Chief Partnership Officer (CPO)

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A Chief Partnership Officer (CPO) is an executive responsible for developing and executing a company's partnership strategy. They oversee the identification, recruitment, and management of strategic partnerships, focusing on driving growth and innovation.

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Wondering what it takes to become one? Check out our Guide to the Top.

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Estimated Salary: (US) $136K - $254K per annum (source: Glassdoor)

Europe (averaged out): €84K - €104K (source: Indeed)

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Career Path: Often stemming from senior sales, marketing, or business development roles, CPOs typically have a strong track record of building and managing strategic partnerships. 

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Daily Duties:

• Develop and execute the overall partnership strategy.
• Identify and prioritise key partnership opportunities.
• Negotiate and close high-value deals.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with C-level executives at partner companies.
• Oversee the performance of the partnership team. 
• Often the primary decision-maker when allocating budgets for partnerships (including partner tech stack).

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If you’re looking to get an internal buy-in to secure a partnership budget, check out these 3 tips.

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Performance Evaluation:

• Achievement of KPIs and revenue targets.
• Growth of the partner ecosystem.
• Quality of partner relationships.
• Strategic impact of partnerships on the business. 

Key Challenges:

• Aligning partnership goals with overall business objectives.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with diverse partners.
• Managing complex negotiations and contracts.
• Measuring and tracking the impact of partnerships.

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Head of Partnerships (Director of Partnerships)

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A Head of Partnerships is a strategic leader responsible for identifying, developing, and managing partnerships that align with a company's business objectives. They oversee the partnership team, negotiate deals, and ensure the successful execution of partnership initiatives.

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Estimated Salary: US: $108K - $168K per annum (source: Ziprecruiter) 

Europe (averaged out):  €74K -  €170K per annum (source: Glassdoor)

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Career Path: Often promoted from a senior partnership manager role, the Head of Partnerships typically has deep experience in managing partnership teams and executing partnership strategies. 

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Daily Duties:

• Manage and mentor the partnership team.
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the partnership program.
• Develop and implement partner onboarding and enablement programs.
• Track and analyse partner performance metrics.
• Identify and pursue new partnership opportunities. 

Performance Evaluation:

• Team performance and morale.
• Achievement of revenue targets.
• Partner satisfaction and retention.
• Effectiveness of partnership programs.
• Timeliness and accuracy of reporting. 

Key Challenges:

• Recruiting and retaining top talent.
• Balancing strategic initiatives with tactical execution.
• Managing complex partner relationships.
• Measuring the impact of partnership programs.

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Partnership Manager

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A Partnership Manager is responsible for developing and managing strategic partnerships between organisations. They identify potential partnership opportunities, negotiate agreements, and build collaborative relationships.

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Estimated salary: US: $83K - $142K per annum (source: Glassdoor)

Europe (averaged out): €64K -  €84K per annum (source: Payscale)

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Career Path: Often starting in a sales or account management role, partnership managers typically have strong relationship-building and negotiation skills. 

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Here are the top 15 skills every partnership manager should have.

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Daily Duties:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with partners.
• Identify and pursue new partnership opportunities.
• Negotiate and close deals with partners.
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the partnership.
• Provide support and guidance to partners. 

Performance Evaluation:

• Achievement of revenue targets.
• Partner satisfaction and retention.
• Timeliness and accuracy of reporting.
• Effectiveness of partner enablement programs.
• Quality of partner relationships. 

Key Challenges:

• Managing multiple partners and priorities.
• Meeting aggressive sales targets.
• Resolving partner issues and disputes.
• Staying up-to-date with industry trends and partner needs.

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Partner Marketing Manager

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A partner marketing manager is a professional who builds and manages relationships with external partners to drive mutual business goals. They develop and execute partner marketing strategies in collaboration with these partners, coordinate joint marketing efforts, and ensure that both parties benefit from the collaboration.

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Estimated salary: US: $82K - 135K per annum (source: Glassdoor)

Europe (averaged out): €48K - €77K per annum (source: Glassdoor)

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Here are the top 10 skills every Partner Marketing Manager should have.

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Career Path: Often starting in a marketing or communications role, partner marketing managers typically have strong marketing and communication skills. 

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Daily Duties:

• Develop and execute co-marketing campaigns with partners.
• Create marketing materials, such as case studies, whitepapers, and blog posts.
• Manage the partner marketing budget.
• Track and measure the performance of marketing campaigns.
• Collaborate with the sales and marketing teams to align messaging and branding.

Performance Evaluation:

• Effectiveness of marketing campaigns.
• Quality of marketing materials.
• Brand awareness and reputation.
• Lead generation and pipeline contribution.
• Return on investment (ROI) of marketing spend. 

Key Challenges:

• Aligning marketing efforts with the overall partnership strategy.
• Measuring the impact of marketing initiatives.
• Managing multiple projects and deadlines.
• Working with diverse teams and partners.

