Partner Development Manager

Position Summary:

The Partner Development Manager will explore potential partner relationships with software and services companies targeting specific solution categories that primarily benefit educational institutions, students, or faculty and staff.  The BDM will utilize a strategic approach to determine if there is a good match between a prospective supplier’s products or services and the unique value proposition of DSS.  For chosen partners, the BDM will lead the process to create a contractual relationship with them and assist in the initial launch within the DSS organization and with customers.
 

Overview of Essential Duties / Functions:

• Seeking new opportunities within DSS’s targeted education markets then determining creative solutions to identify and develop new supplier contacts to pursue those opportunities.
• Partnering with others on the DSS team to identify gaps within current product offerings and also understand existing new partner leads 
• Evaluating prospective suppliers seeking distribution services from DSS, tracking qualified leads, and communicating recommendations to DSS management.
• Utilizing multiple lead sources to research, plan and prioritize contacts with potential suppliers maintaining and adding information to partner prospect database.
• Executing proactive outreach to targeted contacts including digital and in person methods to generate awareness, determine business needs and prospective suppliers’ interest in DSS’s services.
• Developing and conducting “pitch” presentations with target partners to formally communicate a clear and compelling explanation of DSS’s business value and the benefits of a partnership.
• Communicating consistently and persistently with chosen companies to drive a new relationship from the prospect to the signed agreement stage.
• Working with DSS contract specialist and executives as well as providing own support for contract negotiations with prospective partners.
• Through research and channel interaction, maintaining an understanding of the competitive landscape for existing and targeted solution categories as well as emerging technologies.
• Maintaining key DSS customer contacts to assist in identifying new product opportunities and evaluate potential new supplier opportunities. 
• Working with Product Management, Marketing, and Sales teams to develop launch plans for all new suppliers.
• Successfully transitioning new suppliers to the Product Management team.
• Collaborating with marketing department to create effective sales proposals and presentations.
• Providing a positive and qualitative contribution to the success of supplier partners, the DSS team, and co-workers. 
• Contributing to team activities and performing other responsibilities as conditions warrant.

 Education / Experience:

• 3+ years of Partner Development, Sales, or Product Management experience, preferably for a technology company with education market solutions or customers.
• Proven history of identifying and developing leads, managing an opportunity pipeline and meeting deal closing targets.
• Business terms and contract negotiation skills.
• Ability to distil technical features into compelling business benefits.
• Familiarity with multi-tier channel sales models.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience

 Personal Characteristics:

• Accountable:  Committed to team success and leading a group that follow through with activities, provide regular feedback, and takes ownership exercising diligence and integrity in work activities.
• Analytical:  Problem solver, investigative thinker who can synthesize and interpret complex and/or abstract data.
• Ethical:  Follows acceptable set of values, exudes trust, honesty, and maintains highest level of professional standards. 
• Interpersonal:  Possesses high-level interpersonal skills with the ability to build partner and DSS team relationships including executives and all levels of business decision makers.  Projects professional image and exercises tact and diplomacy.
• Initiative:  Independent, self-motivated, proactive and success driven in seeking opportunities; anticipates and takes effective, constructive action; Responsive; Able and willing to take direction.  Perseverance and unwillingness to give up.
• Organized:  Able to successfully manage multiple and changing priorities.

 Physical Requirements

• Consistently operates a computer and other office equipment such as a copy machine, computer printer, calculator, etc.
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the work-day.
• Ability to frequently communicate, both verbally and written, with employees, management, suppliers and customers.