Director, Ecosystem & Alliances - North America

About Us

Always open. Our code, our culture, our opportunities. Leading open innovation without limits. We are SUSE.

SUSE is a global leader in innovative, reliable and secure enterprise open source solutions, including SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE), Rancher and NeuVector. More than 60% of the Fortune 500 rely on SUSE to power their mission-critical workloads, enabling them to innovate everywhere – from the data center to the cloud, to the edge and beyond. SUSE puts the “open” back in open source, collaborating with partners and communities to give customers the agility to tackle innovation challenges today and the freedom to evolve their strategy and solutions tomorrow.

We are open in our roots and open in our approach, striving to be the most trusted open innovator in the World. Openness extends beyond our technology. Our vibrant community thrives on diversity and connectivity without borders.

Director, Ecosystem & Alliances - North America

Job Description

The Director, Ecosystem & Alliances leads a group of senior business development professionals dedicated to driving impactful partnerships and expanding SUSE’s market reach through strategic alliances. This pivotal role involves guiding Partner Executives in achieving ambitious growth targets, optimizing relationships across National Partners, Regional System Integrators, and Distribution Channels, and enhancing overall team performance to drive mutual success with SUSE’s diverse partner ecosystem. The ideal candidate will act as a key mentor, strategic advisor, and executive leader, ensuring SUSE’s solutions align seamlessly with partner objectives and that partnerships consistently contribute to pipeline growth, customer success, and significant revenue targets across all channel segments.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive channel and partner management strategy that robustly aligns with SUSE's regional and global business goals. Lead the team in crafting and executing high-impact joint business plans with strategic partners, including National Partners, Regional System Integrators, and Distribution Channels, to significantly advance SUSE’s indirect sales model and foster accelerated mutual growth.
• Mentor and coach Partner Executives to cultivate a high-performance, results-driven culture. Establish and rigorously evaluate performance goals, provide continuous, constructive feedback, and proactively support professional development to build a knowledgeable, resilient, and highly motivated team.
• Drive partner-led sales opportunities by guiding the team in fostering effective collaboration and alignment with Account Executives across all partner segments. Monitor advanced team performance metrics, deep-dive into partner contributions (from National, Regional, and Distribution partners), and analyze pipeline impact, aiming for consistent, substantial growth in revenue and customer success across key market sectors.
• Spearhead executive-level relationship-building activities with CXO-level executives and other critical partner stakeholders within National Accounts, Regional Partners, and Distribution Networks. Serve as a primary escalation point and strategic consultant for high-value partner relationships, empowering the Partner Executives to forge stronger, value-driven alliances.
• Collaborate closely with SUSE’s Marketing, Sales, and Technical teams to strategically refine and expand partner programs. Champion initiatives to optimize onboarding, enablement, and growth for National and Regional Partners and Distribution Channels, ensuring partners are exceptionally well-equipped to drive demand generation, comprehensive certification programs, and impactful go-to-market initiatives that align with SUSE’s strategic growth areas, including security, edge, and cloud.
• Lead the in-depth analysis of market trends, partner performance (across all segments), and the entire deal pipeline, leveraging advanced data insights to identify new growth opportunities and dynamically adjust team strategies. Present compelling findings to executive leadership and propose actionable insights for significantly enhancing SUSE’s market presence.
• Represent the Partner Executive team in senior leadership meetings, strategically advocate for partner needs within SUSE, and champion initiatives that profoundly elevate the partner experience, drive partner loyalty, and strengthen SUSE’s brand authority within the broader ecosystem.
• Actively engage in best-practice talent acquisition processes, with a strong focus on hiring a diverse, high-caliber team that reflects SUSE’s values and drives innovation. Collaborate with Talent Acquisition to define critical hiring needs, actively engage diverse candidate pools, and ensure an unbiased selection process that supports the inclusion of varied perspectives.
• Foster an inclusive and empowering team culture where all voices are heard, and team members feel genuinely valued. Encourage open communication, celebrate diverse perspectives, and promote practices that drive exceptional collaboration and innovation. Advocate for inclusion and diversity as essential factors that dramatically enhance team performance and customer engagement.

Skills & Experience

• Significant experience in a leadership role, overseeing a high-performance partner or business development team, ideally within the enterprise software or open-source technology space.
• Deep understanding of industry trends in software-defined infrastructure, cloud services, and open-source solutions. Ability to translate these insights into actionable strategies that drive team success and contribute to organisational growth.
• Expertise in fostering strong, influential relationships with partners and internal stakeholders, especially at the C-level. Skilled in conveying complex technical value propositions in ways that resonate with diverse audiences.
• Proficiency in enterprise sales methodologies (e.g., MEDDPICC), with a proven track record of guiding teams in navigating high-value, multi-stakeholder deals. Industry certifications in sales or IT are beneficial.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage CRM tools, such as Salesforce, to analyse partner performance data, refine team strategies, and enhance the impact of partnership initiatives on the sales pipeline.
• A growth mindset, eager to lead a dynamic team through evolving business conditions and support professional growth by encouraging continuous learning and skill development.
• Demonstrated experience in hiring diverse talent and creating inclusive team environments. Skilled in fostering a sense of belonging and valuing varied perspectives, with a focus on enhancing innovation, collaboration, and overall team performance.

US Pay Transparency Disclaimer - Commission

If this role is filled in the United States of America, the starting base salary is expected to be between 130,000 and 237,000. In addition to this base salary, we offer a commission and an attractive benefits package. US benefits include a comprehensive medical plan, life and disability insurance, 401k, Employee Assistance Programme and generous paid time off and leave policies.

Actual compensation will be determined by factors such as experience, skills, geographical location, internal equity, and budget. Please note that this salary information is applicable to the US only.

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What We Offer

We empower you to be bold, driving your career to create the future you want. We celebrate and reward your achievements.

SUSE is a dynamic environment that is evolving rapidly, thus requiring agility, strong entrepreneurship and an open mind.

This is a compelling opportunity for the right person to join us as we continue to scale and prosper.

If you’re a big thinker, obsessed by execution and thrive in a dynamic environment in which you can tangibly create a lasting legacy, then please apply now!

We give you the freedom to be yourself. You will work in a global community of unique individuals – like you – with different backgrounds, talents, skills and perspectives. A truly open community where everyone is welcome, has a voice and is encouraged to reach their full potential regardless of age, gender, race, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or any other characteristics.

Sounds like the right fit for you? Click Apply to submit your resume. A recruiter will contact you if your skills match our current or any future positions. In the meantime, stay updated on the latest SUSE news and job vacancies by joining our Talent Community.

SUSE Values

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