Channel Account Manager

Job Description

About the Role:
We are seeking Channel Account Manager candidates in both the Eastern and Western US to drive growth through our Reseller, GSI and Technical Alliance Partner ecosystem across the U.S. and Canada. This individual will own relationships with key channel partners, develop and execute joint go-to-market plans, and ensure our solutions reach customers through a leveraged, partner-driven model. In our fast-paced, “channel-first” organization, the Channel Account Manager will be instrumental in accelerating revenue via partners. This role reports to the VP of Channel Sales and Global Channel Operations and requires roughly 50% travel to engage partners and attend events.

Key Responsibilities & Deliverables:

·         Drive Partner-Sourced Revenue: Achieve or exceed assigned channel sales quota by driving partner-sourced deals and incremental revenue across the region. This includes managing the end-to-end channel sales process with partners to close new business and new logos.

·         Strategic Partner Management: Build, maintain, and expand strong relationships with strategic channel partners (national and regional Resellers, GSIs and Technical Alliance Partners). Establish productive, trust-based relationships with partner principals and sales teams to ensure alignment on objectives. Continuously gauge partner health and satisfaction, addressing needs to maintain high partner success rates.

·         Go-to-Market Planning: Develop and execute joint business plans and go-to-market (GTM) strategies with key partners. Define mutual goals, sales targets, marketing campaigns, and measurable outcomes for each fiscal period. Proactively lead quarterly business reviews with partners to track progress against plans and adjust tactics as needed.

·         Pipeline Development: Identify and pursue new business opportunities through partners. Work with partners to build a robust sales pipeline – including lead generation activities, partner marketing events, and demand generation. Encourage partners to register deals and proactively target key accounts together. Leverage your knowledge of market trends to prioritize efforts where they’ll have the biggest impact.

·         Partner Enablement: Increase partners’ capability to sell our solutions. Coordinate and deliver partner training and enablement programs – from product training and certifications to sales coaching on our value proposition and competitive differentiators. Ensure partners are equipped with the right sales tools, collateral, and demo resources. Inspire and influence partner sales reps to position our products effectively and frequently.

·         Joint Sales Execution: Team with partner sales reps on significant opportunities to win new business (sell-with and sell-through models). Provide deal support such as joint customer meetings, technical resources coordination, and ensuring prompt follow-up on partner-led leads. Drive deals to closure by orchestrating the right internal and partner resources (e.g., sales engineers, product specialists).

·         Partner Recruitment & Ecosystem Growth: Identify, recruit, and onboard new channel partners in target markets or territories to expand our reach. Assess prospective partners for fit and potential. Evangelize our Partner Program value proposition to bring new partners into our ecosystem, including non-traditional routes (influencers, referral partners) as relevant.

·         Business Reviews & Accountability: Conduct regular business performance reviews with partner leadership. Track partner-driven revenue, pipeline, and other KPIs, and use data to hold partners (and yourself) accountable to goals. Provide partners with constructive feedback and direction to improve performance. Maintain up-to-date account plans and quarterly metrics dashboards to report on channel progress to internal management.

·         Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate closely with internal teams to support your partners. Work with regional direct sales teams and managers to coordinate channel and direct sales efforts and avoid conflict. Partner with Marketing on channel campaigns and events, and with Sales Engineering/Technical teams on partner technical enablement. Align with Channel Programs/Operations to ensure partners comply with program requirements (deal registration, certifications, etc.) and to leverage any incentive programs.

·         Market Intelligence & Strategy: Keep a pulse on the competitive landscape and channel trends in North America. Provide feedback to corporate management on market trends and competitor moves in the channel. Use your insights to refine our channel strategy – e.g., identifying which partners to invest in, emerging solution areas to incentivize, or adjustments to channel program policies. Help design compelling value propositions that differentiate our channel offerings (for example, unique services or incentives for partners)

·         Regional Focus – North America: Manage the channel business across the Western half of North America, working in collaboration with your peer who manages the East and Central regions. This includes coverage of both the U.S. and Canada and diverse segments such as commercial enterprises and SLED (state, local, education) markets. Tailor partner strategies to regional market needs and travel throughout the region to maintain a strong field presence. Approximately 50% travel is expected in this role to visit partners on-site, attend joint customer calls with partners, and represent the company at key channel events and trade shows.

Required Qualifications & Experience:

·         Education: Bachelor’s Degree is required (preferably in Business, Marketing, or a related field). An MBA or equivalent advanced degree is a plus but not mandatory.

