Partner Sales Director - Global System Integrator (GSI)

Canonical Ltd.; Kuwait City; Remote; KWD 47,000 - 71,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Distributed work environment

Annual learning budget USD 2,000

Annual compensation review

Travel opportunities for company-wide?

Wellness program & support

Job summary

Canonical Ltd. is seeking a Partner Sales Director to work with Canonical's Global System Integrator partners, driving Ubuntu‑based solutions and digital transformation platforms.

You will lead executive engagements, negotiate terms, and align sales motions with GSIs to grow Ubuntu market share globally. The role requires extensive alliance and indirect sales experience, plus deep knowledge of OpenStack, virtualization and cloud ecosystems.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in alliance or indirect sales management roles.
• Deep understanding of Linux, cloud software ecosystems and open source selling models.
• Ability to negotiate contracts and drive executive level engagements.
• Proven track record in partner relationships with global system integrators.
• Comfortable in fast-paced, high-pressure environments with ambitious targets.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted relationships with partners and drive Ubuntu-based opportunities.
• Lead all sales interactions from engineers to CxO level with partners.
• Define strategy, sell-to/sell-through/sell-with motions with GSI and coordinate workshops and events.
• Travel up to 40% internationally to engage partners and customers.
• Collaborate with marketing, sales engineering and product teams to meet targets.

Skills

Alliance management

Strategic partnerships

Sales leadership

Excellent communication

Travel readiness

Tools

OpenStack

Containers

Virtualization

Job description

Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is very widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation, and IoT. Our customers include the world’s leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. The company is a pioneer of global distributed collaboration, with 1200+ colleagues in 75+ countries and very few office-based roles. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person, in interesting locations around the world, to align on strategy and execution.

The company is founder-led, profitable, and growing.

Global System Integrators (GSI) play a crucial role in Canonical growth plans in the coming 3 years. We are hiring a Partner Sales Director to work closely with Canonical GSI partners throughout their sales cycles and across their sales organizations to facilitate Ubuntu based solutions and opportunities, as well as help GSI build long term digital transformation platforms with Ubuntu stacks and services.

Reporting to the VP Global Alliances and Channels, the Partner Sales Director will be responsible for building trusted relationships with partners, increasing Canonical market share and attach rate, evangelizing about the partnership and leading all business interactions from engineers to CxO level. They will own the strategy, the sell-to, sell-through and sell-with motions with the GSI and will animate many customer workshops, sales events, public presentations and executive engagements.

The role entails

• Build strategic relationships with partners at levels, and stickiness with Ubuntu technology
• Deep understanding of Linux and cloud software ecosystem, and open source selling models
• Negotiate contracts and commercial business terms
• Deep understanding of partner organizations and sales models, in particular with Global System Integrators
• Work closely with marketing, sales engineering and product management to deliver on targets, objectives and provide a voice of the partner
• Lead executive interlocks between partners and Canonical leadership team
• Ability to travel - sometimes internationally - up to 40% of the time

What We Are Looking For In You

• Extensive experience in alliance or indirect sales management roles
• Extensive experience with OpenStack, virtualization, containers and other Cloud technologies.
• Autonomous, disciplined, hands‑on, get‑it‑done mentality
• Ability to capture customer requirements, evaluate gaps, identify and create opportunities
• Passionate about Ubuntu products and mission
• Comfortable in fast‑paced and high‑pressure environments with ambitious achievement goals
• Excellent communication and presentation skills

What We Offer Colleagues

We consider geographical location, experience, and performance in shaping compensation worldwide. We revisit compensation annually (and more often for graduates and associates) to ensure we recognize outstanding performance. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance‑driven annual bonus or commission. We provide all team members with additional benefits which reflect our values and ideals. We balance our programs to meet local needs and ensure fairness globally.

• Distributed work environment with twice‑yearly team sprints in person
• Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year
• Annual compensation review
• Recognition rewards
• Annual holiday leave
• Maternity and paternity leave
• Team Member Assistance Program & Wellness Platform
• Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues
• Priority Pass and travel upgrades for long‑haul company events

About Canonical

Canonical is a pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open‑source projects and the platform for AI, IoT, and the cloud, we are changing the world of software. We recruit on a global basis and set a very high standard for people joining the company. We expect excellence; in order to succeed, we need to be the best at what we do. Most colleagues at Canonical have worked from home since our inception in 2004. Working here is a step into the future and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game.

Canonical is an equal opportunity employer we are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background create a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration.