VP of Partnerships in Manchester

Opportunity with a growing B2B software company to build and scale a more commercially effective partner ecosystem. The business already works through a mix of technology, channel and strategic partners. The opportunity now is to turn that into a more deliberate growth engine, with clearer partner motions, stronger commercial accountability and better alignment between Product, Sales and Marketing.

This is a role for someone who understands how partnerships drive recurring revenue in a SaaS environment, not just how to manage relationships.

The company sells software into established organisations with complex operational needs and high expectations of vendor support. Customers are typically looking for technology that can be implemented smoothly, adopted consistently and supported well over time. As the business continues to grow, partnerships are becoming more important across product reach, customer acquisition, integration strategy and long-term account value.

You’ll own the partnership strategy across technology partners, resellers, integrators, marketplaces and strategic alliances. That includes identifying the right partners, structuring commercial agreements, creating repeatable partner motions and making sure the ecosystem contributes meaningfully to pipeline, revenue and customer retention. There is already partner activity in the business. What’s needed now is sharper strategy, better execution and a more scalable operating model.

You’ll be responsible for building a partner ecosystem that supports commercial growth and strengthens the overall product proposition. That means working with Product and Engineering on integration priorities, with Sales on co-selling and pipeline generation, and with Marketing on joint propositions, campaigns and marketplace visibility.

Success will include:

• A clear partnership strategy aligned to revenue growth.
• Stronger partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline.
• More effective technology, channel and alliance partnerships.
• Better integration and marketplace opportunities.
• Commercial agreements that create value for both sides.
• Clear partner KPIs around activation, engagement, revenue and retention.
• Scalable partner infrastructure, including onboarding, enablement, playbooks and reporting.
• A more joined‑up approach between Product, Sales, Marketing and partner organisations.

You’ll be expected to operate at both strategic and practical levels. This is not a purely executive relationship role. You’ll need to set direction, negotiate effectively, build the operating model and stay close enough to the detail to make the partner motion work.

You’ll bring senior experience in partnerships, business development or channel leadership within a SaaS or B2B software environment. You’ll understand how partner ecosystems work commercially, including referral, reseller, co‑sell, marketplace, OEM and integration‑led models. You’ll also be comfortable working with product and technical teams where integrations, APIs and platform strategy are part of the growth plan.

Relevant experience could include:

• Building or scaling SaaS partner ecosystems.
• Owning partner‑sourced or partner‑influenced revenue targets.
• Developing technology, channel or strategic alliance partnerships.
• Negotiating commercial agreements across revenue share, co‑sell, marketplace or embedded models.
• Working closely with Product, Sales and Marketing to create joint value propositions.
• Using partner performance data to improve strategy and execution.
• Building partner programmes, enablement, onboarding and operating rhythms.
• Leading teams or building capability around a developing partner function.

Experience in high‑growth B2B software, platform ecosystems, integration‑led partnerships or complex enterprise sales environments would be particularly relevant.

This is a chance to shape a partnerships function at a point where the channel can have a real impact on growth. The business has a product that benefits from ecosystem thinking. The right partnerships can improve reach, strengthen customer value, support retention and open up new routes to market. You’ll have the scope to define the strategy, build the model and create a partner function that becomes central to how the company scales.

For someone who combines commercial judgement, SaaS partnership experience and the ability to build structure in a growing business, this is a visible role with meaningful ownership.

On offer:

• Competitive base salary.
• Remote working with one day per week in the office (commutable from Manchester).

This would suit a partnerships leader who can balance strategy with execution, build commercially valuable partner relationships and turn ecosystem activity into measurable growth.