VP, Ecosystem Lead (Chicago)

To get the best candidate experience, please consider applying for a maximum of 3 roles within 12 months to ensure you are not duplicating efforts.Job CategoryCustomer SuccessJob DetailsAbout SalesforceSalesforce is the #1 AI CRM, where humans with agents drive customer success together. Here, ambition meets action. Tech meets trust. And innovation isn’t a buzzword — it’s a way of life. The world of work as we know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all.Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era? You’re in the right place! Agentforce is the future of AI, and you are the future of Salesforce.ROLE SUMMARYWe are seeking a seasoned partner ecosystem strategist to serve as the Ecosystem Lead for the Global Life Sciences Activation & Adoption (A&A) division. Sitting within the Partner Strategy & Compliance pillar, this role is the senior authority on SI partner health, capability, and compliance across the AFLS ecosystem — ensuring that every partner delivering Agentforce Life Sciences implementations is prepared, certified, and held to the highest delivery standards before they go live.You will define how SI partners engage with and deliver on AFLS — building the collaboration model, setting and enforcing compliance standards, and working closely with Partner Sales and Partner Success teams to maintain a capable, accountable, and high-performing global partner ecosystem. With a secondary mandate as one of the team's external voices, you will also contribute to the thought leadership and industry presence that positions Salesforce as the definitive authority on AFLS implementation strategy.ROLE DESCRIPTIONThe right candidate will bring deep expertise in partner ecosystem strategy and a track record of holding global SI ecosystems to high delivery standards — combining strategic influence with the operational discipline to build and maintain a rigorous, scalable partner compliance and enablement function. You'll:Define the partner collaboration model, delivery expectations, and compliance standards for the AFLS SI ecosystem — establishing the bar that all partners must meet before and during AFLS implementations.Serve as the key point of contact with Partner Sales and Partner Success teams to communicate, enforce, and continuously refine partner standards across the global ecosystem.Support the design and execution of the partner enablement program — ensuring SI partners have access to the certifications, training, and implementation guidance required to deliver AFLS successfully.Track and report on partner compliance metrics and ecosystem health for the SVP and Steering Committee, in collaboration with the Program Manager.Serve as the senior escalation point for partner compliance failures and delivery standard violations — making timely, high-judgment decisions to protect implementation quality across the portfolio.Co-author thought leadership content with the SVP and pillar leads on AFLS implementation strategy and best practices; serve as one of the team's external voices at industry events.REPORTING & ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTUREReporting line: Reports directly to the SVP, Global Life Sciences Activation & AdoptionPod alignment: Senior lead of the Partner Strategy & Compliance pillar; people leader for the Ecosystem ManagerCollaboration: Works closely with Partner Sales and Partner Success teams on ecosystem standards and enforcement; partners with the Product Engagement Lead on enablement curriculum design; coordinates with the Portfolio Strategy & Intelligence Lead on partner-attributed account health trends; serves as a strategic peer to pillar leads across the GTM and Risk Mitigation podsFINANCIAL & BUSINESS ACCOUNTABILITYDirectly protects NNAOV by ensuring SI partners deliver AFLS implementations to standard — reducing partner-driven escalations and go-live failures before they become costly account health events.Helps optimize team resource allocation by maintaining a deployment-ready, compliance-verified partner ecosystem that reduces the need for rescue interventions.Ensures all partner compliance and enablement activities are aligned to the team's NNAOV growth objectives for the AFLS portfolio.SUCCESS METRICS (KEY SUCCESS OBJECTIVES — KSOS)Partner Compliance — Scale SI partner compliance with AFLS delivery standards, certification requirements, and governance frameworks across the full active partner ecosystem.Ecosystem Delivery Quality — Reduce the rate of partner-attributed account escalations by enforcing pre-delivery compliance standards and maintaining a capable, deployment-ready SI ecosystem.Enablement Reach — Drive measurable increases in partner certification completion rates and enablement program participation across the global SI ecosystem.External Presence — Contribute to at least 3 thought leadership outputs or industry event appearances per year, reinforcing Salesforce's authority on AFLS implementation strategy.SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE & SKILLSPartner Ecosystem Strategy & ComplianceDeep expertise in defining and enforcing partner delivery standards, compliance frameworks, and collaboration models within a large, global SI ecosystem.Proven ability to influence and hold partners accountable through formal and informal channels — including Partner Sales, Partner Success, and executive escalation pathways.Partner EnablementDemonstrated experience designing and managing partner enablement programs — including certification tracks, implementation playbooks, and delivery readiness frameworks — that measurably improve ecosystem capability at scale.Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with Product and Curriculum teams to ensure enablement content reflects the current state of the platform and implementation best practices.Cross-Functional InfluenceProven track record of driving alignment across Sales, Customer Success, Partner, and Professional Services teams — without direct reporting authority — to execute on complex, multi-stakeholder partner compliance programs.Skilled at building and sustaining trust with both internal teams and external partners, including navigating high-stakes compliance conversations with maturity and authority.Executive Communication & ReportingExperienced in tracking, synthesizing, and communicating partner compliance and ecosystem health data for SVP-level and Steering Committee audiences.Able to translate complex ecosystem dynamics into clear, decision-ready briefings and reports.Thought Leadership & Industry PresenceComfortable serving as an external voice for the organization — contributing to industry events, co-authoring thought leadership content, and representing the team's point of view on AFLS implementation strategy and best practices.Agility & InnovationThrives in a dynamic environment and adapts partner compliance and enablement processes quickly as the ecosystem scales.Comfortable leveraging AI-assisted productivity tools (such as Agentforce, Slack AI, Einstein Copilot, Gemini, or equivalent) to accelerate synthesis, partner tracking, and stakeholder communication.ROLE REQUIREMENTS10+ years of experience in Partner Management, Ecosystem Strategy, or Alliance Management — preferably within the Enterprise Cloud or Life Sciences technology space.Demonstrated experience defining and enforcing partner delivery standards and compliance frameworks within a global SI or ISV ecosystem.Proven track record designing and managing partner enablement programs that drive measurable improvements in ecosystem delivery quality and certification attainment.Strong cross-functional influence skills, with the ability to drive accountability across Partner Sales, Customer Success, and Professional Services without direct reporting authority.Exceptional judgment and composure — able to serve as the senior escalation point for partner compliance failures with the maturity to navigate difficult conversations across internal and external stakeholders.Demonstrated experience producing executive-ready reporting on partner compliance and ecosystem health for SVP-level and Steering Committee audiences.Experience representing an organization externally as a thought leader or industry speaker is a strong plus.Internal Salesforce experience or hands-on familiarity with the Salesforce platform and product suite is a strong plus.Unleash Your PotentialWhen you join Salesforce, you’ll be limitless in all areas of your life. Our benefits and resources support you to find balance and be your best, and our AI agents accelerate your impact so you can do your best. Together, we’ll bring the power of Agentforce to organizations of all sizes and deliver amazing experiences that customers love. Apply today to not only shape the future — but to redefine what’s possible — for yourself, for AI, and the world.AccommodationsIf you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please submit a request via this Accommodations Request Form.Please note that Salesforce uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help our recruiters assess and evaluate candidates’ resumes and qualifications throughout the recruiting process. Humans will always make any candidate selection and hiring decisions. Please see our Candidate Privacy Statement for more information about how we use your personal data and your rights, including with regard to use of AI tools and opt out options.Posting StatementSalesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non-discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. What does that mean exactly? It means that at Salesforce, we believe in equality for all. And we believe we can lead the path to equality in part by creating a