Director, Alliances And Partnerships

Summary

Join Upbound, the company behind Crossplane, as their Director of Alliances and Partnerships. This leadership role is crucial for building strategic alliances with major cloud vendors and driving go-to-market strategies. You will be responsible for identifying, negotiating, and building relationships with various partners, developing and managing a partner program, working closely with sales teams, defining and executing partnership strategies, and representing Upbound at industry events. The ideal candidate possesses extensive experience in strategic partnerships within the cloud or technology sector, a proven track record of driving revenue and scaling partner ecosystems, and strong negotiation and communication skills. This role offers the opportunity to significantly impact Upbound's growth and contribute to a thriving, inclusive company culture.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in a strategic partnerships or alliances role, preferably within cloud, SaaS, or technology companies
• Proven success in driving revenue and scaling partner ecosystems in high-growth, Series B or similar startup environments
• Strong experience negotiating complex contracts and managing partner relationships
• In-depth understanding of the cloud computing landscape, including public cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and other related technologies
• Strong understanding of the partner ecosystem (ISVs, VARs, MSPs, SIs,etc.) and how to leverage these channels to drive sales growth
• Strong negotiation and communication skills, with the ability to influence both internal stakeholders and external partners
• Ability to think strategically and execute tactically
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills
• Proficiency with CRM tools (Salesforce, HubSpot) and partnership management platforms

Responsibilities

• Identify, negotiate, and build long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with cloud providers, Strategic Alliances, ISVs (Independent Software Vendors), SIs (System Integrators), VARs (Value-Added Resellers), and other relevant partners in the cloud and technology ecosystems
• Develop and manage a structured partner program that enhances our ability to scale and meet business objectives. This includes onboarding, enablement, joint sales and marketing efforts, and training for new partners
• Develop and building the ecosystem around Upbound and Crossplane and ensuring more quality technology partnerships and integrations show up in the Marketplace
• Work closely with sales teams to align partner-driven opportunities with our overall revenue goals. Provide sales enablement tools, resources, and go-to-market strategies that empower partners to sell our solution effectively
• Define and execute the partnership strategy to ensure that it aligns with the company’s product roadmap and business objectives. Identify strategic partnerships that drive customer acquisition, upsell, and cross-sell opportunities
• Drive the expansion of the partner ecosystem, identifying new partnership opportunities across the cloud industry, including SaaS platforms, managed service providers (MSPs), and consulting firms
• Develop KPIs for partner success, and track and report on partnership performance regularly. Ensure that all partnerships are delivering a measurable ROI for both the company and our partners
• Represent Upbound at industry events, partner conferences, and forums to elevate the company’s brand and thought leadership within the cloud space
• Work closely with product, engineering, marketing, and customer success teams to ensure alignment between partnerships and overall company objectives

Preferred Qualifications

Any cloud native or open source experience is highly preferred

Benefits

#LI-REMOTE