# Director Partner Programs & Operations Manager at Kong

- Company: Kong
- What the company does: From APIs to AI, Kong is the fabric of modern connectivity. Centralize LLM access, automate API workflows, and secure your digital ecosystem at scale. Backed by Index, NEA and a16z.
- Company website: http://konghq.com/
- Type: Startups (AI role)
- Level: Principal and up
- Location: California, United States
- Work setup: Remote
- Pay: $150K to $220K base salary per year (USD)
- Posted: 2026-11-03
- Apply by: 2026-12-18
- Apply: https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/kong/1fe23d0a-eed1-4f44-a821-e289e4b89b91?utm_source=1752vc&utm_medium=careers
- Page: https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/kong-director-partner-programs-and-operations-manager/

## About the role

Partners are one of Kong's biggest levers for AI Gateway pipeline and bookings, and our partner business is growing fast. Kong is hiring a Director, Partner Operations to build the operating model that helps it scale. You'll be the operating partner to the Ecosystem VP and Partner Sales leaders, sitting in Revenue Operations. You own how partner business flows through Kong — registration, deal structure, attribution, crediting, and payout — and you bring an AI-first mindset to how it runs. Found on 1752vc Careers, the job board for startup and VC roles.

## What they're looking for

- 3+ years experience operating a multi-type, multi-region partner ecosystem - GSIs, regional SIs, resellers, distributors, ISVs, and hyperscalers
- Hands-on partner deal execution end to end - resale, referral, and cloud marketplace transactions, partner discounting, and order form requirements - in partnership with Deal Desk and Finance
- 3+ years experience leading partner planning - targets, quota, capacity, and coverage and designing channel-neutral crediting with Incentive Compensation
- Proven track record as a trusted advisor to VP-level Partner or Sales leaders , with the presence to hold a governance line and the judgment to know when to evolve it
- Deep Salesforce fluency (opportunity design, sourcing fields, reporting) plus PRM and BI tools, and hands-on use of AI tools to automate ops workflows
- Hyperscaler co-sell and marketplace mechanics: AWS ACE and ISV Accelerate, Marketplace private offers, Microsoft co-sell, and Google Cloud Partner Advantage

Tags: All Cost Center

Source: 1752vc Careers, https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/kong-director-partner-programs-and-operations-manager/