About this role
Job title: Strategic Alliance Director
Actian is the leader in hybrid data management, cloud data warehouse, and data integration technology. We're experiencing exponential growth and expanding our go-to-market engine through strategic partnerships. We're seeking a Strategic Alliance Director to build and scale 6-8 NA consulting/SI partners as a primary revenue engine.
Own the end-to-end partner lifecycle: selection, onboarding, GTM strategy, enablement, and revenue delivery. You'll be measured on partner-sourced customer opportunities and deal closure.
Reports to: Global Head of Partnerships | Works with: NA Sales Leader and regional reps across all NA sales regions
Compensation & Accountability 70% of annual quota is based on partner-sourced opportunities delivered to Actian sales. This is a revenue-accountable role where success is measured by the volume, quality, and closing rate of customer opportunities your partner relationships generate for the field sales team. The remaining 30% focuses on partner enablement, solution co-creation, GTM strategy, and ecosystem management.
What You'll Do
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Identify, qualify, and onboard 6-8 strategic NA partners (Deloitte, Accenture, EY, KPMG, Slalom, etc.); establish governance with monthly reviews, quarterly QBRs, and clear success criteria
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Co-develop partner business plans with pipeline targets and regional account lists; drive partner prospecting aligned to Actian sales territories
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Attend joint customer discovery meetings with NA sales leader and regional reps; own deal registration, pipeline tracking, and quarterly performance reviews
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Build partner enablement programs (sales training, technical certifications, monthly webinars); create and maintain partner resource portal
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Build partner-specific GTM strategies and vertical focus; co-create solutions and execute joint campaigns (webinars, case studies, co-marketing)
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Partner with NA Sales Leader on territory mapping, regional alignment, and quarterly regional business reviews
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Gather competitive intelligence from Snowflake and Databricks partners; share win/loss insights with Actian sales and product
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What Success Looks Like (Year 1)
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• 6-8 partners onboarded with business plans and SLAs
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• $3M-5M+ partner-sourced pipeline; 40-50+ joint customer meetings; 20-30% deal conversion; 90%+ deal registration compliance
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• 70%+ partner certification rate; 2-3 co-created solutions; 3+ joint GTM campaigns launched
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• Zero territory conflicts; 80%+ of sales reps actively pursuing partner pipeline
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• Competitive intelligence relationships established; quarterly briefings to leadership
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Our Ideal Strategic Alliance Director Will Have
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• 7+ years in strategic alliance management, partner business development, or SI/consulting channel sales
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• Proven success building and scaling 5+ key partner relationships with Deloitte, Accenture, EY, KPMG, Slalom, or similar firms
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• Direct experience managing partner-originated pipeline, customer meetings, deal conversion, and partner business plans
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• Demonstrated success designing and executing partner enablement programs and GTM strategies
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• Field sales or channel experience; comfortable with sales cycles, deal qualification, and working alongside sales reps
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• Background in data/cloud/analytics ecosystem; familiarity with Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery strongly preferred
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• Understanding of consulting partner sales models, margin structures, and incentive alignment
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Skills & Attributes
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• BS/BA degree required; MBA preferred
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• Revenue accountability mindset – quota-driven with personal accountability for pipeline
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• Partner business planning and enablement program design expertise
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• GTM strategy, negotiation skills, and strong executive communication
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• Strategic business acumen; understand partner economics and co-selling models
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• Excellent sales collaboration – you enable reps without complicating their world
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• High initiative and self-directed relationship builder with a sales edge
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30%+ travel: partner offices, customer sites, Actian sales offices. Based in major NA markets (SF, NYC, Chicago Colorado, Texas, preferred).
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Why Actian
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• Direct revenue impact – 70% quota tied to partner-sourced pipeline
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• Build the channel; shape partner strategy and GTM at a critical inflection point with all the resources needed from technical to marketing
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• Work with elite partners – Deloitte, Accenture, Slalom, and other top-tier SI firms, plus Snowflake, Databricks
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• Field-forward culture – 30%+ time with partners, sales teams, and customers
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• Sales enablement role – you're a force multiplier for NA Sales Leader and regional reps
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• Hyper-growth opportunity in mission-critical data infrastructure