OpenAI Partner Lead

DEPARTMENT Growth

LOCATION Minneapolis, MN or San Francisco, CA / Hybrid

TYPE Full-time

REPORTS TO Chief Growth Officer

Own the OpenAI Partnership. Turn Certifications Into Revenue.

Blank Metal builds and ships production AI. The OpenAI ecosystem is one of our core delivery platforms, and we're hiring an OpenAI Partner Lead to own that relationship like a business — program operations, AE relationships, certifications, co-sell pipeline, and the revenue that comes from doing all of it well.

This isn't a relationship-maintenance role. You'll run Blank Metal's OpenAI partnership with full accountability: compliance, pipeline attribution, FDE coordination, and ensuring every OpenAI-sourced opportunity ends in a shipped, production AI system for the client.

The CGO is currently holding this seat. We're hiring because the OpenAI partnership is large enough to require dedicated ownership.

WHAT YOU GET TO DO

Partner Program Operations & Compliance

• Own Blank Metal's standing in the OpenAI partner program: certifications, tier requirements, and compliance obligations

• Manage all reporting cycles and documentation

• Stay current on OpenAI program changes, new tiers, and co-sell requirements and translate them into action internally

• Serve as the internal expert on what the OpenAI partnership allows, requires, and offers

Pipeline & Partner-Sourced Revenue

• Drive significant partner-sourced revenue through the OpenAI channel: build relationships with AEs and make Blank Metal the first call when a client needs an implementation partner

• Build trackable co-sell motions with OpenAI AEs — structured, attributed, repeatable

• Qualify OpenAI-referred opportunities fast and move them into the delivery pipeline without friction

• Own the revenue contribution from the OpenAI channel and report it clearly

Program-Level Partner Relationships

• Own relationships at multiple levels of OpenAI: AEs, partnership team, solutions architects, and leadership where relevant

• Ensure Blank Metal has coverage at each level so no single relationship is a single point of failure

• Represent Blank Metal at OpenAI partner events, summits, and co-marketing opportunities

• Be the face of Blank Metal inside OpenAI — the team should know who we are and why we're the right partner for their most important enterprise clients

FDE Coordination, Certifications & Solution Design Standards

• Manage certifications across the Blank Metal team — who's certified, what's lapsing, what's required for deal eligibility

• Partner with delivery and engineering leadership to staff OpenAI-sourced engagements with certified FDEs, and track certification readiness across the team.

• Champion OpenAI's recommended architectures and reference patterns inside Blank Metal's engineering standards process, and flag deltas between platform guidance and our delivery patterns.

• Feed OpenAI product updates — new models, API capabilities, deprecations — back to delivery and sales so we're always current

Partner Adoption Success

• Track adoption metrics across OpenAI-enabled engagements: which clients are live, which are expanding, which are stalling

• Work with delivery leads to ensure OpenAI-sourced clients see measurable results — their success is our case study

• Identify expansion opportunities within existing OpenAI-referred accounts and route them back to the sales motion

• Document wins and build reusable assets that help OpenAI AEs pitch Blank Metal with confidence

WHAT WILL HELP YOU SUCCEED

Required

• 5+ years in a partner, alliance, or channel role at an AI company, system integrator, or technical professional services firm

• Direct experience working with or inside a hyperscaler, AI platform, or foundation model company partner program

• Understanding of how enterprise AI partnerships work: co-sell motions, deal registration, tier mechanics, attribution

• Familiarity with the OpenAI platform, GPT model family, Responses API, Agents SDK, and OpenAI's enterprise deployment patterns.

• Track record building partner relationships that generate attributed, measurable revenue

• Operationally sharp: you manage program compliance, certification tracking, and reporting without things falling through the cracks

• Strong communicator across technical and go-to-market audiences — you can talk to an AE and a solutions architect in the same conversation

• Entrepreneurial and self-directed: you build process when it doesn't exist

Nice to Have

• Existing relationships at OpenAI (AEs, partner team, solutions architects)

• Experience managing FDE or technical certification programs

• Background in a company that sells professional services on top of AI platforms

This Role is NOT for You If...

• You've never worked in a structured partner or alliance program and are learning as you go

• You treat partner relationships as passive — waiting for referrals instead of building co-sell motion

• You need a fully built playbook; we're building ours and you'll own a lot of the initial structure

• You see certifications and program compliance as back-office work — here they're a competitive moat

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT HERE

• Build AI that ships: every engagement ends in a live production deployment, not a slide deck

• Depth in the OpenAI ecosystem: Blank Metal is building one of the most technically rigorous OpenAI practices in the market

• Real ownership: this partnership is yours to run and grow — the program, the relationships, the playbook

• AI-native culture: you'll work with people who actually understand what the Open AI stack can do in production

• Lean team, fast decisions: no layers, no approval theater

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Competitive base salary with a revenue-based variable comp structure tied to partner-sourced pipeline and revenue contribution. We offer comprehensive health coverage, 401(k) with match, flexible time off, flexible work arrangements, and support for professional development.

ABOUT BLANK METAL

Blank Metal is an AI-native engineering company that partners with enterprises to deliver production AI fast. We blend strategic insight with hands-on execution, shipping high-impact systems that turn AI initiatives into measurable business results.

We're builders, not theorists. Our team of seasoned engineers, designers, and strategists work across industries to create AI applications that actually get used and make a difference.

Blank Metal is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all backgrounds and perspectives. Diversity makes our work better and our team stronger.

blankmetal.ai