Senior Channel & Alliances Manager

Role Purpose Statement:

As a Channels & Alliances Director at Ping, you will play a pivotal role in driving the company's growth and market expansion by developing and managing partnerships with a focus on the whole partner ecosystem in the Southern European Region (France, Italy, Iberia). Your primary responsibility will be to build and maintain strong relationships with these partners, driving joint business development initiatives and ensuring their success in promoting and delivering Ping's innovative identity and access management solutions to customers worldwide. This role requires a strong understanding of channel sales strategies, alliances management, and a proven track record of success in a similar role within the software industry.

Main Responsibilities:

1. Partner Business Development
   1. Identify growth opportunities with target partner categories. Qualify & lead business case development.
   2. Identify new partnering opportunities including recruiting net new partners.
   3. Execute partner agreement processes that ensure partnerships align to Ping business objectives.
   4. Identify, lead, and build joint value propositions with partners.

Develop Partnerships

1. Build profitable, scalable and predictable partnerships.
2. Execute internal enablement of partner sales practices working closely with the Sales team.
3. Set and drive execution of partnerships to achieve target performance metrics, beginning with target setting, then monitoring ongoing performance management.
4. Activate partners by successfully onboarding them, and driving weekly/monthly/quarterly business cadences & engagement practices.
5. Foster “whole partnership” motions with partners and all key points of contact across the business.

Deliver Durable Partnerships

1. Lead and drive business planning, both internally and externally.
2. Set and lead ongoing external and internal business review cadences.
3. Drive partner program utilization.
4. Develop and maintain executive sponsor relationships for assigned partners.
5. Map key partner organizational contacts, understanding the role & contribution of each contact towards the joint partnership, including escalation paths.
6. Execute quality communication practices between Ping and partners, spanning all contacts. Maintain SFDC hygiene of partner accounts and contacts.

Achieve Revenue Targets

1. Support the execution of marketing & demand generation activities with partners.
2. Share and drive joint pursuits - qualify partner leads, build and develop partner originated pipeline with joint go-to-market plans and practices.
3. Manage & own a partner forecast.
4. Proactively facilitate connections and discussions between Ping and partners to progress deals to closure.
5. Track and manage partner performance against revenue goals.

Ensure Partners Deliver Customer Success

1. Communicate and manage joint plans including expectation setting for partner training, certification and partner-led deployments.
2. Drive performance against delivery goals (training, support, projects, CSAT) and drive necessary change to optimize/improve performance.
3. Position & sell Ping expert services to partners and drive adoption.
4. Surface issues to ensure awareness, and facilitate resolution of issues relating to recurring or significant partner performance with deployments.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Extensive background in enterprise software partnership sales and solution delivery.
• Strong understanding of channel sales strategies, partner ecosystems, and system integrators.
• Consistent and demonstrated ability to take complete ownership with assigned partners and the end to end partner to Ping relationship
• Referenceable network in market with partners for 10+ years – small to medium sized consulting, Global SIs, and a variety of other channel partners (MSP, OEM or other partner categories).
• Proven success record of exceeding sales quota & exceeding other key performance metrics.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute joint business plans with partners, driving revenue growth.
• Ability to drive field engagement to produce meaningful pipeline development - both at partners and with field sales teams internally.
• Proven ability to establish and grow business relationships at an executive level and a history of successfully developing and guiding multiple complex partnerships.
• Be creative with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to succeed in a fast-paced environment, manage change, and communicate effectively.
• Performance history of recruiting and making productive new partners.
• Ability to work both independently and with a team.
• Strong business acumen.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively articulate complex concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.

Preferred:

• Salesforce.com familiarity
• 5+ years working for US HQ Software companies a strong advantage
• 2+ years experience working with GSI’s
• Exposure to or knowledge of the identity access management industry