Senior Director, Partner Strategy & Programs

Get to Know Us:
It's fun to work in a company where people truly believe in what they're doing!
At BlackLine, we're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business of enterprise applications.
Since being founded in 2001, BlackLine has become a leading provider of cloud software that automates and controls the entire financial close process. Our vision is to modernize the finance and accounting function to enable greater operational effectiveness and agility, and we are committed to delivering innovative solutions and services to empower accounting and finance leaders around the world to achieve Modern Finance.
Being a best-in-class SaaS Company, we understand that bringing in new ideas and innovative technology is mission critical. At BlackLine we are always working with new, cutting edge technology that encourages our teams to learn something new and expand their creativity and technical skillset that will accelerate their careers.
Work, Play and Grow at BlackLine!
Make Your Mark:
The Senior Director, Partner Strategy & Programs reports directly to the VP, Global Strategic Alliances and works closely with the CEO office and other senior staff to propose and implement strategic partner program initiatives to fuel partner growth for accelerated BlackLine business and customer success outcomes. This role is responsible for the following areas in Channels & Alliances Leadership:
1. Partner Strategy: Lead and support manager with Partner Strategy vision, including defining and executing strategy, and providing exec reporting updates to Board, EMT, and Operating Committees.
2. Cross Departmental: Win the representation and internal advocacy of partner's roles and business impact across other internal BlackLine departments and initiatives, most notably driving cross-departmental activities within the Go-to-Market Organization
3. Partner Programs: Manage and develop the Partner Programs, business analytics and internal communications, and driving forward initiatives and internal projects that advance the maturity of all aspects of the global alliance programs.
4. Partner Events & Communications: Propose partner plan and work with senior events staff and Chief of Staffs for partner experience at global BTB events, and Kick-Off Events
5. Partner Enablement: Oversee global Enablement Strategy & Execution including Enablement Programming, Certification Program, Partner portal, and GTM readiness and manage global team lead of Enablement Directors
6. Partner Solution Architects: Own the global Partner Enablement Strategy & Execution and manage a team of Enablement and program directors
7. Sales Collaboration Best Practices: Own the partner-related global Sales Enablement Strategy & Execution
You'll Get To:
Partner Strategy:

• Work closely with manager, CEO office, and Transformation office to define and execute Partner Strategy, specifically BlackLine's 'Partner Powered' principles
• Drive execution against defined strategy initiatives and provide frequent status updates to CEO, Transformation Office, and Operating Committees on progress made, help needed, or known risks/dependencies
• Infuse partners into BlackLine's Operating Model for pillar strategy alignment and execution
• Align with leadership across the organization, specifically Services, Customer Team, Sales, Product, and Training to infuse partner strategy into corresponding core areas of their business
• Work closely within Channels & Alliances Leadership on developing and advancing the overall partner and alliance strategy and partner programs for all Alliance, BPO, and Solution Provider partners.

Cross Departmental:

• Forge relationships with key stakeholders to drive strategic partner business initiatives
• Drive, or be the liaison for cross-departmental initiatives with other teams including the GTM team, sales team, Implementation team, Training team, Sales Operations team, Product team, Partner Success team, SAP team, and others as required
• Represent and champion partner value and partner program needs across BlackLine growth initiatives
• Embed partners into other team's programs, processes, operations recognizing that the partner/alliance dimension impacts all aspects of the customer lifecycle; represent and champion partner value and partner program needs across all groups
• Hold teams accountable and drive actionable dates and reporting for priority project initiatives
• Function as a strong advocate for the alliance with leaders of other departments

Partner Programs:

• Own and drive communications and execution of the various BlackLine partner programs collaborating with different internal program owners and Channels & Alliances leadership as appropriate
• Drive and oversee annual Program activities, including Partner Kick-Off, Partner Awards, Partner Tier Announcements, Program Guide updates, website updates, and annual and mid-year Program Guide revisions across all three partner program types: Alliance, BPO, and Solution Providers
• Govern and monitor said-program requirements across strategic focus partners
• Propose program benefits and seek executive support to improve partner program experience and foster partner loyalty

Partner Events & Communications:
BeyondTheBlack:

• Propose and deliver partner experience for global BeyondTheBlack conferences
• Oversee and prepare all event deliverables including event decks and leadership scripts
• Work closely with events on all logistics including partner invitations, partner logistics, event room set-up, A/V, meals, etc.
• Work closely with Chief of Staff to prepare CEO for all partner activities, including script creation and CEO brief packages
• Engage and prep other leaders for partner participation, including script messaging and slide content

Kick-Off Events:

• Lead readiness efforts for Sales Kick-Off event, including partner messaging, deck, scripts, and partner collaboration awards
• Oversee and prepare annual Partner Kick-off event, including speaker readiness, content, invitations, and Partner Awards

