Role Summary
The Channel Manager is accountable for building, governing, and scaling a high-performing partner ecosystem aligned to regional and global channel strategy.
This role owns the end-to-end partner lifecycle — from recruitment and GTM alignment through to capability development and pipeline creation — ensuring partners become self-sufficient, growth-oriented contributors to the business.
Unlike execution-focused roles, the Channel Manager is responsible for creating the conditions for scale, not closing individual deals.
Core Role Positioning
“Own the partner, build the ecosystem, and create sustainable pipeline.”
-
Full ownership and accountability for assigned partners
-
Focus on mid- to long-term partner growth and capability
-
Creates scalable pipeline and partner-driven revenue engines
Key Responsibilities
1. Partner Ownership & Accountability
-
Act as the single point of ownership for assigned partners
-
Build deep, trusted relationships with partner leadership and operating teams
-
Define, agree, and govern joint business plans with clear growth objectives
-
Hold partners accountable to performance across pipeline, capability, and revenue
2. Partner GTM, Recruitment & Onboarding
-
Define and execute partner GTM strategies aligned to regional priorities
-
Identify whitespace and recruit net-new partners aligned to industry and coverage gaps
-
Lead onboarding of new partners, ensuring rapid integration into the ecosystem
-
Align partner positioning with target industries, accounts, and value propositions
3. Capability Growth & Partner Development
-
Drive partner capability across Sales, Presales, Marketing, and Delivery
-
Ensure partners achieve required certifications and skills aligned to strategy
-
Assess partner maturity and define structured development plans
-
Enable partners to become increasingly self-sufficient in sourcing and delivering work
4. Marketing Alignment & Joint GTM Planning
-
Align partners to joint go-to-market plans and campaign execution
-
Work closely with marketing teams to build structured demand generation programs
-
Ensure partners are actively engaged in campaigns that drive pipeline
-
Translate strategy into actionable programs with measurable outcomes
5. Pipeline Creation & Demand Generation
-
Own the creation of partner-sourced pipeline within assigned ecosystem
-
Ensure partners are proactively identifying and generating new opportunities
-
Track pipeline health, coverage, and quality across the partner portfolio
-
Drive consistency in pipeline generation activities across partners
-
At 10% maturity, handover opportunities to Channel Sales Manager to progress, grow and close
6. Practice Development & Tier Progression
-
Support partners in building industry practices and solutions aligned to target markets
-
Drive progression through partner program tiers based on capability and performance
-
Ensure partners are investing appropriately in priority areas
-
Align partner capability with future growth opportunities
7. Governance & Ecosystem Management
-
Establish governance across partners, including regular reviews, KPIs, and performance tracking
-
Ensure adherence to partner program requirements, commercials, and engagement models
-
Manage cross-region and cross-industry alignment for strategic partners where required
-
Provide structured insight into ecosystem performance to regional leadership
Key Outcomes / Success Measures
-
Growth in partner-sourced pipeline
-
Increase in partner capability and self-sufficiency
-
Expansion of ecosystem coverage (by industry, geography, and capability)
-
Progression of partners through program tiers and maturity levels
-
Strength and sustainability of the overall partner ecosystem
Role Boundaries (Critical Clarity)
The Channel Manager:
-
Builds and enables partners
-
Creates pipeline and ecosystem capability
The Channel Manager is not responsible for:
-
Owning deal execution or closing opportunities
-
Managing in-quarter revenue delivery on individual deals
-
Acting as the primary commercial owner within sales cycles
These responsibilities sit with Channel Sales Manager
