Partner Operations Manager

About X, the moonshot factory:

X is Alphabet’s moonshot factory with a mission of inventing and launching “moonshot” technologies that could someday make the world a radically better place. We are a diverse group of inventors and entrepreneurs who build and launch technologies that aim to improve the lives of millions, even billions, of people. Our goal: 10x impact on the world’s most intractable problems, not just 10% improvement. We approach projects that have the aspiration and riskiness of research with the speed and ambition of a startup. As an innovation engine, X focuses on repeatedly turning breakthrough-technology ideas into the foundations for large, sustainable businesses.

About the Team:

We are the commercially minded operational glue that helps early-stage moonshots navigate complex market landscapes, build foundational partnerships, and launch into the real world. We work across the entire innovation pipeline, from the earliest stage ideas to projects getting ready to graduate. Our partners range from niche technology vendors to large multinational businesses, as well as critical internal Google teams. We are a team of multi-disciplined individuals who wear multiple hats. We get to play with a lot of cool things, tackle a uniquely diverse set of challenges, and build the scaffolding that allows breakthrough technologies to scale.

About the Role:

As an Partner Operations Manager, you will be a critical partner to our moonshot teams. You are a "Swiss Army Knife", highly relational like a Business Development professional, highly organized like a Program Manager, and driven by a continuous improvement mindset. You might spend your morning structuring a complex vendor agreement, your afternoon managing graduation milestones for a climate tech project, and your Friday experimenting with new technologies to automate our internal workflows. You will work closely and embed deeply with specific moonshot projects (such as Bellwether, Materra, A-Life, and others), acting as their account manager, operational backbone, and strategic guide. You will bring order to chaos, ensure external relationships deliver value, and help us scale our impact.

How you will have 10X impact:

• Partnership and Account Management: Manage accounts and external relationships on behalf of early-stage moonshot teams. Ensure milestones and deliverables are consistently met, and act as the primary point of contact for shared external partners.
• Commercial and Vendor Operations: Structure, and negotiate  vendor agreements and simple commercial deals. Tackle contracting challenges and streamline the onboarding process for critical vendors and partners.
• Graduation Support: Provide hands-on launch operations support and implement launch design improvements for specific project teams as they move from prototype to real-world deployment.
• Process Improvement and Automation: Identify operational bottlenecks (e.g., managing our extended workforce and complex contracting sequencing) and build scalable solutions. Continuously experiment with new technologies and tools to improve efficiency and documentation.

What should you have:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 5-8 years of experience in partnerships, operations, consulting, or a related field.
• Experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects from inception to completion.
• Demonstrated ability to build, manage, and scale relationships with external partners or vendors.

It'd be great if you had these:

• MBA, management consulting experience, or equivalent strategic operational experience.
• A unique blend of experience: capable of thriving in early-stage, fast-paced environments (startups) while possessing the savvy to navigate and leverage massive, complex matrixed organizations (like Google).
• Experience with contract negotiation, commercial agreements, or legal operations.
• A strong continuous improvement mindset with a demonstrated willingness to experiment with new technologies to automate workflows and scale business processes.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, with ability to speak with stakeholders at every level of stakeholders from  internal and external partners. 
• Audacious, highly curious, comfortable with extreme ambiguity, and a structured thinker who can bring order to complex, open-ended challenges.

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $136,000 - $199,000 + bonus + equity + benefits. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.
Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, equity, or benefits.