Alliances Manager - OEM Partnership
Midwest Preferred | Travel up to 40%
The Alliance Manager is a high-impact, commercially focused role at the center of our go-to-market engine. As an IT Value-Added Reseller (VAR), we deliver solutions from the industry’s leading OEM partners—including Cisco, Dell Technologies, HPE, Microsoft, and others—to enterprise and mid-market customers across the region. The Alliance Manager owns the business relationship with a portfolio of strategic OEM partners, serving as the bridge between their channel programs and our internal sales teams, technical resources, and marketing organization.
This role is designed for a channel professional who thrives in a fast-moving, relationship-driven environment and can translate OEM program investments into tangible pipeline and revenue. The ideal candidate blends business development instincts with deep channel knowledge, understands how OEM partner programs work from the inside, and has a demonstrated track record of activating field sales teams to win more business together.
Position Description:
As Alliance Manager, you will own end-to-end partner relationships with two to four strategic OEM partners. Success in this role is measured by revenue generated through the partner channel, the depth of joint pipeline created, and the degree to which OEM field reps view our organization as their preferred VAR partner. You will be equally comfortable presenting a quarterly business review to an OEM’s regional sales director as you are sitting beside a company account executive during a customer conversation to add OEM context and credibility.
This position is modeled on best practices observed across leading IT VARs where Alliance Managers serve as the connective tissue between manufacturer channel programs and the VAR’s internal revenue engine.
Key Responsibilities:
1. OEM Partner Relationship Management
- Serve as the primary point of contact and executive relationship owner for assigned OEM partners at the regional and national field level.
- Build, maintain, and deepen relationships with OEM regional sales managers, channel account managers, field sales representatives, and partner program teams.
- Develop and execute Joint Business Plans (JBPs) with each assigned OEM, establishing mutual revenue targets, go-to-market activities, and accountability checkpoints.
- Conduct regular cadence calls and Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with OEM partner contacts to align on pipeline, opportunities, and strategic priorities.
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of each OEM’s partner program structure, tier requirements, incentives, deal registration processes, and certifications.
Serve as the internal advocate for the OEM partner’s priorities and ensure the company maximizes program benefits, rebates, MDF, and incentive attainment.
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2. Lead Generation & Pipeline Development
- Drive joint pipeline creation through coordinated prospecting with OEM field reps—leveraging OEM customer databases, installed base data, and co-selling motions.
- Facilitate bi-directional lead sharing: register company-originated opportunities with the OEM and ensure OEM-originated leads are routed quickly to the appropriate internal account team.
- Partner with internal account executives to identify whitespace accounts where OEM technology creates a natural entry point or expansion opportunity.
- Participate in joint customer calls and account planning sessions, positioning the company as the OEM’s go-to VAR for complex solutions and services-attached deals.
- Track and report on joint pipeline metrics, deal registration win rates, and OEM-sourced revenue on a weekly and monthly basis.
- Coordinate OEM-sponsored demand generation activities—including lunch-and-learns, executive briefings, technology showcases, and joint webinars—to generate net-new opportunities.
3. Sales Team Enablement & Training
- Own the internal education and enablement agenda for each assigned OEM partner, ensuring all relevant sales, presales, and services staff are informed and confident selling OEM solutions.
- Design and deliver regular OEM product and solution training sessions—including new product launches, competitive differentiators, use cases, and pricing strategy.
- Coordinate OEM-led training events, vendor days, and certification preparation programs, working closely with OEM enablement and partner marketing teams.
- Serve as the first line of internal knowledge for OEM deal structures, quoting guidance, deal registration nuances, and pricing strategies.
- Maintain and distribute internal OEM partner “cheat sheets,” battle cards, and quick reference guides to ensure the sales team can confidently position OEM solutions.
- Identify skills gaps within the sales organization as they relate to OEM solutions and work with management and the OEM to develop targeted remediation plans.
- Onboard new sales hires to OEM program requirements, deal registration workflows, and joint selling expectations.
4. Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Collaborate with presales engineers and solution architects to align OEM technical resources (including OEM SEs and demo environments) with complex customer opportunities.
- Work with the marketing team to develop OEM co-branded campaigns, event sponsorships, and digital content that drives awareness and generates demand.
- Partner with finance and operations to ensure accurate OEM program reporting, rebate tracking, and credit memo reconciliation.
- Maintain accurate CRM records for all OEM-related opportunities, activities, and pipeline, ensuring data integrity for leadership reporting.
- Represent the company at OEM-hosted partner conferences, channel summits, and industry events.
Qualifications:
- 5+ years of experience in channel sales, alliance management, partner development, or related field within the IT industry.
- Demonstrated experience working with or within an IT VAR, system integrator, distributor, or OEM channel organization.
- Proven track record of building and managing OEM partner relationships that resulted in measurable revenue growth.
- Experience managing Marketing Development Funds (MDF) and co-op programs with accountability for ROI.
- Hands-on experience with deal registration programs, partner portal navigation, and OEM incentive structures for major manufacturers (e.g., Cisco, Dell, HPE, Microsoft, Palo Alto, Fortinet, or equivalent).
- History of designing and delivering sales training and enablement programs for internal teams.
- Strong pipeline management skills with experience using a CRM platform (Salesforce preferred) to track partner activity and report on outcomes.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Active OEM certifications or partner program credentials (e.g., Cisco CPN, Dell Partner Program, Microsoft Partner Network, HPE Partner Ready).
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Information Technology, or related field; MBA a plus.
- Experience managing multiple OEM partnerships simultaneously in a fast-paced VAR environment.
- Familiarity with distribution channels (e.g., Ingram Micro, TD SYNNEX, Arrow) and how two-tier distribution affects OEM program dynamics.
- Experience working within a VAR environment such as CDW, SHI, Insight, WWT, Presidio, Logicalis, or similar organization.
Travel:
This is a hybrid role with a primary base in a company office or regional home office. The Alliance Manager is expected to travel to OEM partner offices, customer sites, joint events, and industry conferences approximately 30–40% of the time. Travel requirements will vary by season and partner program cadence, with peak travel expected around OEM partner kickoffs (Q1) and annual conferences.
You Belong. At Vervint, we embrace all facets of identity that make you - you. From race, gender identity, and veteran status to disabilities and more, your lived experiences enrich everyone around you. We know when we create an environment of safety and respect for individuals and their identities, we all do our best work. That is why we celebrate our diversity, foster equity, and champion inclusion within our company, the work we do, and our communities. As we work together, we commit to continuous growth, learning from our mistakes, and expanding on our caring culture to bring our values to life.
Vervint is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veterans status, familial status, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, status regarding public assistance or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.
