Partnerships Manager
About this role
your mission
Over the years, partnerships have been one of the most powerful and capital-efficient channels for our business. From a historical base of 192 interested leads generated through partner introductions and referrals — resulting in 19 past customers and 4 active customers, including a publicly traded company acquired through our Remote.com partnership — we know this motion works.
As Partnerships Manager, You will own and scale this engine. This is a builder role: starting from a strong foundation of informal relationships and past wins, you will formalize and grow two distinct partnership pipelines — Commercial and Marketing — that together drive revenue, brand visibility, and long-term strategic positioning.
Business Context & Partnership Model
Our partnerships have historically operated across two value streams:
Commercial Partnerships — Revenue & Lead Generation
The commercial partnerships model is straightforward: we work with organisations whose clients or members are likely to need our services, and we structure introductions, referrals (paid and unpaid), and co-selling arrangements. Partners act as a trusted channel into qualified networks — shortening our sales cycle and increasing close rates because leads arrive with built-in credibility.
The Remote.com partnership is a strong proof point: it brought us a publicly traded company as a customer. The next phase is about systematising what worked, identifying more partners in adjacent categories, and making the pipeline predictable.
Target commercial partner categories include:
Business accelerators and startup programmes
Accounting and financial advisory firms that can refer their clients to us
Networks similar to YPO, StartX, YC
Venture capital and investor networks
Capital providers and debt financing firms
Due diligence and compliance consultancies
Companies specialising in remote talent and distributed workforce solutions
Providers of complementary services (HR tech, legal, payroll, etc.)
Secondary Priority: Marketing Partnerships — Brand Credibility & Presence
Marketing partnerships operate on a different logic: they increase our surface area in the market and make our brand, our people, and our clients visible to audiences we do not yet reach. These are not primarily revenue drivers in the short term — they are credibility and distribution plays that compound over time.
Outcomes we are building toward include being featured as a brand across relevant media and communities, placing our people as recognised voices in our space, and amplifying client success stories to attract similar profiles.
Target outcomes from marketing partnerships include:
Guest appearances on podcasts, panels, and webinars
Guest posts and bylines in industry publications
Interviews and editorial features
Backlinks from credible, high-authority websites
Being featured in industry events and conference programmes
Providing expert quotes to journalists and content creators
Securing referrals and testimonials from partners and clients
Indexing as a recognised brand across directories, lists, and ecosystem maps
Showcasing our activities, talent, and client outcomes in partner content
Your Responsibilities
Pipeline Development & Partner Management
Design and build two structured partnership pipelines: Commercial and Marketing, each with defined target profiles, outreach processes, and success metrics
Identify, research, and evaluate potential partners that align with our strategic vision and customer profile
Own the full partner lifecycle: from first contact and qualification through to activation, launch, and ongoing relationship management
Serve as the primary point of contact for all partners, representing our brand with consistency and credibility
Maintain a live pipeline view with clear stages, statuses, and expected outcomes
Commercial Partnership Execution
Develop commercial partnership structures including referral agreements, co-selling arrangements, and revenue-sharing models (both paid and non-paid)
Build relationships with accelerators, VCs, accounting firms, capital providers, due diligence consultancies, and complementary service providers
Drive lead flow from partners: introductions, warm referrals, and joint outreach
Track partner-sourced revenue and contribution to overall pipeline with clear attribution
Marketing Partnership Execution
Secure guest appearance slots on relevant podcasts, webinars, panels, and events
Place guest posts, bylines, and editorial features in key publications and media outlets
Build backlink and co-marketing relationships with high-authority websites in our space
Generate testimonials, referrals, and case study opportunities from client and partner networks
Ensure the company, our people, and our clients are represented and indexed across relevant ecosystem directories and featured lists
Product Innovation & Market Intelligence
Stay informed about market trends, emerging technologies, and shifts in our competitive landscape to identify new partnership opportunities
Work closely with Product Management to surface partner needs, prioritise capabilities that increase partner and customer value, and help partners build deeper solutions on top of our platform
Act as a feedback loop between the market and internal teams — surfacing what partners are hearing from their clients and what opportunities we are not yet capturing
your profile
Proven ability to build relationships and manage external stakeholders with professionalism and long-term thinking
Experience in partnerships, business development, or a client-facing growth role
Commercial mindset: comfortable discussing revenue, deal structures, and partner economics
Strong written and verbal communication skills — able to represent the company credibly to senior counterparts
Self-directed and organised: capable of managing multiple conversations and workstreams without close oversight
Familiarity with SaaS, HR tech, remote work, or B2B services is a strong plus
Existing network in relevant spaces (accelerators, VC, accounting, media) is a meaningful
Originally posted on Himalayas
