Channel Sales Manager

Vates Virtualization Management Stack (XCP-ng / Xen Orchestra); À distance; EUR 50 000 - 70 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A leading open-source software company specializing in virtualization seeks a Channel Sales Manager to manage partner relationships. The ideal candidate is fluent in English and French, has a minimum of 3 years of IT sales experience, and is comfortable in a remote work environment. Responsibilities include partner management, supporting pre-sales activities, and aligning with internal teams to ensure commercial success. This role may require occasional travel.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of experience in IT sales.
• Fluent in English and French (spoken and written).
• Occasional travel required.

Responsabilités

• Manage partner relationships and ensure timely responses.
• Provide day-to-day account management for partners.
• Support pre-sales activities for channel partners.
• Align daily actions with channel strategy.
• Provide clear reporting on partner activity.

Connaissances

Strong understanding of sales fundamentals

Experience with multi-level IT sales models

Solid knowledge of software and hardware environments

Ability to operate in a fast-paced environment

Ability to structure work and priorities

Comfortable in an international environment

Proven experience in a remote environment

Description du poste

Overview

VATES is a French software company specializing in Open Source and virtualization, with a strong commitment to open and collaborative development. Our main projects, Xen Orchestra and XCP-ng, cover the entire virtualization stack — from the hypervisor (Xen) and the virtualization platform (XCP-ng) to virtual machine management and backup (Xen Orchestra).

Our team is distributed across several countries and fully embraces remote work, with transparent workflows and accessible communication channels. At VATES, we are driven by a people-first company culture focused on kindness, inclusivity, and a horizontal organizational structure. Every team member is encouraged to share ideas, make decisions, and grow alongside the company.

Our Open Source model is at the core of everything we do — not only in our code, which is available on GitHub and GitLab, but also in our collaborative approach with the community. We believe in the “upstream first” philosophy, and we dedicate our expertise and resources to foundational projects like Xen, while helping contributors of all levels join us on this journey.

As we continue to grow, we are looking for a Channel Sales Manager.

Role overview

Role overview — The Channel Sales Manager plays a key role in commercial coordination, partner relationship management, and internal alignment.

This role is business-focused and does not replace dedicated Technical Support or Professional Services functions.

Key responsibilities

• Partner management and coordination
  • Act as a reliable and consistent point of contact for channel partners worldwide
  • Manage inbound partner requests and ensure timely responses, directly or through the appropriate Channel Team members
  • Handle multiple partner conversations in parallel while maintaining quality, structure, and professionalism
  • Ensure clear escalation and support processes to resolve partner issues efficiently
  • Maintain structured tracking of partner discussions, opportunities, and next steps
• Commercial account management
  • Provide day-to-day account management for low- and mid-tier partners, focusing on:
  • o commercial continuity
  • o operational follow-up
  • o relationship stability
  • Participate in partner onboarding in close collaboration with Training and Professional Services teams
• Services teams
  • Support pre-sales activities for channel partners by coordinating commercial and technical requirements internally
  • Lead commercial discussions with partners, including pricing, positioning, and deal structuring
  • Manage renewals, ensuring proactive and timely commercial engagement
  • Monitor ongoing Technical Support progression and ensure proper follow-up and communication with partners
  • Provide partners with relevant sales tools and marketing materials
• Internal alignment and reporting
  • Work closely with internal teams (Direct Sales, Marketing, Technical, Finance)
  • Align daily actions with mid- and long-term channel strategy, beyond immediate requests
  • Be accountable for partner pipeline and results
  • Provide clear reporting and visibility on partner activity, pipeline status, and ongoing actions

Candidate profile

Location: Paris preferred (open to other locations)

Languages: Fluent in English and French (spoken and written)

Travel: Occasional travel required

Experience level

Experience — Minimum 3 years of experience in IT sales (virtualization experience not required)

Skills and experience

• Strong understanding of sales fundamentals
• Experience with multi-level IT sales models (vendors, partners, distributors)
• Solid knowledge of software and hardware environments
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced, high-context environment requiring strong prioritization
• Ability to structure work, priorities, and partner interactions with minimal supervision
• Comfortable working in an international, multicultural environment
• Proven experience working effectively in a remote or distributed environment

Soft skills

• Strong personality with high resilience under external pressure
• Excellent team player with strong collaboration skills
• Clear, structured, and effective communicator
• Fast learner with strong adaptability
• Strong sense of ownership and responsibility
• Ability to manage conflicts in a professional and constructive manner
• Ability to think beyond short-term objectives and understand long-term strategy

Nice to have

• Prior experience in channel or indirect sales
• Exposure to public-sector or regulated markets
• Proven ability to drive partner engagement and measurable revenue growth, directly or through partners