Channel and Alliances Manager
A senior Channel and Alliances Manager role at a global AI platform company in Japan, where the majority of customer transactions are driven through partners. You will strengthen and scale the partner ecosystem, align partners to an evolving go-to-market strategy and drive new customer acquisition, expansion, retention and renewals.
About the company
A global AI platform company with a significant presence in Japan. In this market, the majority of customer transactions are driven through partners, which makes the channel central to the business.
The role
The Channel and Alliances Manager strengthens and scales the partner ecosystem in Japan, translating company strategy into clear partner priorities and equipping partners to position and sell the platform. The role is accountable for measurable outcomes across new customer acquisition, expansion, retention and renewals, working with partner executives and with Sales, Marketing, Customer Success and Professional Services.
Responsibilities
- Own strategic partner relationships as primary contact, building trust with senior executives and sales and technical leaders
- Develop and execute joint business plans that align go-to-market priorities with partner capabilities and revenue objectives
- Keep partners aligned as strategy, positioning and product direction evolve
- Build scalable enablement programmes across sales, technical, customer success and delivery
- Negotiate with partner leaders to secure the resources needed to grow the business and improve retention
- Drive partner-sourced pipeline through joint account planning, campaigns and events, and work with Sales to accelerate opportunities
- Work with Customer Success and partners to improve adoption and support renewals
- Run business reviews, track pipeline and performance data, and represent partner needs to leadership
What you bring
- 7+ years in channel sales, alliances, partner management, business development or enterprise sales
- Experience managing strategic partners in technology, SaaS, AI, cloud or enterprise software
- Proven record of driving partner-sourced pipeline and revenue growth
- Experience working directly with partner executives and senior commercial leaders
- Strong negotiation and influencing skills, including driving action without direct authority
- Experience with major Japanese systems integrators, resellers or distributors is strongly preferred
- Native or business-level Japanese and strong English
- Experience in a global organisation across functions and time zones is preferred
Interested in this role?
Client names are shared once we have spoken. Send your resume and we will be in touch.