Director of Strategic Initiatives & Channel Partnerships

ShipIn Systems Inc.; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid flexibility - Monday, Tuesday,

401(k) matching

Competitive benefits

Job summary

ShipIn Systems is seeking a senior leader to drive strategic initiatives and build ShipIn's channel partnerships. You will partner with the CRO on cross-functional priorities and develop a scalable channel program across partners and markets.

The role blends analysis, strategy, communication, and execution with high autonomy, requiring comfort walking into ambiguity and delivering actionable plans across Sales, CS, Product, and GTM teams.

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years of experience, including experience at a top-tier strategy or management consulting firm.
• 2–3+ years in an operating role in strategy, business operations, business development, or partnerships, ideally in a B2B technology or industrial company.
• Proven ability to take ambiguous, cross-functional problems from definition through execution without direct authority.
• Strong analytical, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to turn complex or unstructured information into a clear story and recommendation.
• Strong project ownership and organizational skills.
• Comfortable working independently in a fast-moving environment where priorities can change.
• Willingness to travel to customers, partners, and industry events.

Responsibilities

• Work with the CRO to identify company-level gaps and opportunities and determine where and how to address them.
• Turn ambiguous or unstructured problems into clear analyses, recommendations, and action plans.
• Develop and implement new frameworks, workflows, and operating processes to address business needs.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives, working across Sales, Customer Success, Product, R&D, Operations, and Support.
• Communicate strategic recommendations and progress through clear presentations, business cases, and other materials for management, the board, customers, and partners.
• Develop ShipIn's channel strategy, including target partner types, markets, and commercial models.
• Identify and develop priority partnership opportunities and processes across service providers, resellers, installers, equipment vendors, technology companies, and shipyards.
• Establish commercial and operational terms and processes for working with partners.
• Build the processes needed to onboard and enable partners, including training, deal coordination, reporting, and partner payouts.
• Track partner performance and improve the program based on results.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Presentation skills

Project ownership

Independent work

Travel willingness

Job description

ShipIn Systems is redefining how the maritime industry understands, manages, and reduces operational risk. Our AI-powered visual fleet intelligence platform connects onboard video with shore-based teams, turning everyday vessel operations into actionable insight that helps prevent incidents before they escalation.

We work with many of the world’s leading shipowners and operators to bring greater visibility, accountability, and learning into daily operations at sea. The result is safer crews, stronger performance, and smarter decision-making across global fleets.

If you’re drawn to complex, real-world industries and want to build technology that changes behavior and improves safety at scale, join us.

The Role

This role combines two areas of responsibility: leading cross-functional strategic initiatives for the company and building and managing ShipIn's channel partnerships.

On the strategic side, you will work closely with the CRO on company-level priorities that cut across functions and ultimately impact customers and the business. You'll be expected to walk into an ambiguous situation, understand it quickly, structure the problem, develop a clear approach to solving it, and drive that solution forward.

On the partnerships side, you'll build and own ShipIn's channel partnership program, developing the strategy, structure, and processes needed to build and scale the channel across different types of partners and markets.

This is a hands-on role with a high level of autonomy. You'll be expected to move between analysis, strategy, communication, and execution depending on what the business needs.

Responsibilities

Strategic Initiatives

• Work with the CRO to identify company-level gaps and opportunities and determine where and how to address them.
• Turn ambiguous or unstructured problems into clear analyses, recommendations, and action plans.
• Develop and implement new frameworks, workflows, and operating processes to address business needs.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives, working across Sales, Customer Success, Product, R&D, Operations, and Support.
• Communicate strategic recommendations and progress through clear presentations, business cases, and other materials for management, the board, customers, and partners.
• Develop ShipIn's channel strategy, including target partner types, markets, and commercial models.
• Identify and develop priority partnership opportunities and processes across service providers, resellers, installers, equipment vendors, technology companies, and shipyards.
• Establish commercial and operational terms and processes for working with partners.
• Build the processes needed to onboard and enable partners, including training, deal coordination, reporting, and partner payouts.
• Track partner performance and improve the program based on results.

Requirements

Must-haves

• 7–10+ years of experience, including experience at a top-tier strategy or management consulting firm.
• 2–3+ years in an operating role in strategy, business operations, business development, or partnerships, ideally in a B2B technology or industrial company.
• Proven ability to take ambiguous, cross-functional problems from definition through execution without direct authority.
• Strong analytical, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to turn complex or unstructured information into a clear story and recommendation.
• Strong project ownership and organizational skills.
• Comfortable working independently in a fast-moving environment where priorities can change.
• Willingness to travel to customers, partners, and industry events.

Nice to Have

• Experience building or managing partnerships, alliances, or channel programs, including commercial negotiations.
• Experience working with CRM or GTM systems such as HubSpot.
• Experience in a high-growth or scale-up environment.
• Personal interest in the maritime industry, shipping, or the sea.

What Success Looks Like

First 90 days

• Develop a strong understanding of ShipIn's business, customers, and go-to-market motion.
• Take ownership of 1–2 high-priority cross-functional initiatives and drive them through to completion.
• Develop a channel strategy and identify a focused list of priority partners.

First 12 months

• Establish a reliable operating rhythm for strategic initiatives that management can rely on.
• Build a functioning channel partnership program with active partners and measurable contribution to pipeline and revenue.
• Establish repeatable processes for managing and scaling the partner channel.

What We Offer

• $150,000–$165,000 base salary, plus competitive benefits and 401(k) matching.
• A central role in the company with the opportunity to influence a wide range of functions and contribute directly to the success of the product, with room to grow within the broader GTM organization.
• A collaborative, high-caliber team.
• Hybrid flexibility - Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in the office.