Director, Data & Distribution Partnerships

Apollo.io is the leading go-to-market solution for revenue teams, trusted by over 500,000 companies and millions of users globally, from rapidly growing startups to some of the world’s largest enterprises. Founded in 2015, the company is one of the fastest growing companies in SaaS, raising approximately $250 million to date and valued at $1.6 billion. Apollo.io provides sales and marketing teams with easy access to verified contact data for over 210 million B2B contacts and 35 million companies worldwide, along with tools to engage and convert these contacts in one unified platform. By helping revenue professionals find the most accurate contact information and automating the outreach process, Apollo.io turns prospects into customers. Apollo raised a series D in 2023 and is backed by top-tier investors, including Sequoia Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, and more, and counts the former President and COO of Hubspot, JD Sherman, among its board members. Some of Apollo’s biggest growth won’t come from our own sales team. It’ll come from other people selling or embedding Apollo under their own brand. That’s the charter for Data & Distribution Partnerships, a newly created function with three mandates: scaling our data reseller business by hiring and leading a team of data reseller AEs, identifying data partnership opportunities with large platforms and crafting the bespoke commercial arrangements to support them, and uncovering new, innovative distribution partnerships beyond either of those two motions. Across all three, this is more invention than management. You’re building commercial models that don’t exist yet, not running relationships someone else already defined. This is a great fit for someone who thrives in 0-to-1 environments: scrappy enough to build the strategy themselves (demand gen, pricing and packaging, marketing, sales process) and execute it personally, but experienced enough to then build and lead the team that takes it from 1 to 10. We’re hiring the first Director to build and run it. What you’ll do: 1. Scale the Data Reseller Business • Own the volume data-resale P&L end to end: a published SKU with repeatable paper, carried by AEs • Hire, coach, and manage the AEs who carry the resale quota • Partner with Partner Marketing to fund demand generation behind the reseller business, and find the growth levers that haven’t been pulled yet • Build a clear point of view on what increased demand gen unlocks and where the upmarket bespoke-deal opportunity is biggest 2. Identify Data Partnerships with Large Platforms and Craft the Bespoke Arrangements • Structure and close bespoke data agreements: one-off commercial arrangements with named, high-value counterparties, heavy up front, light after, and built as reusable templates rather than one-offs • Build and run discovery marketplace distribution: surfaces where a buyer is already shopping, from data-cloud marketplaces to MCP registries and platform marketplaces • Run new, complex BD deals personally, you’re expected to be in the room for anything that doesn’t fit the existing playbook 3. Uncover New, Innovative Distribution Partnerships • Build and run point-of-formation distribution: platforms that sit with a company from the week it’s formed, think formation platforms, website builders, and the regional CPA and business-advisory networks that touch companies at inception • Within your first six months, arrive at several new distribution “big swings” that are prioritized, sized, and shaped for a resourcing decision • This is a build-from-scratch mandate: you’ll define the shape of the function, not inherit one Minimum Qualifications • 8+ years in business development, partnerships, or channel roles, with meaningful experience originating and closing complex, first-of-their-kind commercial agreements — not just running an existing partner program • Experience managing or coaching a quota-carrying team (AEs, BDRs, or partner managers) while personally closing the deals your team can’t yet handle alone • Comfortable operating in both modes this role requires: high-volume, SKU-based commercial structures (published pricing, repeatable paper) and heavy, bespoke one-off negotiations with named counterparties • A track record of building something that didn’t exist before — a new channel, commercial model, or category of partner — rather than optimizing an established motion Preferred Qualifications • Experience with data licensing, API/data-reseller businesses, or platform marketplaces (Snowflake, Databricks, or similar data-cloud ecosystems) • Experience with point-of-formation or embedded distribution models (legal tech, business-formation platforms, fintech, or similar) • Background scaling a partner or channel P&L from early-stage The listed Pay Range reflects the total cash compensation inclusive of annual base salary and annual bonus as applicable. For sales roles, the range provided is the role’s On Target Earnings (“OTE”) range, meaning that the range includes both the sales commissions/sales bonus target and annual base salary for the role. This salary range may be inclusive of several career levels at Apollo and will be narrowed during the interview process based on a number of factors, including the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and location. Applicants interested in this role who are not located in the US may request the annual salary range for their location during the interview process. Additional benefits for this role may include: equity; company bonus or sales commissions/bonuses; 401(k) plan; at least 10 paid holidays per year, flex PTO, and parental leave; employee assistance program and wellbeing benefits; global travel coverage; life/AD&D/STD/LTD insurance; FSA/HSA and medical, dental, and vision benefits. Tier 1 Pay Range (San Francisco, New York City, Seattle) $220,000—$275,000 USD Tier 2 Pay Range (All other US Locations) $190,000—$238,000 USD We are AI Native Apollo.io is an AI-native company built on a culture of continuous improvement. We’re on the front lines of driving productivity for our customers—and we expect the same mindset from our team. If you’re energized by finding smarter, faster ways to get things done using AI and automation, you’ll thrive here. Why You’ll Love Working at Apollo At Apollo, we’re driven by a shared mission: to help our customers unlock their full revenue potential. That’s why we take extreme ownership of our work, move with focus and urgency, and learn voraciously to stay ahead. We invest deeply in your growth, ensuring you have the resources, support, and autonomy to own your role and make a real impact. Collaboration is at our core—we’re all for one, meaning you’ll have a team across departments ready to help you succeed. We encourage bold ideas and courageous action, giving you the freedom to experiment, take smart risks, and drive big wins. If you’re looking for a place where your work matters, where you can push boundaries, and where your career can thrive—Apollo is the place for you. Learn more here!