Principal Partner Specialist, Startup Partners Center of Excellence

Description This position is part of the AWS Specialist and Partner Organization (ASP). Specialists own the end-to-end go-to-market strategy for their respective technology domains, providing the business and technical expertise to help our customers succeed. Partner teams own the strategy, recruiting, development, and growth of our key technology and consulting partners. Together they provide our customers with the expertise and scale needed to build innovative solutions for their most complex challenges. Do you want to shape how the world's most innovative startups go to market with AWS? Are you excited by the opportunity to work alongside top-tier venture capital firms, build GTM programs that turn high-potential portfolio companies into thriving AWS partners, and establish the mechanisms that help the next generation of enterprise software companies reach customers faster? If you thrive at the intersection of venture capital, cloud partnerships, and enterprise sales, and you want to build something new from the ground up with measurable impact on hundreds of startups, this role is for you. We are seeking a Principal Partner Development Specialist to own the delivery of go-to-market programs built from the AWS Partner Network (APN) that help VC-backed startups succeed in their partner journey. In this role you will serve as the single-threaded owner for GTM program delivery with 3-5 named institutional investors, managing the full engagement lifecycle: quarterly portfolio business reviews, partner enablement workshops, enterprise buyer matchmaking, coordination with investor operator teams, and startup intake and routing into appropriate coverage tiers including the AWS Global Startup Program (GSP). You will work at the intersection of venture capital, cloud technology, and partner strategy to improve the selection, onboarding, and co-sell delivery for portfolios of high-potential startups. This is a cross-functional coordination role, requiring a mix of strategy (thinking, influencing) and delivery (doing). You will operate across sales, business development, marketing, finance, legal, and partner management to build and execute joint GTM initiatives with VC-backed portfolios. You will pair with platform and operator counterparts at investor firms and with our VC relationship manager team to run joint GTM motions, manage portfolio reviews that surface high-potential startups, and grow connections between AWS executives and investor partners. You will design scalable mechanisms that enable AWS to serve as the preferred GTM partner for the venture ecosystem, translating portfolio-level insights into startup selection strategy, enablement programming, and AWS Marketplace revenue growth. The ideal candidate has deep experience working with venture capital firms and startup ecosystems, a track record of building strategic business development programs that deliver measurable revenue outcomes, and the ability to influence senior leaders across multiple organizations. They think at portfolio scale rather than individual transactions, communicate with equal effectiveness to investment partners, startup founders, and AWS executives, and bring an entrepreneurial orientation to building new functions from the ground up. Key job responsibilities • Own the delivery of GTM programs with 3-5 named institutional investors (venture capital and growth equity firms), serving as the primary AWS engagement point for investor platform and operator teams. • Drive AWS Marketplace revenue growth through structured partner onboarding pathways that startups from nomination through to co-sell program enrollment. • Coordinate cross-functional GTM motions including enterprise buyer matchmaking events, partner enablement workshops, cohort-based education, and Marketplace acceleration for startups. • Manage startup intake and prioritization through structured qualification, routing high-potential nominations into appropriate partner development coverage. • Design and execute quarterly portfolio business reviews that synthesize GTM outcomes across dozens of portfolio companies into coherent narratives for investor partners and AWS leadership. • Establish scalable playbooks, governance frameworks, and reporting mechanisms that enable the function to expand impact for the business. • Prepare and deliver business reviews to senior leadership, translating portfolio-level performance data into strategic recommendations on resource allocation, program investment, and competitive positioning. About The Team This position is part of the AWS Specialist and Partner Organization (ASP). The Startup Partners Center of Excellence (CoE) team within ASP builds new go-to-market models to help early stage and high potential startups to grow their business with AWS. The team operates at the portfolio layer, working across partner management segments and geographies to detect patterns, risks, and opportunities that support growth worldwide for the startup partner segment. Diverse Experiences AWS values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the preferred qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting, hasn’t followed a traditional path, or includes alternative experiences, don’t let it stop you from applying. Why AWS? Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. We pioneered cloud computing and never stopped innovating — that’s why customers from the most successful startups to Global 500 companies trust our robust suite of products and services to power their businesses. Inclusive Team Culture AWS values curiosity and connection. Our employee-led and company-sponsored affinity groups promote inclusion and empower our people to take pride in what makes us unique. Our inclusion events foster stronger, more collaborative teams. Our continual innovation is fueled by the bold ideas, fresh perspectives, and passionate voices our teams bring to everything we do. Mentorship & Career Growth We’re continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth’s Best Employer. That’s why you’ll find endless knowledge-sharing, mentorship and other career-advancing resources here to help you develop into a better-rounded professional. Work/Life Balance We value work-life harmony. Achieving success at work should never come at the expense of sacrifices at home, which is why we strive for flexibility as part of our working culture. When we feel supported in the workplace and at home, there’s nothing we can’t achieve. Basic Qualifications • 7+ years of Go-To-Market, Business Development, Sales, or Consulting experience • Bachelor's degree • Experience developing, negotiating and executing business agreements • Experience building cross-functional partnerships and influencing stakeholders across the organization to act without having a direct reporting relationship • Knowledge of software as a service or other cloud-based technologies Preferred Qualifications • Experience as a founder or executive focused on related segments, or as a practice leader or business unit owner • 5+ years of management consulting, strategy, technology, venture capital, or a related industry experience • Knowledge of the AWS product suite • Experience building, executing and scaling cross-functional programs or marketing campaigns from concept to completion • Experience in executive level engagement with SVP/VP/C-Suite • MBA, or Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting or related field • Familiarity with AI tech stack, GTM motions for Frontier AI, Physical AI, and emerging technologies Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status. Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisor