Partner Manager

Ballistic Ventures; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Equity

Hybrid work environment

Health benefits from day one

401(k) plan

Wellness benefits

Family-building benefits

Autonomy and ownership

Zip swag & team outings

Job summary

Zip Security is seeking a Partner Manager to own and scale our partner motion, onboarding Tier 2/3 partners and driving tier progression to Tier 1. You’ll manage inbound requests, qualify firms, and work across Eng, Product, Marketing, and Sales to meet activation and conversion targets.

You’ll thrive in a fast-paced startup environment, with 5+ years in partnerships or related roles, and a bias toward action. Flexible hybrid work, competitive compensation, and equity offered.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in tech partnerships, sales, or operations.
• Experience qualifying, onboarding, or managing channel partners and moving them to higher engagement.

Responsibilities

• Discovery and qualification of inbound partner requests (vCISO, compliance, audit firms).
• Onboarding and enablement of Tier 2 and Tier 3 partners with product training and referral triggers.
• Tier progression by building relationships and cadences to convert partners to Tier 1 over two quarters.

Skills

Partner management

Channel partnerships

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic outreach

Target-driven

Startup experience

Job description

About Zip Security

Cybersecurity for growing businesses is broken. Even enterprises spend heavily across hundreds of disconnected tools for marginal real-world benefit. For startups and mid-sized firms, this gap often means forgoing security entirely, or cobbling together a solution that leaves them vulnerable in other ways. At Zip Security, we build solutions that make enterprise cybersecurity effective and doable for growing businesses of all kinds, whether or not they have a security team in house.

Our product is a complete security program that automates device management, endpoint security, identity and access management, compliance, and managed IT and security operations to keep teams of all kinds protected. We help our customers pick their right security frameworks, correctly deploy the tools, policies, and controls they need, and keep everything enforced over time, so their business is protected and compliant, 24/7.

Zip is at the cutting edge of what's possible in cybersecurity, and dedicated to delivering value for our customers. It's a big part of why we're backed by Ballistic Ventures. Major platforms are opening APIs that enable automated management at scale, new government initiatives are surfacing global threat data, and we're positioned to be the first to properly integrate all of it. We're looking for driven, talented people to help us get there. If this resonates with you, we invite you to consider building alongside our team.

The Role

Zip's fastest-growing channel runs through trusted security and compliance partners especially the vCISOs who advise companies on what to buy, when to buy it, and whom to trust. Over the past year we've built the foundation of this motion: a tiered partner program, a proven enablement playbook, and a steady flow of inbound partner interest. Now we need a Partner Manager to own it and scale it.

This role sits at the front lines of our partner motion. You'll run discovery and qualification on inbound partner requests, separating firms that will genuinely refer and co-sell from those that aren't a fit, so our pipeline stays healthy and our time goes to the right relationships. From there, you'll use our existing enablement strategy and materials to onboard Tier 2 and Tier 3 partners and move them up the ladder: your headline goal is converting 10%-15% of our Tier 2 and Tier 3 partners into Tier 1 partners over two quarters.

Day to day, this means:

1. Discovery and qualification. Running a structured qualification process on inbound partner requests primarily vCISO, compliance, and audit firms to assess fit, referral potential, and alignment with our partner program, and keeping a healthy inbound vCISO pipeline flowing.

2. Onboarding and enablement. Deploying our enablement strategy and partner-facing docs to get Tier 2 and Tier 3 partners activated: trained on the product, clear on referral triggers, and equipped to introduce Zip to their clients.

3. Tier progression. Building the relationships, cadences, and accountability that move partners from occasional referrers to consistent Tier 1 advocates and also knowing when a partner isn't going to get there. Your headline goal is converting 10%-15% of our Tier 2 and Tier 3 partners into Tier 1 partners over two quarters.

What You Will Build at Zip Security

We're looking for individuals that are high ownership, action oriented, and can foster relationships. The right candidate is eager to learn, quick to come up with a "good enough" strategy, and think broadly about what good execution looks like. And, of course, you'll be unsatisfied in an ivory tower of "strategy," preferring to get your hands dirty and do the work.

Some orienting criteria:

• 5+ years of experience in the tech industry, ideally in partnership, sales, or operational role

• Experience qualifying, onboarding, or managing channel or referral partners, with a track record of moving partners to higher levels of engagement and production

• Experience working across a functional team (Eng, Product, Marketing, Sales) to problem solve the needs of our partners

• Exceptional personable skills, high autonomy and biases towards "let's get this done"

• Comfortable being accountable to concrete partner activation and conversion targets

• Comfortable with the past faced nature of startups, able to pivot as necessary and with autonomy

• A successful track record of defining and driving successful outcomes in fast paced, high performing environments

• [Nice to have] Experience and relationships with IT + security channel partners, vCISO firms, or compliance/audit firms

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation, equity, and comprehensive health benefits starting on day one

• 401(k) plan to help you invest in your future

• Flexible hybrid work environment (2-3 days in office! You decide what is best for you!)

• Monthly wellness benefits to help you stay active, healthy, and balanced in whatever way works best for you

• Comprehensive family-building, fertility, and hormonal health benefits to support you through every stage of life

• High ownership, autonomy, and the opportunity to shape a rapidly growing company

• Fully stocked office with endless snacks, coffee, and tea, plus Zip swag and team outings

Standard Interview Process

• Initial Screen with Talent Partner

• Hiring Manager Screen

• Technical or Team Interview

• Executive Interview

• Offer