OEM Partnerships Manager

Job Description

Backblaze is the object storage leader in the open cloud movement, fueling customer success with cloud storage built purposefully to unlock budgets, unburden administrators, and unleash innovators. Together with our partners, we're helping customers break free from the restrictive, overpriced legacy solutions that hold them back, and blaze forward with the full power of the open cloud in their hands.

Founded in 2007, we scaled the business with less than $3 million in outside funding until 2021, when we did a traditional IPO on the Nasdaq stock exchange. Today, Backblaze generates over $100m in revenue and is the leading specialized storage cloud - managing over three billion gigabytes of data storage for 500K+ customers in 175+ countries, including businesses, developers, IT professionals, and individuals.

But while there is a lot to celebrate in our past, there is almost as much opportunity ahead of us. We are seeking a:
OEM Partnerships Manager
!

Backblaze closed Core Weave at $335M TCV. The Neo Cloud flywheel is moving - but it stalls without validated reference architectures embedded at the silicon and systems layer.

This role owns Pillar 1: getting B2 designed-in at NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, Cerebras, and the OEM/ODM tier (Super Micro, WD, Seagate) so that every GPU cluster configured for AI inference or training has B2 as the default object storage layer. At the same time we want to build the Storage Tiers from Flash (VAST, WEKA, DDN) to Object Store on HDD with Backblaze.

You are the person who makes Backblaze the storage answer before a customer ever talks to a sales rep.

• Establish and advance Backblaze B2 as a validated storage tier within NVIDIA's AI Data Platform ecosystem - CUDA-integrated, reference-architecture-certified.
• Drive "Design-In" motions with AMD (Instinct reference stack) and Intel (Gaudi/Xeon roadmap) to close the gap opened by VAST Data's current AMD Instinct reference architecture position.
• Build relationships with Cerebras, Samba Nova, and emerging xPU vendors early enough to be designed into their validated stacks before competitive displacement occurs.
• Own the joint go-to-market with Super Micro (SMCI), WD, and Seagate - turning their hardware deployments into B2-integrated solutions sold as complete infrastructure.
• Extend these relationships to the Flash Tier - VAST, WEKA & DDN in particular
• Structure OEM agreements and co-sell motions that create pull-through B2 ARR from hardware-first deals. Build the commercial model (referral, resell, or embedded) for each OEM tier.
• Identify and close 2-3 new OEM/ODM partnerships per year that generate $10M+ in partner-influenced ARR within the first 6 months.

• Deliver 5+ published, co-branded reference architectures by end of FY2026 - pairing GPU compute configurations with B2 as the validated storage layer.
• Work with the Neo Cloud team (Field CTO & BD lead) and Dev Rel Lead on Flamethrower to produce technical validation content that serves both the partner and the end customer.
• Ensure reference architectures are submitted to and accepted by Tier-1 analyst firms (2 published analyst reports is a FY2026 OKR.

• Contribute to the $10M TCV OEM-ISV related bookings OKR through OEM-influenced pipeline.
• Deliver Reference #1 NVIDIA AI Data Platform & OEM (AMD/Intel) co-marketing as Reference #2.
• Support the 5-of-Top-25 OEM-ISV account close target through OEM-sourced intros and designed-in positions.

• Partner with AEs to convert OEM-designed (powered by) in positions into sourced pipeline.
• Feed product roadmap gaps (cold storage tier, archive, to Product & Engineering
• Coordinate with SE (Reference Architectures) so every OEM co-development produces a publishable, reusable asset.

• Experience running an AI program across multiple functions simultaneously
• Familiarity with AI governance in data-sensitive or PII-adjacent environments
• Background in cloud infrastructure, storage, or technical B2B businesses
• Exposure to org transitions - restructures, outsourcing programs, distributed team ramp-ups - and the workflow documentation challenges they create

• Remote US
  - Prefer West Coast or Texas (proximity to NVIDIA HQ Santa Clara, AMD Austin, SMCI San Jose)
• Reports to:
  
  Sr. Director, Partnerships & Ecosystem (when filled) or directly to CRO in interim
• Healthcare for family, including…