·         Experience: 5+ years of experience in channel sales, channel account management, or business development in the cybersecurity industry. Experience must include managing reseller partnerships within North America (prior experience with GuidePoint, Optiv, Lumen and/or Consortium a plus).

·         Industry Knowledge: Strong understanding of the channel ecosystem and business models – including how value-added resellers, global/national integrators, distributors, and technology alliance partners operate. Familiarity with the security technology landscape (zero trust, cloud security, network security trends) and the ability to articulate where our solutions fit relative to competitors is important.

·         Proven Track Record: Demonstrated history of meeting or exceeding sales targets through partners. Candidates should be able to cite examples of growing partner-sourced revenue, successfully launching partner initiatives, or significantly expanding partner networks in prior roles.

·         Relationship & Communication Skills: Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels, both within the partner organization (from sales reps to executives) and internally. Must be adept at building rapport and trust. Executive presence and the ability to lead QBRs (Quarterly Business Reviews) and strategy sessions with partner execs is expected.

·         Analytical & Strategic Thinking: Strong strategic planning skills with a data-driven mindset. Comfort analyzing sales metrics, pipeline data, and ROI of partner activities to inform decision-making. Able to think strategically about market opportunities while executing tactical plans quarter-by-quarter.

·         Self-Starter & Adaptability: High energy and self-motivation with the ability to thrive in a fast-moving environment. Adaptable to changes in the market or internal direction– e.g., able to pivot to new programs or adjust partner strategies as needed. The ideal candidate is proactive (“hunter mentality”) in pursuing new opportunities and is not afraid to take initiative and work independently.

·         Cross-Functional Teamwork: Team player who can work effectively with cross-functional teams. Experience collaborating with direct sales teams, marketing, product and customer success to drive joint outcomes with partners. Ability to manage through influence and lead virtual teams to support channel objectives (for instance, getting a sales engineer and a marketing manager aligned with a partner’s plan).

·         Negotiation & Problem-Solving: Strong negotiation skills and the ability to resolve conflicts or channel friction constructively. Can diplomatically handle situations where channel deals conflict with direct sales or when partner and company priorities diverge, finding win-win resolutions. Creative problem-solving ability to address partner or customer challenges as they arise.

·         Tools & Process: Proficiency in CRM, Account Mapping and Partner Relationship Management tools; Salesforce.com experience is preferred. Comfortable using productivity tools (Excel, PowerPoint) to analyze data and communicate plans. Strong organizational skills to manage account plans, follow up on numerous tasks, and juggle multiple partner engagements efficiently.

Preferred Skills & Competencies:

·         Leadership & Influence: Ability to lead through influence, inspiring partners to invest more in our relationship and motivating internal teams to prioritize channel needs. Experience leading joint planning sessions or partner training workshops is a plus.

·         Marketing Savvy: Understanding of channel marketing and demand generation tactics. Ability to work with partners on co-marketing initiatives (events, webinars, campaigns) and knowledge of MDF (Market Development Funds) usage is beneficial.

·         Product & Technical Acumen: While not a technical role per se, a strong affinity for technology is helpful. Knowledge of cybersecurity concepts (Zero Trust, SASE, cloud security, etc.) and the ability to grasp technical advantages of our solutions will enable better partner training and customer conversations. Being seen as a “trusted advisor” by partners often requires some technical credibility.

·         Entrepreneurial Mindset: A proactive, entrepreneurial approach to channel management. Candidates who have experience building a program or growing a region “from scratch” will excel – we value the ability to innovate new approaches (e.g., new partner incentive programs, unique bundled offerings with a partner) to stay ahead of larger competitors.

·         Regional Insight: Cultural awareness and regional insight into North American markets. For example, understanding how business practices might differ slightly in Canada or knowing the major public sector contracting vehicles in U.S. SLED markets can be advantageous when fine-tuning strategies for different parts of the region.

·         Results-Oriented: A results-driven attitude with a passion for winning through partners. We value those who set ambitious goals and execute diligently.

Reporting Structure and Travel:

This position will report to the VP, Channel Sales and Global Channel Operations, working closely with other regional Channel Managers and the North America Sales team. This position will manage focus partners within your territory. Travel is a significant part of the job: the Channel Account Manager should expect around 50% travel on average, which can peak above that during busy quarters. Travel includes on-site partner visits, regional partner sales events, trade shows, and occasional internal meetups. (A company credit card for travel expenses and a supportive travel policy will be provided.)