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Channel Manager

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A Channel Manager is responsible for developing and managing a network of indirect sales channels, such as distributors, resellers, and value-added resellers (VARs). They recruit, enable, and support these partners to drive sales and increase market reach.

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Estimated salary: US: $103K - $210K per annum (source: Glassdoor)

Europe (averaged out): €50K - €94K per annum (source: Payscale)

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How to build a successful Channel Program? Explore this Guide to a Thriving Partner Program.

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Career Path: Often starting in a sales or account management role, channel managers typically have experience working with indirect sales channels. 

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Daily Duties:

• Recruit and onboard new channel partners.
• Provide training and enablement to partners.
• Develop and execute channel marketing programs.
• Monitor and analyse partner performance.
• Resolve partner issues and disputes. 

Performance Evaluation:

• Achievement of sales targets through the channel.
• Partner satisfaction and retention.
• Timeliness and accuracy of reporting.
• Effectiveness of channel marketing programs. 

Key Challenges:

• Managing a diverse network of partners.
• Motivating and incentivizing partners.
• Ensuring consistent messaging and branding across the channel.
• Measuring the impact of channel programs.

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Affiliate Manager

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An affiliate manager is a professional who manages an online affiliate program for an advertiser or merchant. They are responsible for recruiting and onboarding new affiliates, managing relationships with existing affiliates, providing support and resources, tracking performance, and optimising the program to drive sales.

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Estimated salary: US: $70K - $150K per annum (source: Salary.com)

Europe (averaged out): €26K - €74K per annum (source: TalentUp)

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How to master Affiliate Partner Program? Here are your best practices.

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Career Path: Often starting in a digital marketing or e-commerce role, affiliate managers typically have a strong understanding of online marketing channels. 

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Daily Duties:

• Recruit and onboard new affiliates.
• Optimise affiliate campaigns to drive conversions.
• Track and analyse affiliate performance.
• Pay affiliate commissions.
• Resolve affiliate issues and disputes. 

Performance Evaluation:

• Revenue generated through the affiliate program.
• Affiliate acquisition and retention.
• Affiliate satisfaction.
• Timeliness and accuracy of commission payments.
• Effectiveness of affiliate marketing campaigns.

Key Challenges:

• Managing a large number of affiliates.
• Fraud prevention.
• Tracking and measuring affiliate performance.
• Staying up-to-date with affiliate marketing trends.

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Partnership Operations

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Partner Operations is a function responsible for managing and optimising the day-to-day activities and processes within a partnership program. It focuses on streamlining operations, improving efficiency, and ensuring a seamless experience for partners.

Estimated salary: US: $67K - $126K per annum (source: Glassdoor) 

Europe (averaged out): €40K - €65K  per annum (source: Talent.com)

Career Path: Often starting in a project management or operations role, partnership operations professionals typically have strong organisational and analytical skills. 

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Daily Duties:

• Manage and maintain the PRM Software, Partner Portal and CRM system.
• Track and report on key partnership metrics.
• Streamline and automate partnership processes.
• Provide administrative support to the partnership team.
• Collaborate with other teams to ensure smooth operations. 

Performance Evaluation:

• Accuracy and timeliness of reporting.
• Efficiency of partnership processes.
• Effectiveness of automation and tools.
• Quality of partner support.
• Contribution to overall partnership program goals. 

Key Challenges:

• Managing complex data and systems.
• Ensuring data accuracy and consistency.
• Staying up-to-date with the latest tools and technologies.
• Balancing strategic initiatives with tactical execution.

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Revenue Operations

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Partner Revenue Operations is a strategic function that aligns sales, marketing, and customer success teams to optimise revenue generation through partner channels. It involves streamlining processes, automating tasks, and analysing data to improve efficiency.

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Estimated salary: US: $70K - $140K per annum (source: Ziprecruiter)

Europe (averaged out): €66K - €70K per annum (source: Glassdoor)

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Career Path: Often starting in a sales operations or marketing operations role, revenue operations professionals typically have a strong understanding of sales and marketing processes. 

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Daily Duties:

• Align sales, marketing, and customer success teams to drive revenue growth.
• Analyse data to identify opportunities and optimise the sales process.
• Implement automation tools to streamline operations and improve efficiency.
• Collaborate with other teams to improve forecasting accuracy.
• Track and measure key metrics, such as pipeline velocity and deal closure rates.

Performance Evaluation:

• Revenue growth.
• Improved sales and marketing efficiency.
• Accuracy of forecasting.
• Effectiveness of automation and tools.
• Contribution to overall business objectives. 

Key Challenges:

• Managing complex data sets.
• Aligning multiple teams with diverse goals.
• Implementing and maintaining complex systems.
• Measuring the impact of revenue operations initiatives.

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