Partner Account Director - Public Sector

Appian; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 150,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan with company match

Flexible time off

Paid parental leave

Medical, dental, and vision plans

Wellness programs

Job summary

Appian is seeking a Partner Account Director for the U.S. Public Sector to collaborate with the leadership team and drive strategy with strategic partners. The selected candidate will develop business plans, foster executive alignment, and generate partner-sourced revenue.

This role requires 10+ years of experience in enterprise software sales and strong capabilities in managing partnerships. Candidates will thrive in a collaborative environment at Appian's McLean, Virginia office.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in enterprise software sales or related fields.
• 7+ years in partnerships, channel management, or alliance roles preferred.
• Experience in U.S. Public Sector market.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategic business plans for U.S. Public Sector partners.
• Drive partner strategy across various sales and marketing functions.
• Generate partner-sourced revenue through joint initiatives.

Skills

Enterprise software sales

Strategic partnerships

Business development

Channel management

Analytical skills

Program management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field

Job description

Here at Appian, our values of Intensity and Excellence define who we are. We set high standards and live up to them, ensuring that everything we do is done with care and quality. We approach every challenge with ambition and commitment, holding ourselves and each other accountable to achieve the best results. When you join Appian, you’ll be part of a passionate team dedicated to accomplishing hard things, together.

The best sales organizations achieve the most when they are selling outstanding products, solutions, and services backed by an extraordinary company. That’s what you get when you’re part of selling for Appian. We are passionate about driving digital transformation by delivering the speed, agility, and efficiency our customers need to compete and grow.

Appian is seeking a Partner Account Director – U.S. Public Sector to collaborate with our Public Sector leadership team and drive strategy and go-to-market execution across our largest and most strategic partners. This role will be responsible for fostering executive alignment, generating consistent incremental partner-sourced revenue, and supporting exceptional service delivery.

This role will align assigned partners across executive, sales, technical, marketing, and delivery functions around Appian solutions to scale the business. The ideal candidate is a strategic and experienced partnerships leader who can develop joint business plans, drive enablement, secure executive buy‑in, establish strong cross‑functional relationships, and create a consistent operating rhythm that strengthens partnerships and accelerates revenue growth.

This role is based at our headquarters in McLean, Virginia. Employees hired for this position are expected to be in the office five days a week to foster that culture and ensure we continue to thrive through shared ideas and teamwork.

In this role, you will:

• Develop and execute strategic business plans for Appian’s largest and most strategic U.S. Public Sector partners.
• Drive end‑to‑end partner strategy across co‑sell, resale, demand generation, marketing, enablement, and delivery motions.
• Build executive alignment between Appian and assigned partners to establish shared priorities, investment plans, and growth objectives.
• Generate consistent incremental partner‑sourced pipeline and revenue through joint go‑to‑market initiatives.
• Establish a strong operating rhythm with partners, including business reviews, pipeline inspection, action tracking, and executive engagement.
• Build relationships across partner executive, sales, technical, marketing, and delivery organizations.
• Identify customer, partner, and marketplace trends that create opportunities for joint solutions and new routes to market.
• Partner with service providers to develop compelling consulting and implementation practices around Appian’s software platform.
• Collaborate with Appian Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, Product, and Services teams to ensure coordinated execution across partner initiatives.
• Support the development of joint offerings, campaigns, enablement programs, and account strategies aligned to Public Sector priorities.
• Navigate competing internal and external priorities while maintaining accountability for partner outcomes.
• Use data, market insights, and performance metrics to evaluate partner health, identify execution gaps, and recommend corrective actions.
• Present partnership strategy, business impact, pipeline performance, and growth recommendations to senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Create scalable partner management processes and workflows that improve consistency, accountability, and execution.

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Incremental partner‑sourced and partner‑influenced pipeline and revenue.
• Effectiveness of joint co‑sell, resale, marketing, and demand‑generation motions.
• Executive alignment and engagement across Appian and assigned partners.
• Development and execution of strategic joint business plans.
• Growth of partner‑led service practices and solution offerings around Appian.
• Strength and consistency of the partner operating rhythm, including business reviews and action follow‑through.
• Cross‑functional alignment across Sales, Marketing, Services, Customer Success, and partner teams.
• Overall health, productivity, and strategic value of assigned partner relationships.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of enterprise software sales, partnerships, alliances, business development, channel, or related go‑to‑market experience.
• 7+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, channel management, or strategic alliance roles strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in the U.S. Public Sector market within a software company, technology distributor, systems integrator, or consulting organization.
• Proven success building and executing partner ecosystem go‑to‑market strategies.
• Experience leading strategic alliance relationships and identifying mutual business interests that create measurable growth.
• Deep understanding of Public Sector contracting, procurement, sales processes, and industry trends.
• Strong understanding of how government integrators and consulting firms operate and how software companies can help accelerate their growth.
• Experience selling or partnering with C‑level executives and senior decision‑makers.
• Demonstrated ability to operate across co‑sell, resale, demand generation, marketing, and service‑delivery motions.
• Highly analytical and data‑driven, with a strategic mindset and a pragmatic approach to execution.
• Strong program management skills with the ability to establish accountability and scalable partner management processes.
• Executive presence and strong written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority and navigate competing priorities across diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑changing environment while operating with autonomy and clear accountability for results.
• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Business, Computer Science, or a related field.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working at a Global Systems Integrator or Federal Systems Integrator delivering technology solutions to the Public Sector market.
• Experience transitioning from a GSI or FSI into a software or SaaS organization.
• Working knowledge of business process automation and experience identifying and qualifying client solution areas.
• Experience orchestrating complex, multi‑departmental solution sales.
• Experience helping service providers construct consulting and implementation practices around enterprise software products.
• Background in enterprise software, SaaS, cloud technology, or business process automation.
• Demonstrated success building new partner programs, routes to market, or joint solution offerings.
• Tenacious, competitive, thorough, and motivated by achieving superior results.

Compensation and Benefits

The base salary for this role is between $150,000–$300,000 per year and may vary based on relevant experience, qualifications, market conditions, and other factors. A discretionary bonus may be awarded in recognition of individual and company performance. In addition, Appian offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes a 401(k) plan with company match, flexible time off, paid parental leave, medical, dental, and vision plans, life and disability insurance, wellness programs, flexible spending accounts, health savings account contributions, employee referral bonus program, and learning and development resources. Certain positions may be eligible for equity awards.

Tools and Resources

• Training and Development: During onboarding, we focus on equipping new hires with the skills and knowledge for success through department‑specific training. Continuous learning is a central focus at Appian, with dedicated mentorship and the First‑Friend program available to new hires.
• Growth Opportunities: Appian provides a diverse array of growth and development opportunities, including a leadership program for new and aspiring managers, a comprehensive library of specialized department training through Appian University, skills‑based training, and tuition reimbursement.
• Community: We immerse you into our community rooted in respect starting on day one. Appian fosters inclusivity through 8 employee‑led affinity groups that help employees build stronger internal and external networks.

About Appian

Appian provides process automation technology. We automate complex processes in large enterprises and governments. Our platform is known for its unique reliability and scale. We’ve been automating processes for 25 years and understand enterprise operations like no one else. For more information, visit appian.com.

Appian is an equal opportunity employer that strives to attract and retain the best talent. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Appian provides reasonable accommodations to applicants in accordance with all applicable laws. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [e-mail].

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