Skillsoft
Strategic Alliances Partner Manager
Brand: Skillsoft
Req#: 494776
Updated: 01/29/2019
Job Type: Regular
Location: Remote US - Works From Home
Category: Sales
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Job Description

Skillsoft is seeking a Strategic Partners & Alliances Program Manager to join our NA/LATAM partner and alliances team. The successful candidate will report to the Manager, Partner Success Consulting, and will be an experienced leader who will manage our relationship with strategic partners and alliances, including client relationship management, sales support and ongoing marketing and communication. This position, which will have high visibility among the sales leadership team at Skillsoft, serves as a strategic resource and specialist in the areas of driving business and revenue and typically supports the most strategic and highest priority partnerships. 

The ideal candidate will possess a broad and deep expertise in the world of partnerships and cloud solutions and will have a practical understanding of working with large, complex system integrators and consulting companies. They will possess demonstrated ability to think strategically about new business models, solution selling and technical challenges to help build compelling value propositions for partners and alliances as well as for their ecosystem of customers and partners.

This position will work with key leaders through cross-functional teams to influence, align and coordinate resources to deliver the desired results. The candidate should have a proven track record of driving strategic outcomes through an ecosystem: influencing innovation through a strategic partner ecosystem and/or business development experience.

The successful candidate must balance strategic-thinking with tactical execution; build effective and enduring partner relationships, drive highly cross-functional processes, possess a sound technical understanding of Skillsoft’s technology, and have an appreciation of the strengths of our partner business strategy. 

Position Responsibilities

This position is a specialized role of sales support, solution development consulting, project management, marketing and communications, relationship building, and ongoing post-sales support. A vital part of the Skillsoft Partners and Alliances team, the position contributes to the achievement of revenue goals to both prospective and existing partners and alliances through performance of the following responsibilities. 

Product Portfolio Planner/Manager

·       Evaluates business opportunities to define and optimize the product portfolio through analysis and understanding of targeted markets, market trends, new technology, customer business issues and the competitive environment.

·       Applies broad knowledge of product capabilities and service offerings with in-depth analysis of market position to create, target and expand the portfolio of products and solution alternatives. 

·       Gathers and analyzes utilization/sales statistics and provides strategies for ROI, client impact and overall operational guidance

·       Offers suggestions/best practice advice to adjust the offering as needed and based on revenue production.

·       Works closely with product development and marketing teams for the delivery of enhanced product designs and solutions for the partner markets.

Project (Client Services) Manager

·       Develops project plans designed to address partner/customer needs and/or expand market share.

·       Coordinates all aspects of a product or service offering project for a client, from inception to installation.

·       Identifies integration strategies that map to client technical requirements while maintaining concerns of enterprise.  Installations may involve integrations with enterprise software systems or consulting projects/engagements.

·       Interacts with sales, systems engineering, product development, and other members of cross-functional teams.

·       Oversees project schedules and provides input into needed budgets to ensure project/goal attainment.

Marketing/Communications Specialist

·       Consults with partner on the development of the elements of a successful Skillsoft partner/alliance program.

·       Serves as an integral part of the presales effort to identify and craft the right product mix for partner target markets.

·       Researches and provides sound advice on best practices for creating a successful go-to-market strategy that includes elements of pricing, marketing, implementation and ongoing support to their customer base

·       Provides expertise on industry trends and product solutions

·       Assists partner in planning, designing and manage marketing solutions utilizing available resources

·       Participates as subject matter expert for client facing webinars, documentation and speaker engagements.

Partner and Sales Support

·       Leverages Skillsoft processes and tools, adapting those as needed for the partner market, and become an expert trainer on those processes and tools

·       Creates processes and documentation and provides training required to support standard and custom partner solutions

·       Leverages the technical knowledge of the Customer Support and Application Engineering teams to provide technical analysis, integration advice, and issue resolution.

·       Provides sales support for partner’s prospecting activities as needed, assisting as learning specialist and extension of their sales force

·       Coordinates and conducts routine business reviews with partners to review the status of projects, to review progress toward attainment of overall program goals, and to discuss strategies for growing the partnership.

Desired Skills and Experience

10+ year’s work experience with some specific experience managing GSIs in the areas of business or Information Technology (IT), specializing in consulting, project management, and account management

Software industry domain expertise (preferably SaaS), and the ability to understand complex technology problems

Strong previous background in Strategic Partner and/or Alliance Management

Effective at building strong relationships (internally and with partners), collaborating, and influencing others; experience working with senior executives/partners in cross-company projects

Strong communicator, able to convey complex ideas in a clear, concise manner both verbally and in writing; comfort in business and technical discussions

Effective teamwork skills in building relationships (internally and with partners), collaborating, and influencing others; experience working with senior executives/ partners in cross-company projects

Self-starter who enjoys working in a fast-paced, collaborative, and high-growth environment

Ability to navigate complex business situations and employ strategic thinking to understand the partner business and craft the Skillsoft solution to best fit their needs

 Superior skills in critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making that balance analysis with responsiveness for independent, solution-focused action

 Ability to manage internal and external resources to both business and technical goals

 Strong grasp of Skillsoft value proposition and key features/benefits for its products and platform, and demo Skillsoft products and platform

 Outstanding interpersonal skills, including relationship-building and conflict resolution

 Superior consulting, listening and communication skills

 Refined virtual presentation skills and ability to speak publicly

 Ability to be consistently precise, thorough and detail oriented yet cognizant of the end goal

 Strong project management, organizational and time management skills are required to manage competing interests

 Excellent skills in common MS applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)

 Education and Certifications

 Bachelor’s Degree in business, education or related field; or equivalent experience

 

 





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Skillsoft is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action Employer: It is the policy of Skillsoft Corporation to provide equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability (mental or physical), protected veteran status, genetic information or any other class protected by law