Remote Strategic Partnership Development Manager

Summary

Join Acceleration Partners as a Strategic Partnerships Development Manager and support the growth of an enterprise-level client's global B2B affiliate program. This role requires business development/sales experience, strategic thinking, and effective communication skills.

Requirements

• Has strong aptitude for identifying digital strategies based on publisher business models
• Quickly develops new relationships who can recruit brand-to-brand and unique partners
• Self-starter with a strong internal motivation to hit targets
• Experience in commercial role at a technology-driven company, media sales role (at a digital media publisher/platform/agency) or brand
• Experience working with SMBs with a deep understanding of their business and media challenges
• Proven knowledge and understanding of performance and acquisition marketing
• Demonstrated history of managing partnerships that require moving complex decisions through organizations successfully
• Personal track record of commercial sales, success and ability to win the support of senior stakeholders
• Data-driven decision maker with strong analytical thinking
• Excellent communication skills to command an audience of senior stakeholders and bring partners and colleagues on your journey
• High attention to detail and an ability to analyze data and identify insights to drive business performance
• Proactive and collaborative attitude
• Growth mindset and passion to drive client’s business forward
• Passion for social media
• Knows how to collaborate with team members in a remote environment and across various time zones
• 5+ years business development or relevant work experience (including account management, contract negotiations, marketing)
• B2B Knowledge and ability to recruit agencies or out of network publishers is preferred
• Expert knowledge of social media, mobile apps, and digital and mobile marketing
• Knowledge of the self-serve platform, auction, and biddable form of digital advertising buying
• Experience working in a sales or account management role with small businesses
• Proven track record of reaching and exceeding sales goals
• Experience in a business development/sales role
• Experience in Performance Marketing (particularly Affiliate Marketing) industry preferred
• Effective communication and negotiation skills with ability to push back without damaging relationships
• Detail-oriented and persuasive
• Proven record of success in a goal-oriented, highly accountable, fast-paced environment
• Comfortable leading client-facing presentations
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, a natural communicator and influencer
• Work from home and corporate office experience, a plus
• Self-motivated and self-directed creative problem solver who thrives when presented with a challenge

Responsibilities

• Contributes to overall revenue goal for Growth & Partnerships department, and the growth of managed clients, through creation of high potential relationships and optimization of publishers
• Consistently updates G&P department relationship tracker with details on the partnerships they facilitate; updates client-approved placement tracker
• Is a trusted and knowledgeable resource; is an expert in verticals of managed clients; proactively leads conversations to lend expertise and knowledge across the org
• Successfully recruits high-potential partners to join client programs; explains the value of joining and promoting client programs and/or successfully negotiates paid placement terms and fees
• Has best in class interactions and/or relationships with top performing publishers and has a trusted network of partners on behalf of managed clients
• Is comfortable with cold emailing; communications are clear, informative, and engaging. Asks relevant questions when speaking to publishers to vet opportunities
• Manages day-to-day communication with top publishers in program (when owning paid placements and optimization). Communication is managed independently 95% of the time
• Has a proven track record of identifying and executing upon areas of opportunity and optimization across program to drive revenue growth
• Participates in SPD engagement kickoff call with client and ongoing calls as needed; asks appropriate questions and has a clear understanding of client goals and KPIs
• Creates plan for recruitment and/or paid placement initiatives that support the client’s program, including expected timeline for execution. Executes paid placement strategy, including negotiation of terms, campaign set-up, commission changes and coordinating communication with partners
• Executes recruitment strategy, including list building, outreach template and tracker. Manages 95% of strategy without regular assistance from manager
• Adapts to change and pivots strategies to reach client goals; sets expectations and projects new goals when not achievable. Consistently able to communicate and push back when client goals are unrealistic without damaging relationships
• Consistently demonstrates intellectual curiosity; challenges the status quo, regularly pitching and gaining approval on new, innovative and or out of box opportunities
• Always showcases the “why” and benefit the partnership with bring to the client based on data and/or relevant metrics
• Has a high level of knowledge across all publisher verticals; has a proven track record of addressing client questions and speaking to areas of opportunity from having a keen understanding of client and their competitors
• Digs into the why behind a no/rejection; pushes back and has a track record of successfully overcoming objections; provides suggestions or alternatives based on thorough knowledge of the publisher and overall portfolio
• Shares initial projections and paid media placement results with client to determine if the placement added value to the channel and/or performance of new publishers recruited into program
• Can manage difficult conversations with minimal support from manager
• Has a track record of sharing new ideas and best practices with the Partnerships Team and Client Services to reach client goals more effectively
• Knows which issues need to be escalated and when; digs into the root cause and provides recommendations for next steps when flagging to manager
• Proactively shares ideas and issues across Partnerships org department and encourages others to do the same; provides upward feedback to appropriate leaders