Channel Sales Manager

Channel Sales Manager

• Field-Based / Remote (San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Orange County, CA)
• Enterprise Infrastructure, Open Source, & AI Solutions
• Full-Time
• Base Salary: Up to $175k with eligibility for commission and equity

The Opportunity

An industry leader in enterprise infrastructure, high-performance computing (HPC), and open-source solutions is seeking an experienced Channel Sales Manager to own and scale its partner-led growth motion across the West Coast.

This company provides critical software infrastructure, enterprise Linux solutions, and AI orchestration platforms relied on by major enterprises, government agencies, and research institutions worldwide.

In this high-impact individual contributor (IC) role reporting directly to Sales Leadership, you will build and run the company’s partner motion across three primary fronts: recruiting new channel partners, developing and enabling existing partner relationships, and managing distributor economics to drive channel-sourced and channel-influenced revenue.

Your Responsibilities:

Partner Recruitment & Pipeline Building

• Identify, qualify, and recruit new channel partners (resellers, VARs, SIs, MSPs) whose customer base and technical focus align with enterprise Linux, HPC, and AI orchestration solutions.
• Build and maintain an active partner recruitment pipeline; run direct outreach, present partner programs, and negotiate/close partner agreements.

Partner Enablement & Co-Selling

• Develop signed partners into consistent revenue producers through seller and SE enablement, joint business planning, and co-marketing/demand-generation coordination.
• Diagnose underperforming partner relationships and execute action plans to drive active selling motions.
• Work closely with direct enterprise Account Executives to align co-sell strategies, manage account mapping, and eliminate channel conflict.

Distributor Management & Economics

• Own distributor relationships and commercial economics, including transactional workflows, margin structures, and partner incentive programs.
• Leverage distributor reach and infrastructure to scale partner recruitment efficiently across the region.

Program Mechanics & Forecasting

• Execute and manage core partner program mechanics, including partner tiering, deal registration rules, margin protection models, and enablement tracks.
• Carry and forecast a quarterly channel-sourced and channel-influenced revenue target with high forecast accuracy.
• Maintain CRM hygiene (HubSpot) across all partner-led deals, partner profiles, and pipeline metrics.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in channel, partner, or alliances sales, ideally within enterprise software, open-source, cloud-native, or IT infrastructure environments.
• Hands-On IC Operator: Proven track record of personally recruiting, negotiating, and enabling partner relationships that produced measurable revenue (not solely managing a team that did).
• Program Mechanics: Hands-on experience standing up or materially growing partner program frameworks, including deal registration, tiering, margin models, and enablement assets.
• Commercial Acumen: Strong instincts for negotiating partner economics, defending margins, and establishing clear accountability against mutually agreed revenue targets.
• Technical Credibility: Ability to engage credibly with partner executives, practice leads, and field technical sellers around enterprise Linux, cloud infrastructure, and AI/HPC solutions.
• Location: Based in San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Orange County, CA, with willingness for regional travel as needed for partner enablement and co-sell meetings.

Why Join?

• High-Impact Ownership: Own the partner GTM strategy from the ground up with a clear line of sight to executive leadership.
• Powerhouse Ecosystem: Represent enterprise-grade infrastructure products trusted by Fortune 100 companies, research labs, and federal agencies.
• Autonomy & Scale: Build a high-performing channel engine with the flexibility of a remote/field-based operating model.
• Competitive Package : Includes a strong base salary ($160k–$180k target range depending on experience), performance-based commission, employee stock options, comprehensive healthcare coverage, and flexible PTO.