Director- Alliances and Partnerships (CPX)

Strategic Partner Ownership (End-to-End)

• Own the full end-to-end relationship with CPX’s ~10 selected strategic partners, accountable for the best total outcome for CPX from each — spanning both sales and purchase optimisation.
• Define and own the partner-vs-vendor distinction and the top-10 strategic tiering model, deciding which relationships are managed as strategic partners versus transactional vendors.
• Drive deliberate concentration of spend and attention onto the strategic tier, reducing the active vendor base and eliminating uncoordinated, margin-leaking activity.
• Act as the internal single point of accountability for the assigned strategic partner portfolio.

Revenue, Pipeline & Co-Sell Growth (Sell-Side)

• Drive partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline, working directly with Sector Leads and Account Managers.
• Support opportunity shaping, joint account planning, and co-sell execution across key accounts.
• Ensure partner opportunities are qualified, governed, and progressed in line with CPX sales discipline.
• Execute joint go-to-market initiatives (campaigns, events, account-based plays) with priority partners.

Cost, Pricing & Margin Optimisation (Buy-Side)

• Negotiate and own master framework agreements with strategic partners — including rebates, discounts, volume incentives, and pricing structures — that structurally improve CPX’s gross margin.
• Drive tier-status upgrades with CPX’s material partners and vendors (e.g. Splunk, Dell, Cisco) to unlock better economics, support, and go-to-market benefits.
• Maximise rebate and incentive capture, ensuring entitlements are tracked, claimed, and realised — not left on the table.
• Partner with Finance / FP&A to model, monitor, and protect the margin and rebate economics of each strategic relationship.
• Apply enterprise procurement / category-management discipline to consolidate spend, rationalise the vendor base, and lift blended margin across the strategic tier.

Sales & Account Team Enablement

• Actively support sales teams in positioning partner solutions and value propositions.
• Enable sellers through partner briefings, solution narratives, and playbooks.
• Ensure clarity on who engages when — avoiding overlap, confusion, or unproductive partner activity.
• Work closely with Solution Sales Specialists and Pre-Sales to align partner capabilities to client needs.

Governance, Cadence & Stakeholder Management

• Establish a clear operating rhythm with partners (QBRs, pipeline reviews, commercial / framework reviews, planning sessions).
• Prepare structured partner performance updates — covering both revenue and margin / rebate economics — for Commercial and Finance leadership.
• Manage escalations and misalignment decisively, protecting CPX’s commercial interests on both the sell and buy side.
• Maintain strong working relationships across Sales, Delivery, Procurement, Finance, Legal, and Operations.

Skills/Certifications (Technical & Non-Technical)

• Dual commercial acumen — equally fluent in revenue growth and margin / cost optimisation.
• Strong negotiation skills across both sell-side and buy-side commercial arrangements.
• Ability to influence without authority across Sales, Procurement, Finance, and Delivery.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Structured, data-driven approach to pipeline, margin, and performance tracking.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and fast-paced growth / transformation environments.
• Collaborative, decisive, and execution-focused senior leadership style.
• Vendor, alliance, or procurement / category-management certifications are a plus.

Minimum Work Experience

• 12+ years spanning partnerships / alliances and commercial or procurement leadership, within technology or cybersecurity.
• Cybersecurity or technology background required (non-negotiable).
• Demonstrated success driving revenue and pipeline through partners (sell-side).
• Proven enterprise procurement / category-management capability — having built or run a structured, data-driven model for managing strategic suppliers (buy-side).
• Track record of delivering tier-status improvements with material technology vendors (e.g. Splunk, Dell, Cisco, or equivalent).
• Demonstrated success negotiating master framework agreements — rebates, discounts, volume incentives, and pricing structures.
• Strong experience operating in matrixed, sales-led organisations, partnering closely with Finance / FP&A on margin and rebate economics.
• Proven ability to operate at both strategic and execution levels, and to lead at Director / Executive Director level.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Technology, Engineering, or a related field.
• Vendor, alliance, or procurement / category-management certifications are a plus.