Remote Senior Business Development Manager, Indirect Channels, Americas

REMOTE, US /
SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT – STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS /
PERMANENT
/ REMOTE
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Xero is a beautiful, easy-to-use platform that helps small businesses and their accounting and bookkeeping advisors grow and thrive.

At Xero, our purpose is to make life better for people in small business, their advisors, and communities around the world. This purpose sits at the centre of everything we do. We support our people to do the best work of their lives so that they can help small businesses succeed through better tools, information and connections. Because when they succeed they make a difference, and when millions of small businesses are making a difference, the world is a more beautiful place.

How you’ll make an impact

The Senior Business Development Manager, Indirect Channels leads our efforts with third party go-to-market partners that are essential to the growth of Xero’s product and presence in the Americas.  The person will be responsible for developing marketing and distribution arrangements with large brands and channel partners.  This includes working with 2 junior team members and our operations team to structure and scale our referral partnerships, including developing efficient approaches to rapidly expand proven models. As well, you will develop one-of-a-kind, complex reseller and embedded partnerships that will drive outsized customer growth for Xero.

A successful candidate will be a proven, self-starting deal-maker, but also someone who enjoys getting into the operational details of execution and having an end-to-end perspective on efficient business processes.   You will be someone who can go from whiteboard, to contract, to delivering output against growth and financial goals.  You’ll be someone who knows how to go for the win while keeping an eye on the long term relationship, and you’ll enjoy working closely with both internal and external stakeholders.

Reporting to the VP, Partnerships, Americas, you will serve as an instrumental member of the Americas Partnerships team, as well as work closely with the Americas sales leadership team to drive growth for the region. As needed, you’ll be prepared to bring in subject matter experts in areas including sales, marketing, operations, finance, strategy, legal, product management, engineering comms, technology and other areas.  You’ll focus on identifying target partners, developing relationships, negotiating deal frameworks, gaining internal consensus, scoping out new product requirements, and managing partner relationships throughout their life cycle.  You’ll be creative and passionate while also being a critical thinker obsessed with targets and efficiency.

An exceptionally qualified candidate will bring experience building indirect channels and/or strategic alliances at top software enterprises.  Domain experience in accounting, banking and/or SAAS industries is valued. Experience in the small business segment is an additional plus!

While San Francisco Bay Area or Denver locations are preferred, remote locations will be considered depending on candidate experience and relative location and time zone overlap with key internal and external stakeholders.

What you’ll do

• Identify, qualify, prioritize and approach potential channel and alliance partners, based on criteria developed through internal consensus.  Secure new and innovative integrations, distribution models, and co-marketing initiatives that drive revenue.
• Structure and negotiate term sheets and agreements.  Ensure that operational processes to support the relationship are appropriately structured.
• Work cross-functionally with members of other teams to determine processes and criteria for routing prospective partners either to standardized affiliate/referral motions, or high-touch custom reseller implementations.

• Manage reseller partner portfolio directly or with participation from junior team members, based on sales motion, through disciplined pipeline management including sourcing, negotiating, signing and launching deals, and through use of tools including Salesforce, Asana, spreadsheets and other tools as required.
• Manage partner relationships from end to end, from initial approach, to executive engagement, through negotiation and contract execution, through launch, to partner management.  Utilize learnings from lighthouse partners to standardize deal structures and processes for similar follow-on partners.
• Utilize your experience, judgment and network to successfully navigate partner organizations and ensure engagement with the right champions, from key functional leads to C-level execs.
• Work cross-functionally with internal stakeholders to develop comprehensive plans and business cases, including product, technology, integration, strategy, finance, marketing, sales, legal, comms, and customer support. Once partnership is launched, drive business reviews with partners and internal executives to ensure the delivery of high impact results.
• Provide reporting and analysis as part of ongoing partner management, as required.
• Bring positive momentum, an inclusive approach, a growth mindset and #human culture to all your interactions.

What you’ll bring with you

Experience
• 5+ years experience managing a reseller, channel and/or strategic alliance program
• (Preferred) additional industry specific experience in banking, accounting, SaaS, or verticals such as construction, agriculture, real estate, or ecommerce
• Demonstrated knowledge of contracting, distribution pricing strategies, and SaaS models
• BA/BS degree or equivalent professional or military experience (MBA/MS welcome)
• 10+ years of overall business experience (more is welcome).
• Demonstrated experience working cross-functionally, both internally and externally, including senior executives and an understanding of enterprise decision-making
• Proven track record in negotiating and managing complex, first-of-its-kind agreements
• Demonstrated experience working with large brands (Fortune 500, banks, big tech, etc.)
• Lightweight technical understanding of APIs, data flows, and integration methodologies such as oAuth, and/or ability to acquire this understanding quickly
(Bonus) Specific experience with the small business segment

Critical competencies
• Structured, critical thinking
• Outstanding strategic acumen and analytical skills, with strong attention to detail
• Experience establishing new partnerships, in addition to managing existing relationships
• Deep understanding of operational requirements with distribution and resellers
Comfort with deep diving into technology as much or as little as needed to get a clear picture and get the deal done
• Ability to lead cross-functional processes and see deals from start to launch
• An operationally focused mindset, with an ability to see a deal far beyond signing, and to influence teams in developing and implementing plans to fully realize the intended benefits of the partnership
• Ability to manage across and up and down organizations, working with technical and non-technical roles
• Well-developed negotiation skills – understanding gives and gets and why
• Qualitative and quantitative abilities required to build business cases
• Ability to balance multiple high-priority initiatives and lead multiple time-sensitive partnerships and/or projects simultaneously
• High integrity
• Team player

About Xero?

Diversity of people brings diversity of thought, and we like that. A collaborative and inclusive environment is important to us. Working at Xero will provide you with a diverse and inclusive environment alongside people who will respect, challenge and support you to have fun while you do the best work of your life. We are a place where personal development, innovation, and well-being are not just inspired but celebrated.

We value our people and offer a wide range of compelling benefits and perks, including Xero shares and great parental leave policies.  Xero’s collaborative culture is underscored by our values – #Ownership, #Challenge, #Beautiful, #Human and #Team – which empower us to understand and serve customers, attract top talent and continuously innovate.  From the moment you step through our doors, you’ll feel welcome and supported to do the best work of your life.