Channel Sales Manager - UK

Freshworks; Greater London; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Freshworks is seeking a Channel Sales Manager in the UK to own the full lifecycle of the Systems Integrator business, from signing mid-tier partners to driving pipeline and revenue. You will collaborate with field sales, pre-sales, and marketing and build a partner ecosystem that delivers repeatable revenue.

The role focuses on recruiting and enabling SI partners, developing joint go-to-market plans, and managing multi-threaded engagement with SI practice leads and alliance teams to achieve

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in channel, alliances, or partner management within SaaS/enterprise software.

Responsibilities

• Identify, target, and sign mid-tier SI partners aligned to Freshworks' UK ITSM and CX growth priorities.
• Build and maintain a pipeline of prospective SI partners, drawing on market mapping and competitive intelligence.
• Lead end-to-end partner recruitment—from outreach and business case development to contract execution and onboarding.
• Design onboarding programmes that bring new SIs to first-deal-ready status quickly: product knowledge, terms, deal registration, and pre-sales support.
• Build and maintain SI partner capability across sales, pre-sales, and delivery for self-sufficient positioning and closing of Freshworks solutions.
• Develop joint go-to-market plans with each SI partner, including target verticals, solution plays, and co-sell motions with Fres hworks teams.
• Drive participation in enablement programmes, including accreditation, demo certification, and deal support resources.
• Act as primary relationship owner with SI leads and alliances teams, coordinating across sales, delivery, and leadership.
• Own and actively manage a partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline with CAMs and field AEs; progress opportunities to close.
• Set and hold partners to joint pipeline targets and revenue commitments through quarterly business reviews.
• Co-sell with SI partners on key opportunities, providing commercial, technical, and executive support as needed.
• Track and report SI pipeline health, deal velocity and revenue contribution in Salesforce with accurate forecasting.
• Contribute to the UK SI partner strategy, including criteria, tiering and investment; identify displacement targets and engagement plans.
• Work with marketing, product, and pre-sales to develop SI-specific content and assets; feed market intelligence back to channel leadership.

Skills

Channel sales

Partner recruitment

Pipeline management

Salesforce CRM

ServiceNow familiarity

SaaS / enterprise software

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

About this role:

This is a pivotal individual contributor role at the heart of Freshworks' UK channel growth strategy. As a Channel Sales Manager, you will own the full lifecycle of our Systems Integrator business in the UK - from prospecting and signing new mid-tier SI partners through to driving active pipeline and revenue through those relationships.

The UK SI opportunity is significant. Freshworks is building a strategic motion to displace incumbent ITSM and CX platforms through SI-led delivery, and this role sits at the centre of that effort. You will work closely with field sales, pre-sales, and marketing, as well as directly with SI practice leads, to build a partner ecosystem that generates meaningful, repeatable revenue.

The right person for this role combines a hunter's instinct for identifying and signing the right partners with the commercial discipline to hold those partners accountable to joint business plans and pipeline commitments. You know how SIs operate, how they build practices, and how to get from first conversation to active GTM motion.

Responsibilities:

SI Recruitment & Onboarding

• Identify, target, and sign mid-tier SI partners (e.g., Capgemini, CGI, Unisys) aligned to Freshworks' UK ITSM and CX growth priorities
• Build and maintain a pipeline of prospective SI partners, drawing on market mapping, ex-ServiceNow and ex-incumbent networks, and competitive intelligence
• Lead the end-to-end partner recruitment process - from initial outreach and business case development through to contract execution and onboarding
• Design and execute structured onboarding programmes that bring new SIs to first-deal-ready status quickly: product knowledge, commercial terms, deal registration, pre-sales support model

Partner Enablement & Acceleration

• Build and maintain SI partner capability across sales, pre-sales, and delivery -ensuring partners can self-sufficiently position, scope, and close Freshworks-based solutions
• Develop joint go-to-market plans with each SI partner, including target verticals, solution plays, and co-sell motions with Freshworks field teams
• Drive participation in Freshworks enablement programmes, including accreditation, demo certification, and deal support resources
• Act as the primary relationship owner into SI practice leads and partner alliances teams, building multi-threaded engagement across sales, delivery, and leadership

Pipeline & Revenue

• Own and actively manage a partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline, working with CAMs and field AEs to progress and close SI-originated opportunities
• Set and hold partners to joint pipeline targets and revenue commitments through structured QBR and business planning rhythms
• Co-sell alongside SI partners on key opportunities, providing commercial, technical, and executive support as required
• Track and report on SI pipeline health, deal velocity and revenue contribution through Salesforce, ensuring accurate and up-to-date forecasting

Strategy & Ecosystem Development

• Contribute to the UK SI partner strategy, including partner selection criteria, tiering, and investment allocation
• Identify SI partners with existing ServiceNow or legacy ITSM practices as priority displacement targets and develop engagement plans accordingly
• Work cross-functionally with marketing, product, and pre-sales to develop SI-specific content, solution briefs, and campaign assets
• Feed market and competitive intelligence back into channel leadership, including partner sentiment, competitor partner programmes, and whitespace opportunity

Required

• 7+ years' experience in channel, alliances, or partner management within a SaaS or enterprise software environment
• Demonstrable track record of recruiting and activating SI partners, not just managing existing relationships
• Strong understanding of how mid-tier SIs operate: practice structures, P&L dynamics, delivery models, and how they make partner investment decisions
• Experience working in or adjacent to ITSM, EX, or CX categories - familiarity with the ServiceNow ecosystem is a strong advantage
• Commercially rigorous: comfortable building joint business plans, setting pipeline targets, and holding partners accountable to commitments
• Ability to build and maintain senior relationships within SI organisations - practice leads, alliance directors, and C-level stakeholders
• Strong pipeline management discipline - fluent in Salesforce or equivalent CRM for partner opportunity tracking and forecasting
• Effective at working cross-functionally: comfortable aligning field sales, pre-sales, and marketing behind partner-led motions

Preferred

• Prior experience at a vendor in a channel or alliance role targeting ServiceNow displacement or competing against legacy ITSM platforms
• Existing network within UK mid-tier SI community (Capgemini, CGI, Unisys, Computacenter, or equivalent)
• Experience building net-new SI practices around a vendor platform from early stage
• Familiarity with co-sell and marketplace dynamics as a complement to SI-led GTM