Strategic Alliances/Partner Manager

Job Description

Job Description:

The Customer Partner Team is supporting exceptional partner growth within the Customer&aposs partner eco-system supporting the companies goal of delivering double digit growth. Cutomer is looking for a Partner Manager to expand the team as we grow the number of projects delivered by partners. This crucial role within the Cutomer partner eco-system is responsible for managing and communicating enablement strategies with our partners; collaborating with our enablement teams to ensure partner resources obtain implementation certification; leading program health reviews; building trusted partnerships; and crucially overseeing project governance and delivery to ensure all projects delivered by Cutomer&apos partners meet the very highest delivery standards to support our customers expectations.

This role requires a proactive approach to continuous improvement, project management, and forecasting abilities to drive successful outcomes with exceptional escalation management skills, strong executive presence and a good understanding of the HCM industry.

Key responsibilities for the role are:

Enablement:

Continuous Improvement: Manage and communicate the partners enablement strategy to ensure learning plans in place to meet market demands.

Partner Resource Certification Approval: Ensure partner resources obtain and maintain the necessary certification to allow system access

Health Reviews: Lead data-driven program health reviews and run Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) to build trusted relationships with partners. Working with peers to gain support where a PIP process is required.

Delivery:

Project Governance: Represent Cutomer on partner delivered projects; participate in project Steering Committee (Steer Co) presenting an executive presence and being the first point of escalation management should it be required.

Weekly Project Check-Ins: Ensure accountability and results through validating key questions to ensure the project remains on track.

Go Live Readiness: Ensure partner adherence to go-live readiness reviews to drive quality go-live deliveries.

Product Support: Where necessary facilitate engagement into the Partner Experience Center to ensure the partner obtains support should product or configuration issues arise.

Scope/Budget Management: Collaborate with Partner Operations to manage hours budget in the Customer PSA system; support and approve change requests; closely manage modules delivered by Ready partners to budget.

Customer OSAT/References: Drive engagement of OSAT survey responses to achieve high referenceability on partner projects.

Forecasting:

Go Live Forecasting: Collaborate with the partner to ensure accurate go-live forecasting to avoid customer billing pushes and poor customer satisfaction. The objective is to maintain go-live pushes below 10%.

Essential Skills:

Build and foster trusted relationships with partners and those that interact with partners outside of the global partner organization.

Ability to facilitate internal and external status meetings to discuss metrics, performance and opportunities.

Attention to detail is crucial, as is the ability to gather and summarise detailed information from all involved parties to make accurate business decisions.

Ensure ongoing and accurate data within the partner portfolio including but not limited to forecast accuracy, push percentage, CSAT, and Time to Live, with a willingness to contribute to the development of tools and data that does not exist today.

Manage to and execute on partner programs under varying delivery methodologies.

Through having industry knowledge be able to identify enablement opportunities for ongoing partner quality and growth to ensure continuous improvement across the partner portfolio.

Manage escalations to identify problems, paths to solution, and remediation plans to ensure problems to avoid further escalation.

Operate as part of the tight team supporting a number of partners, strong team collaboration critical.

Identify opportunities to improve and find efficiencies to support evolving Customer Business Needs.

Reiterate Customer messaging around changes to the partner network and advocate for the partner as needed to ensure we are creating a positive partner experience.

Basic Qualifications:

5+ years in a Professional Services or Consulting experience

Bachelors Degree in a related field or other relevant combination of training and experience required

Travel of up 25% may be required for this role

Preferred Qualifications:

Strong interpersonal and professional communication skills,

Proven business acumen within the SaaS industry including revenue recognition and forecasting

Ability to understand and articulate technical concepts and derive solutions

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