

- 7+ years of working with Core Cloud Technology Services, including, but not limited to Compute, Edge, Hybrid, Security, and/or Networking experience

- 7+ years of Go-To-Market, Business Development, Sales, or Consulting experience

- 7+ years of working with Data & AI related technologies, including, but not limited to, AI/ML, GenAI, Analytics, Database, and/or Storage experience

- Bachelor's degree

- Experience developing strategies that influence leadership decisions at the organizational level

- Experience influencing innovation through a partner ecosystem with either solutions or programs that have demonstrated success at enterprise customers

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

- Experience as a founder or executive focused on related segments, or as a practice leader or business unit owner

- Experience selling to Fortune 1000 or Global 2000 organizations

- MBA

- Experience developing, leading, negotiating and executing corporate and/or business transactions

- Experience in developing, negotiating and executing business agreements

- Experience influencing internal and external stakeholders

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.

USA, TX, Austin - 176,100.00 - 238,200.00 USD annually

USA, VA, Arlington - 176,100.00 - 238,200.00 USD annually

About Amazon

Audible is a provider of spoken audio information and entertainment , on the Internet. They provide premium spoken audio content, such as audio versions of books and newspapers and radio programs, that is delivered over the Internet and played back on personal computers and hand-held electronic devices. The Audible service allows consumers to purchase and download their content from their Website, store it in digital files and play it back on personal computers and electronic devices. More than 15,000 hours of audio content are available on their Web site, including audio versions of books, periodicals and radio programs. Several manufacturers have agreed to support and promote the playback of their content on their hand-held audio-enabled electronic devices.

Amazon Careers

Joining Amazon presents an unparalleled opportunity to become part of a vibrant team pushing the boundaries of innovation and growth in the global marketplace. As a leader in e-commerce, technology, and logistics, Amazon offers a variety of job opportunities that cater to a range of skills and professional interests. Work You’ll Do At Amazon, every day is an opportunity to collaborate with the brightest minds in technology and business to redefine what’s possible. Whether you’re interested in software development, marketing, human resources, or customer service, Amazon has a position waiting for you. Transform the way the world shops and innovates with our diverse and inclusive team. Amazon is not just a company; it’s a community where you can drive real change and contribute to projects impacting millions globally. Lead with Innovation and Leadership Amazon is the perfect place to enhance your leadership and innovation skills. Our culture encourages pushing the envelope and imagining the unimaginable. Here, you will lead projects that challenge the status quo and define new industry standards. Work with a team that values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment. Our leadership is focused on harnessing the collective power of unique perspectives to foster growth and innovation. Explore Amazon’s Employment Benefits Amazon’s commitment to its employees extends beyond just career growth. We offer competitive benefits, including health care, parental leave, and diversity training, ensuring that our team not only excels professionally but also enjoys well-being and security. Internship and Networking Opportunities Start your career with an Amazon internship and gain hands-on experience that matters. Our internships provide a gateway to full-time employment and an opportunity to network with professionals across various sectors of the company. Future-Proof Your Career With Amazon, your career path is filled with numerous opportunities for advancement. Our learning and development programs are designed to nurture your professional growth and keep you at the forefront of industry trends. Stay Connected Join Our Team Discover the job opportunities at Amazon that match your skills and interests. We are constantly on the lookout for passionate, curious, and innovative team players ready to make a difference. Keep Up to Date Stay ahead with career tips, insider perspectives, and industry-leading insights you can put to use today—all from the people who work here. Job Alert Emails Customize your subscription to receive job alerts, the latest news, and insider tips tailored to your preferences. Explore the exciting and rewarding career opportunities that await at Amazon. Amazon is more than just a company—it’s a platform for building a promising future. Whether you’re starting or looking to advance your career, Amazon offers the resources, support, and network you need to succeed. Join us, and be a part of our continuing mission to be Earth's most customer-centric company.
Learn more about Amazon
Size
1,608 employees
Market Cap
$832.6 billion
Industry
Net Income
$21.3 billion
Founded
1994
5 Year Trend
+28.1%
Revenue
$386 billion
NASDAQ

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