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Partnership roles are jobs that involve managing or maintaining strategic partnerships to help a company grow, evolve or improve its operations. These roles are increasingly essential as they provide access to new markets, allow partners to pool resources and collaborate more efficiently — all while mitigating overall risk. An effective partnership strategy can also lead to greater innovation and faster go-to-market speed. In other words, partnership programs can be powerful.
In this article, we will:
- Call out jobs created by the growing partnerships field
- Share their current salary bands as reported by GlassDoor
Partnership manager
A partnership manager does what the title implies: they oversee the daily management of partner programs. Their roles include relationship-building and communication, seeking new partners and onboarding them, resolving conflicts and working toward common revenue goals. Often, partnership managers also serve as the bridge between partnerships and C-suite management, reporting on KPIs and other measures of success for their indirect strategy.
People seeking these positions should have good interpersonal and communication skills and be able to manage multiple tasks at once. While a sales background is sometimes helpful, candidates should also be able to think strategically, embrace innovation and embody time management skills.
Salary: $120,000 to $200,000 USD annually
Partner marketing manager
These professionals still manage partnerships; however, the partner programs under their purview are directly related to the marketing team. In this role, a person would seek and develop partnerships that create marketing value, expand brand reach or generate new leads and customers. They often collaborate on co-branded marketing campaigns and work with cross-functional teams.
It’s an extensive role that requires good relationship management and project management skills, as well as solid analytical and negotiation skills. Solid marketing experience is also essential.
Salary: $109,000 to $185,000 USD annually
See more: What partnerships can learn from marketing leaders.
Partner operations manager
If you love organizing, administrative work and supporting solid workflows and processes, a career as a partner operations manager could be your dream. These individuals work closely with partners to ensure that collaborations go as smoothly as possible, optimizing operations and onboarding to maximum efficiency. They often train and ensure partners comply with standard processes and goals. They’re also deft at resolving operational issues.
It’s a role best suited for highly organized individuals who can analyze data and operations processes while communicating effectively and solving problems.
Salary: $95,000 to $172,000 USD annually
Partnership account manager
While a partnership manager develops and manages partnerships, a partnership account manager oversees all of those partnerships and channels as they grow. Partnership account managers help build new relationships with ideal partners while providing support and collaboration to the entire team, which means they often have several balls in the air.
Those who are successful in the role are often super organized and able to think strategically, but they also pay attention to the small details that matter. Problem-solving and the ability to communicate are important. Experience in sales and business management is also helpful.
Salary: $93,000 to $168,000 USD annually
Partnerships business development manager
In partnerships, a business development manager looks for and develops strategic partnerships that will drive overall business growth. They negotiate deals and evaluate overall partnership alignment, executing partnership strategies that will drive growth, support KPIs and adapt to current market trends.
Since people in these roles often analyze performance and collaborate with cross-functional teams, they need to be well-versed in all areas of partnerships and have a solid background in business development, analytics and project management.
Salary: $145,000 to $210,000 USD annually
Partner engagement manager
Companies that want to engage their partners and create meaningful partnerships often hire a partner engagement manager to focus on those partners. The main goal of this role is to build strong and positive relationships with partners and enhance their experience with the company. As a result, these partners will be more motivated to work towards mutual goals and likely to participate in shared events or initiatives.
Because this role focuses heavily on relationships, a partner engagement manager must have excellent people skills and relationship management skills. Problem-solving and communication skills, strategic thinking and analysis are also important.
Salary: $170,000 to $309,000 USD annually
You might also like: Jobs that are growing with the rise of AI.
Technology partnership manager
There are myriad partnerships to pursue, but technology partnership managers are focused on building and managing relationships with partners who can help a business scale with technology. These partners are often tech vendors or providers who can help with growth and innovation. In this role, it’s important to suss out current trends and tech and to identify partners who will align with strategic goals.
Technology partnership managers often help coordinate the integration and implementation of these integrations with partner companies while building trust, monitoring performance and providing feedback. That’s why a background in tech is just as necessary as relationship management, while analytic skills and project management are also beneficial.
Salary: $107,000 to $190,000 USD annually
Director of partnerships
As partnerships evolve, so too do the roles within a company. A head of partnerships is usually among the senior team and is responsible for a company’s entire partnership team and strategy. Their goal is to lead the development of meaningful partnerships to secure a stronger foothold in the market. They can still seek partnerships and negotiate agreements, but they’re responsible for the overall team and ensuring partnership performance goals are met.
Those interested in heading up partnerships at a company should have a background in strategic leadership and team management, plus they need solid industry knowledge. Analytical, negotiation and communication skills are also an asset
Salary: $240,000 to $304,000 USD annually
Chief partnership officer
Like a head of partnerships, a chief partnership officer can oversee a team. However, they are considered an executive-level employee and are responsible for a high-level strategy rather than the more hands-on, daily role of a head of partnerships. Chief partnership officers foster internal partnership goals and outcomes by setting partnership strategy and performance goals, and they provide direction and management for their teams.
This role also requires a good knowledge of industry trends and market competition, as well as team and strategic leadership skills. Experience in the partnerships space is essential, as is experience analyzing and optimizing previous partnership performances.
Salary: $136,000 to $254,000 USD annually
Related: Partnership marketing jobs thriving (plus, the future of remote work).
Partner success manager
Sometimes, the easiest part of acquiring new partners is agreeing to partner. Then you have to ensure the proper training, that your goals align, that you’re hitting agreed-upon targets and that both sides are happy — to start. That’s where a partner success manager is essential. In this role, an individual is responsible for overseeing a seamless onboarding and integration experience and then they become the key contact for any and all issues. They will monitor performance and track success, offer training and support where needed, and use feedback and communication to constantly improve.
Partner success managers don’t always source and bring on partners, but depending on the size of the company and the role at hand, they can. Either way, they should be personable and organized, detail-oriented and able to analyze, problem-solve and communicate.
Salary: $115,000 to $206,000 USD annually
As the world of partnerships changes, so too do the roles within it. However, one thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of partnerships in business strategy and growth. Implementing new partnership programs and focusing on existing partners is always essential, whether you’re green or have been doing this for a while.
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