Head of Global Hyperscale Partnerships

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California.

📋 Description

• Develop and implement Smardt's global strategy for hyperscale accounts and business growth.

• Create prioritized plans targeting hyperscalers, neocloud providers, colocation operators, AI infrastructure companies, and key data center clients.

• Formulate account-specific strategies, stakeholder maps, qualification pathways, and commercial priorities.

• Determine the requirements for Smardt to gain approval as a supplier.

• Maintain organized insights into relationships, engagement, opportunities, challenges, and next steps for priority accounts.

• Provide market insights on hyperscale investments, data center capacity expansion, AI infrastructure, cooling trends, competitors, and client requirements.

• Build executive-level relationships with customer stakeholders across engineering, infrastructure, procurement, sustainability, operations, and supply chain.

• Lead strategic customer meetings, discovery sessions, technical reviews, and executive presentations.

• Position Smardt as a key cooling technology partner.

• Drive efforts to achieve approved-vendor status with primary hyperscale clients.

• Oversee customer qualification, technical evaluation, factory assessments, and supplier approval processes.

• Collaborate with Engineering and Product Management on technical specifications, design standards, and reference architectures.

• Engage with consulting engineers, design firms, OEM partners, and market influencers to secure product specifications and preferred-supplier status.

• Build recognition within major AI and data center infrastructure platforms, including NVIDIA and engineering partner ecosystems.

• Foster relationships with engineering firms, technology providers, infrastructure partners, general contractors, and equipment manufacturers.

• Identify opportunities for joint customer engagement, co-development, reference projects, and technology alignment.

• Represent Smardt at industry events, customer forums, data center conferences, and technology discussions.

• Develop and sustain a global pipeline of hyperscale opportunities.

• Identify early-stage projects and influence customer requirements prior to formal procurement.

• Coordinate account ownership and opportunity pursuit among regional sales teams.

• Establish strategies for opportunities, decision criteria, competitive positioning, and stakeholder engagement plans.

• Collaborate with Sales leadership to develop forecasts, revenue targets, and account penetration objectives.

• Assist in commercial negotiations, framework agreements, strategic pricing, and major customer proposals.

• Translate hyperscale customer expectations into internal business requirements.

• Assess organizational readiness in terms of product quality, manufacturing capacity, lead times, supply-chain resilience, documentation, testing, service coverage, project execution, communication, and governance.

• Identify gaps hindering qualification or successful delivery of hyperscale business.

• Support internal processes, account governance, and escalation mechanisms.

• Align Sales, Engineering, Operations, Quality, Service, and Supply Chain with customer commitments.

• Serve as the commercial voice of the hyperscale customer within Smardt.

• Develop target-account maps, executive engagement plans, supplier-approval roadmaps, and qualified pipelines within the first six months.

• Conduct structured voice-of-customer sessions, document approval barriers, and deliver quarterly executive reports.

⛳️ Requirements

• At least 10 years of progressive experience in strategic sales, global account management, business development, or market development.

• Extensive experience in hyperscale data centers, mission-critical infrastructure, HVAC, thermal management, power systems, electrical infrastructure, or related technologies.

• Proven track record of working directly with major hyperscalers, neocloud providers, colocation operators, or global data center clients.

• Established relationships within the global data center ecosystem are highly preferred.

• Experience navigating approved-vendor processes, technical qualifications, customer specifications, and global framework agreements.

• Demonstrated success in developing new strategic accounts where no prior commercial relationship existed.

• Experience in influencing complex buying groups involving engineering, procurement, operations, sustainability, and executive leadership.

• Background in working with consulting engineering firms, technology partners, general contractors, and market influencers.

• Understanding of global data center project development, procurement, and construction cycles.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Technology, Construction Management, or a related field.

• An advanced degree in Business or Engineering is considered an asset.

• Strong grasp of hyperscale data center customers and their supplier ecosystems.

• Knowledge of data center cooling systems, central plant infrastructure, and high-efficiency mechanical systems.

• Familiarity with air-cooled and water-cooled architectures, liquid cooling trends, and AI-driven increases in rack density.

• Understanding of customer qualification, product validation, technical specifications, and supplier approval requirements.

• Strong commercial judgment and the ability to create strategic account plans.

• Ability to interpret complex technical and business requirements.

• Excellent executive presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.

• Capability to operate effectively in a global, cross-functional, and rapidly evolving environment.

• Strong opportunity management and forecasting discipline.

• Ability to navigate comfortably between customer strategy, technical discussions, and internal execution.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive compensation with a bonus incentive.

• Health and Dental Benefits starting from day one.

• 401K/RRSP matching program.

• A collaborative global environment with opportunities for growth.