Director, Strategic Partnerships

Smart Communications group; Canberra; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A tech-focused company based in Canberra is seeking a Director of Strategic Partnerships to drive SaaS sales growth through strategic partnerships. The role involves managing partner relationships, developing go-to-market strategies, and collaborating with internal teams to maximize sales performance. Ideal candidates will have over 5 years of partner management experience, particularly within the public sector. A competitive salary package is offered with annual bonuses.

Benefits

Vision benefits

Subsidised gym membership

20 days holiday allowance

Extra day off for your birthday

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in partner management or channel sales in a SaaS environment.
• Deep understanding of local market dynamics.
• Proven track record of driving sales growth through strategic partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Identify and develop strategic partnerships with SaaS vendors and resellers.
• Drive partner enablement with training and resources.
• Collaborate with internal teams to align partner activities with sales goals.

Skills

Partner management

Channel sales in SaaS

Communication skills

Negotiation skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Public sector market knowledge

Job description

Job Details: Director, Strategic Partnerships

Full details of the job.

Vacancy Name

Vacancy Name Director, Strategic Partnerships

Employment Type

Employment Type Permanent

Location

Location AUS - Canberra Office

Summary

We are looking for a Director of Strategic Alliances to drive SaaS sales growth through strategic partnerships. In this role, you'll identify and manage key partner relationships, develop joint go-to-market strategies, and collaborate with internal teams to maximize partner-attached sales performance. You'll play a critical role in expanding our market presence, accelerating customer acquisition, and driving revenue growth for the business. This position is ideal for someone with experience in partner management or channel sales in the SaaS industry, with Australian Public Sector market knowledge.

About Smart Communications

Smart Communications is a leading technology company focused on helping businesses engage in more meaningful customer conversations. Its Conversation Cloud platform uniquely delivers personalized, omnichannel conversations across the entire customer experience, empowering companies to succeed in today’s digital-focused, customer-driven world while also simplifying processes and operating more efficiently.

Smart Communications is headquartered in the UK and serves more than 650 customers from offices located across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Smart Communications’ Conversation Cloud platform includes the enterprise-scale customer communications management (CCM) power of SmartCOMM, forms transformation capabilities made possible by SmartIQ, and the trade documentation expertise of SmartDX. In 2021, the company acquired Assentis, a leading European software solutions provider specializing in customer communications management (CCM) with a focus on the financial services industry. To learn more, visit smartcommunications.com.

Who are you?

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include growth initiatives, field engagement and enablement plans, lead generation / marketing plans, partnership governance, partner enablement, and product & technology alignment. Key to the position is effective collaboration with multiple cross-functional stakeholders – internal and external, including sales and presales, marketing, product development, alliances, and professional services. You will be an evangelist with strong communication skills, capable of engaging at all levels – including C-suite.

The responsibilities of the role include:

• Identify, recruit, and develop strategic partnerships with SaaS vendors, resellers, platform partners, system integrators, and other key players in the ecosystem – leveraging your existing connections and Smart Communications’ global partner network.
• Strong understanding of the Australian public sector and focus on strategic partners with a strong presence in this space.
• Drive partner enablement by providing training, resources, and support to maximize sales performance, with a clear focus on achieving ACV growth for Smart Communications.
• Collaborate with internal teams (sales, presales, marketing, alliances) to align partner activities with company sales goals and objectives.
• Monitor and optimize partner sales performance, ensuring alignment with revenue targets.
• Develop joint account plans, go-to-market strategies, events and campaigns to drive demand and increase customer acquisition.
• Track and report on key performance metrics for partner-attached sales initiatives, including partner sourced and influenced revenue.
• Foster strong, long-term relationships with key partner stakeholders to drive mutual growth, including managing C-level executives.

What we’re looking for:

Must have skills/experience:

• 5+ years of experience in partner management, alliances, or channel sales, preferably in a SaaS environment.
• Deep understanding of the local market and its dynamics to effectively tailor partnership strategies, with particular focus on public sector partners and accounts.
• Proven track record of driving sales growth through strategic partnerships.
• Strong understanding of SaaS sales cycles, product positioning, and go-to-market strategies.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, conflict resolution and relationship building skills.
• Ability to work cross-functionally and manage multiple stakeholder relationships.
• Results-oriented with the ability to drive measurable outcomes.

Advantageous skills/experience:

• Experience working with a variety of partner types (e.g. Referral, Reseller, ISVs, Platform Partners, etc.).
• Familiarity with CCM (Customer Communications Management) software and Digital Experience software.
• Familiarity with BFSI (Banking, Financial Services and Insurance).
• Previous direct sales or presales experience with a SaaS company.
• Previous training on Solution Selling or Challenger Selling.

We look for the following SMART values in everyone we hire at Smart Communications:

• Speak Openly - We are positive, creative, helpful, kind and we have fun. We listen and provide constructive feedback. Through meaningful conversations we encourage each other to be the best that we can be. We’re not complainers we’re problem solvers.
• Make a Difference - We focus on the things that matter and prioritize the things that have the greatest impact. We celebrate success and hold ourselves accountable for our choices. We don’t sit on the sidelines.
• Agile & Flexible - We are focused on evolving, improving and growing. We think differently and challenge the status quo with open minds. We ask ‘why?’ so that we can help remove complexity. We don’t allow hurdles to get in our way.
• Results-Focused - We get stuff done by being efficient, working at pace and paying attention to detail. We focus on finding solutions and fixing things. We don’t believe in being busy for the sake of being busy, we focus on productivity.
• Teamwork - We are stronger and better together. We collaborate, trust and support each other to deliver results for our company and our customers. We don’t want anyone to feel disengaged, we’re in this together!

What’s the deal?

We will provide you with the tools, equipment and support to give you the best possible chance of success and over-achieving your goals. Salary will depend on your experience and will be highly competitive. All our packages include an annual bonus based on the Company’s performance, so we are all incentivised to over-achieve!

In addition to a friendly, flexible and fun working environment, we provide a range of other benefits, including vision benefits, subsidised gym membership, 20 days holiday allowance and an additional day off for your birthday!

Located in the heart of the city in both Sydney and Canberra, our offices are a friendly, tight-knit environment that house our APAC Sales, Marketing, Technology, Customer and Corporate teams. This role is based in our Canberra office and has a hybrid setup with occasional work from the office and onsite visits required. The role will also require approx. 20% travel.

So, if we interest you, please let us know by applying for this position and tell us all about yourself.

Please note: we only consider applicants with current legal right to work in the countries in which our positions are based. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of colour, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status or gender identity.

To learn more about Smart Communications visit:

https://www.smartcommunications.com/