Head of Industry Alliances

Locations:

Denver, CO

As the Head of Industry Alliances, you will be responsible for developing and executing a new industry-focused channel partnerships strategy, which will include layering multiple types of partnerships and building hybrid digital and human acquisition strategies. You’ll do this by identifying and building relationships with strategic partners that are influential to the chosen industry, structuring bundled deals for each audience, building out the optimal cross-functional acquisition growth plan, thereby driving revenue growth through the partner network.

This role is ideally suited for someone who is creative, data-driven and understands the breadth of practice areas within partnerships. You’ll make the biggest impact by creating new sustainable and scalable growth channels that are aligned with Gusto’s overall strategy. We do have existing partnerships which you’ll take over and own, but you’re mostly excited about building from the ground up. There’s a lot to be done within the Channel Partnerships function, and while you might not be an expert in all of it, you’re excited about taking it on, thinking through solutions and new unique opportunities to grow the business and executing flawlessly on them. You will take part in idea generation by building/leveraging relationships, opportunities, and allowing your curiosity to drive profitability. You’re hungry for success, create win-win-win scenarios and deliver impactful results for our partners, customers and ultimately Gusto.

The Channel Development team is new, and is working to drive outsized market share and revenue through sales and marketing initiatives from product and referral partnerships. This team is responsible for developing new and unique programs to drive growth across segments within Gusto, and that’s where you fit in! We are strategic, creative and dynamic, with a passion to bring great solutions to small businesses to make otherwise mundane tasks easier via our partner solutions. You’ll be developing big-picture plans, and helping execute on them. We’re looking for the unique individual who loves to think about long-term implications and 5000-foot views, and who also doesn’t mind rolling up their sleeves and doing what it takes to achieve the results we know we can.

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:

Responsibilities: 

• Build a strategic modern channel partnership program while adhering to a foundation of best-in-class partnerships principles
• Identify, prospect, and establish partnerships with relevant industry players, technology vendors, data providers, to expand our reach and offerings.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive partnership strategy to drive revenue growth and market expansion.
• Contribute to the Ecosystem’s corporate and commercial strategy by leveraging your experience and expertise, consulting the right subject matter experts, collaborating with key partners, and delivering persuasive and high quality presentations/memos to internal and external executives

Relationship Management:

• Manage relationships with strategic partners, including technology partners, accounting and broker firms, relevant associations and B2B platforms, knowledge of partner product offerings and identify growth opportunities that arise from prospect conversations
• Represent the company at relevant industry events, conferences, and networking opportunities to showcase the product and explore potential partnerships.

Negotiation and Contract Management:

• Review contract requirements ensuring compliance with legal and business requirements.
• Develop and execute the channel partnerships industry-specific strategy, including identifying and prioritizing potential partners, negotiating and closing partnership deals
• Drive complex, non-standard deals with executives at large, sophisticated counterparties from opportunity identification to signature to execution

Performance Monitoring:

• Drive monthly assigned annual quota by accurately forecasting, effectively managing a pipeline of opportunities; Continuously enhance funnel efficiency drivers to elevate ARR metrics.
• Monitor and analyze partnership performance metrics to optimize partner performance, identify areas for improvement, and provide regular reporting to senior management.
• Coach and mentor emerging star members of the team
• Help set and achieve ambitious OKRs.

Cross-Functional Expertise and Partner Engagement:

• Collaborate with the Sales, Marketing, and Product teams to ensure alignment and maximize opportunities for partner-driven growth.
• Optimize existing operational levers and build new ones
• Implement key programs & coordinate directly with internal business units to build process flows, data analytics, marketing pushes and other requirements before campaign roll out.
• Provide training and educational resources to partners and internal teams to ensure a deep understanding of the product’s capabilities and unique value proposition
• Be a consultative thought-partner with your team, as well as with cross-functional team members to drive growth and close rates for partner prospects
• Act as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert to customers, channel partners and cross-functional teams

Leadership:

• Build, lead, and develop a team of partnership managers to execute partnership commitments and manage partner relationships.
• Ensure timely launch of approved programs, marketing launches & fulfillment of partnership commitments.
• Develop and manage processes for effective organization operations
• Coach and lead a team to drive go-to-market tactics for the ecosystem

Market and Competitive Analysis:

• Stay up-to-date on industry trends, competitive landscape, and emerging technologies to inform partnership strategy and identify new opportunities.
• Conduct in-depth market research to identify potential partnership opportunities.
• Leverage insights to make informed decisions and adjustments to partnership and integration 

Here’s what we're looking for:

• 10 years B2B sales, partnerships or business development experience in a fast paced evolving environment, 5-6 of which must be in a managerial function.
• Extensive experience in a partnerships/ecosystem role, building and iterating on new partnership models that scale, preferably at a high-growth company. We want these programs to last long after you’ve grown out of this role!
• Expertise in tying partnership motions to specific revenue goals.
• Partner marketing experience collaborating with strategic partners to drive marketing programs that acquire new customers at scale, both digitally and with human touch.
• Proven track record in high velocity channel sales funnels, developing and executing successful partnership strategies that bring value to mutual customers.
• Demonstrated experience in a high-tech/growth-oriented setting.
• Strong business acumen, highly analytical and data-driven, with experience in developing and managing partnership performance metrics, sales strategies and operations (Goal and KPI-driven mindset)
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with experience in managing and building a high-performing team of partnership managers.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with senior executives at partner companies.
• Passion for innovation and entrepreneurship, with a strong understanding of the fintech or HR Tech landscape and emerging trends.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail, can prioritize a dynamic workload, and successfully handle multiple deadlines with a busy schedule.
• You are able to thrive in a fast paced, rapidly changing environment - you move quickly, think strategically, identify opportunities, and excel at tactical execution.
• Self-starter. You can work on multiple projects with many stakeholders at the same time. You take ownership, sweat the details and see projects through to the end with little/no support needed.
• A clear communicator & excellent writer, capable of taking big, ambitious ideas and distilling them down into concise, exciting talking points.

Our base salary cash compensation range for this role is $162,000 to $190,000 in Denver and most other remote locations, and $190,000 to $223,000 in San Francisco and New York City. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors, including candidate experience and expertise, and may vary from the amounts listed above.