Director of Strategic Partnerships
RemoteFull-TimeDirectorCustomer Acquisition
Skills
About OpenSesame
- OpenSesame is the trusted partner for Workforce Reinvention in the age of AI. OpenSesame delivers integrated software, curated and customizable content, and expert services – embedded into existing learning, HR, and work systems – to help organizations expand their human+AI potential and thrive through change.
- Learn more: www.opensesame.com/about
As Director of Strategic Partnerships, you will act as the architect and leader of this ecosystem, connecting strategy to execution, partners to product, and opportunity to revenue. You are a hands-on, player/coach leader who builds systems, drives outcomes, and leads by example.
- You will define and evolve OpenSesame’s partner strategy, lead a global team of Strategic Partner Managers, own the programmatic maturity of the partner ecosystem, and serve as an executive-level partner to both internal leaders and external stakeholders.
Establish Strategic Clarity & Ecosystem Understanding (0–60 Days)
- Build deep working knowledge of OpenSesame’s partner ecosystem by meeting with the top 30 partners to understand their business models, goals, performance metrics, and integration requirements.
- Review existing partner processes, systems, reporting, and playbooks to identify scalability gaps and execution friction.
- Develop strong relationships with Strategic Partner Managers by observing partner touchpoints, including QBRs, enablement sessions, and joint planning meetings.
- Gain fluency in OpenSesame’s value proposition, competitive positioning, and integration approaches — including tradeoffs across different partner requirements.
Drive Program Insight & Early Impact (60–90 Days)
- Conduct and present a comprehensive SWOT analysis of the partner program, identifying growth blockers, operational inefficiencies, risks, and expansion opportunities.
- Define the critical path for ecosystem growth aligned to OpenSesame’s 30%+ annual revenue targets.
- Begin contributing individually to high-impact partner engagements, including QBRs and strategic planning sessions.
- Review and evaluate partner tiering, incentives, joint value propositions, and performance metrics to assess alignment with long-term strategy.
- Lead executive-level partner meetings, onsite visits, and strategic presentations.
- Establish clear expectations, goals, and communication cadences with your global team.
- Demonstrate early improvements in partner contribution metrics, including sourced revenue, influenced revenue, partner satisfaction, and depth of collaboration.
- Act as a trusted contributor to the Senior Management Team, helping refine OKRs, inform strategy, and represent the partner ecosystem across the business.
Scale the Partner Operating System (90–180 Days)
- Deliver a comprehensive three-year partner ecosystem strategy, outlining revenue milestones, GTM alignment, resourcing needs, operational improvements, and partner experience enhancements.
- Present cross-functional recommendations to Sales, Marketing, Product, and Operations to unlock partner-led growth.
- Launch key initiatives to evolve the partner program, such as improved onboarding workflows, refined partner tiers, enhanced enablement, and optimized operating processes.
- Establish a scalable partner governance model covering roadmap visibility, escalation paths, joint planning, and communication cadences.
- Build and launch internal and external partner reporting systems that track performance, pipeline, onboarding, enablement, and strategic outcomes.
- Optimize and operationalize the Partner Playbook to document best practices for forecasting, escalations, enablement, and partner management.
- Demonstrate measurable improvements in indirect pipeline contribution, funnel conversion, and partner engagement.
- Collaborate with Partner Operations to define scoring rubrics and threshold criteria for future partner tiers.
Deliver Sustained Ecosystem Growth (12+ Months)
- Serve as the executive owner for OpenSesame’s most strategic partners, leading roadmap alignment, joint business planning, and high-impact GTM initiatives.
- Drive ecosystem-led revenue growth through mature partnership models, strong executive relationships, and repeatable partner motions.
- Demonstrate sustained improvements in partner satisfaction, revenue contribution, and long-term collaboration depth.
- Lead complex partnership opportunities end-to-end, including structuring partnership models, executive negotiations, onsite engagements, and strategic presentations.
- Continue evolving the partner ecosystem to support OpenSesame’s global scale, product strategy, and long-term growth.
What Success Looks Like
- Partners consistently generate meaningful sourced and influenced revenue.
- The partner ecosystem operates with clarity, repeatability, and strong executive trust.
- Strategic partners see OpenSesame as a core, long-term growth partner.
- Internal teams experience strong alignment and confidence in partner-led GTM motions.
- The partner program scales with structure, accountability, and measurable impact.
You might notice we don’t list a traditional set of requirements or buzzwords here. That’s intentional. We’re looking for proven examples from your career that show you can build systems, lead teams, scale ecosystems, and drive results.
- When you look back a year from now, you’ll know you’ve made OpenSesame stronger, faster, and more scalable because of the partner organization you built and led.
