Founding Partnerships Manager

tl;dr: Partnerships are one of our biggest growth levers: the majority of our leads come from inbound and partner referrals, and the function has no dedicated owner. We're hiring our first Partnerships Lead to turn an opportunistic network into a scalable ecosystem. You'll own relationships with Procore, Autodesk, the major ERPs (Sage, Foundation), and dozens of VARs; structure deals and joint GTM; and build the programs and metrics that make partner-enabled sales repeatable. The role is equal parts strategic business development, GTM/sales, and product marketing. You'll report directly to the CEO, and own high-visibility goals that everyone in the company cares about. Why are we hiring this role Partnerships are already one of our biggest growth levers. 90% of our leads come from inbound and partner referrals alone. But to date, our approach to partnerships has been opportunistic and unstructured, and we need someone to come in and truly own this function. We’re looking for you to structure, grow, and scale partnerships as a key pillar at Agave, elevating it from an ad hoc network to a scalable ecosystem. You'll inherit a strong foundation of relationships and an executive team invested in partnerships as a critical driver of growth. From there, you'll deepen engagement, drive more referrals, and build programs that create value for partners and customers alike. The best people in this role don't just maintain relationships; they build momentum by creating win-win deals that leave both sides better off. Why join us Early-stage, yet de-risked: we are a rare combo of being early stage (high upside) but lower risk (thousands of contractors using us, profitable + cash-flow positive for over a year, hockey-stick growth). You get the benefits of an early-stage startup without the risk you'll have at almost any other startup. You'll have a ton of impact, work directly with our customers, and get to work on interesting challenges you won't see at bigger companies. Although we're early stage, we've eliminated key strategic risks you'll face at other startups: an unproven product, lack of market validation, lack of revenue, over-reliance on VC funding, co-founder disputes. We're all young and hungry. Our team is fully in-person, tenacious, and committed; most of us moved to SF from far away (Canada, SoCal, Texas, Virginia) specifically to build Agave from the ground up. Team is technical, diverse, young: you'll work with a formidable founding team that's experienced, intense, and ambitious. The cofounders worked together for 10 years, first at a startup that Amazon acquired, then at Amazon, and now at Agave. You'll learn a ton while having outsized ownership. You'll have a front-row seat to the good and bad of building a company from the ground up. Huge opportunity without direct competition: Construction is the world's third-largest industry, but it's overlooked by most people in startup land. We have a multi-year head start against potential competitors and are backed by world-class investors (Accel, YC) and Construction insiders (Procore and Autodesk executives, founders of the largest construction tech companies like PlanGrid). Responsibilities Your core role is to strengthen and grow Agave's partner ecosystem. You'll build relationships with VARs, ERP partners, and platform partners like Procore and Autodesk, identify opportunities to create mutual value, and drive customer acquisition through referrals, co-marketing, and strategic initiatives. Develop and execute Agave's partnership strategy to support company growth objectives. Own and grow relationships with VARs, ERP partners, and platform partners (Procore, Autodesk, and others). Identify, evaluate, and prioritize new partners across channel, referral, technology, and strategic categories. Build and maintain strong relationships with key partner stakeholders. Lead partnership discussions, negotiations, and contract execution. Create joint go-to-market plans and coordinate partner launches. Collaborate with Sales, Customer Success, Product, and Operations teams to maximize partnership outcomes. Track partnership performance and establish metrics to measure impact, engagement, and revenue contribution. Continuously assess the partner landscape and identify new growth opportunities. Represent Agave at industry events, conferences, and networking opportunities. Requirements Hard requirements 3+ years of relevant experience: partnerships, sales, customer success, consulting, or another role where you've built relationships that drove business outcomes. Track record of doing hard things: whether that's building a partnership program from scratch, creating a new revenue channel, exceeding ambitious goals, or something entirely different. Soft requirements Builder mentality: you enjoy creating structure where none exists. Ambiguity energizes rather than frustrates you. Owner mindset: you are self-directed and able to work with minimal supervision. Where there's a gap, you fill it without asking. Strong relationship skills: you naturally look for win-win opportunities and can balance the needs of partners, customers, and Agave. Clear communication: you write and speak with precision. You know how to earn trust and move conversations forward. Uncanny ability to deliver results: you consistently find ways to create outcomes, even when resources are limited and the path isn't obvious. Product curiosity: you want to deeply understand how our product actually works and how contractors use it day-to-day. Nice to have Experience in construction, fintech, SaaS, or vertical software. Experience managing referral, channel, reseller, or strategic partnerships. Familiarity with accounting, ERP, AP automation, or financial operations workflows. Experience at a startup, ideally Series B/C or earlier. Benefits Healthcare: we cover 90% of your healthcare costs with several plan options. 401k: we match 100% of your contributions, up to 4% of annual salary. Performance Bonuses: we offer annual performance bonuses when we hit company growth goals, which are a % of your base salary. These are large, meaningful rewards that scale with the amount we grow in a particular year. Relocation: sizable relocation bonus for folks currently located outside of the Bay Area, and a bonus for anyone (even within the Bay Area) who moves within a 15-minute walk of our office. Breakfast & Dinner, delivered: breakfast and dinner stipends through DoorDash. Plus a kitchen stocked with coffee, snacks, drinks, and more. Gym: on-site gym with Peloton, squat rack, Tempo, Yoga setup, and more. Visa: we sponsor Visas (H1B, TN, etc.) for candidates who are a good fit! Commuter benefits: employees can make pre-tax contributions toward commuting costs, and we'll cover the full cost of a Muni pass for those using public transit. Office Visits : we will provide company-sponsored trips to our HQ in SF at least every other month. We’ll coordinate trips for other remote employees to coincide during “remote visit” weeks to maximize your touchpoints with teammates. Our Office We've built Agave in-person since day 1, and will maintain an in-person culture in San Francisco going forward for candidates in the Bay Area. We also will provide a significant relocation bonus for candidates who want to move to the Bay Area. Our office is at 101 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, right near Salesforce Park, coffee shops & restaurants, and a bustling downtown. We believe building in-person is a huge strategic advantage, and we hope you’ll join us. ###