Partner Communications:

• Lead distribution of effective and timely communications on relevant announcements, programs, and performance - with both internal and external stakeholders
• Oversee Partner Webinar strategy and execution and work closely with leadership or other SMEs across the business on slide content/script creation and partner messaging

Partner Enablement:

• Oversee and lead Global Programs & Enablement team to achieve objectives and continuously advance and mature the various partner programs, enablement programs, GTM initiatives
• Oversee and drive partner enablement strategy & approach for Consulting/BPO and Solution Provider partner categories, including sales enablement and implementation enablement
• Provide direction on roadmap of partner training offerings with BlackLine's training team and manage ongoing cadence and content prioritization
• Oversee and provide executive level reporting on planning and execution of enablement programs globally across all Geo teams

Sales Collaboration Best Practices:

• Own sales enablement strategy & approach for Core alliance/BPO programs
• Lead creation of sales enablement content and delivery models across global teams including New Hire Sales Training, and all continued education needs
• Drive goverance and adoption of Partner Powered Sales Guidance and promote ongoing enablement and adoption globally

Partner Solution Architects:

• Oversee and lead Global Partner Solution Architect team to mature partner solution expertise and use case maturity
• Grow expertise across the team globally to meet partner/ geo needs
• Lead efforts with CloudOps and MDM leadership for partner demo instance operations priorities
• Oversee pre-sales readiness efforts across all solution areas and program types

Managerial Responsibility:

• Supervise/manage/direct the selection, training, development, appraisal and work assignments of personnel.

Other:

• Take ownership, and drive, team initiatives to establish team standards for all aspects of the strategic alliances programs, which can include topics from BlackLine internal communications and enablement, Partner onboarding, partner enablement, partner evangelization, Joint Solution development, Go-to-Market Strategies in alignment with the Sales Leadership, Operational improvements, Reporting & Analytics, etc.
• Clarify & communicate highest impact metrics (growth, customer success, etc.).
• This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties or responsibilities; at times other duties may be assigned as needed.

What You'll Bring:

• Years of Experience in Related Field: 12+ years' experience in Partner / Alliance Management managing SI partners including experience with a variety of partner types preferred (e.g. Big 4, Global SI's, boutiques and Regional SI's, channel partners) and/or experience in program management roles similar to this one. 5+ years experience with partner enablement models and execution. 5+ years' experience in finance/accounting related business experience preferred
• Bachelor's Degree
• Strong understanding of business/application consulting. Consulting background is beneficial.
• Understanding of service offering creation, marketing, lead generation processes and key performance indicators/value drivers for large professional services / SI organizations.
• Practical experience in supporting definition and delivery of solutions.
• Track record of delivering measurable results, regularly meeting or exceeding targets.
• Strong executive presence & exceptional communication skills (verbal, written). Ability to rapidly engage a diverse audience of internal / external stakeholders and build consensus.
• Demonstrated ability to build, lead and execute strategy in a collaborative environment.
• Superior ability to build and maintain positive working relationships.
• Strong drive and sense of ownership to achieve results and completion of tasks in an environment of cross-team dependencies.
• Exceptional analytical, organizational, and project management skills. Ability to quickly analyze and apply relevant information to make timely and critical decisions that affect cross-functional teams to increase program ROI and effectiveness.
• Mastery of building effective presentations with MS PPT, as well as building MS XLS based analytics
• Strong tolerance for ambiguity; ability to focus and execute in a rapidly changing environment, take charge and make things happen. Self-starter, with strong work ethic and personal drive and character qualities that match with company core values and inspires others to follow and act
• Willingness to travel on as-needed basis globally.

Thrive at BlackLine Because You Are Joining:

• A technology-based company with a sense of adventure and a vision for the future. Every door at BlackLine is open. Just bring your brains, your problem-solving skills, and be part of a winning team at the world's most trusted name in Finance Automation!
• A culture that is kind, open, and accepting. It's a place where people can embrace what makes them unique, and the mix of cultural backgrounds and varying interests cultivates diverse thought and perspectives.
• A culture where BlackLiner's continued growth and learning is empowered. BlackLine offers a wide variety of professional development seminars and inclusive affinity groups to celebrate and support our diversity.

BlackLine is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, age, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, ancestry, color, marital status, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, medical condition, genetic information, or any other protected class or category recognized by applicable equal employment opportunity or other similar laws.
BlackLine recognizes that the ways we work and the workplace itself have shifted. We innovate in a workplace that optimizes a combination of virtual and in-person interactions to maximize collaboration and nurture our culture. Candidates who live within a reasonable commute to one of our offices will work in the office at least 2 days a week.
Salary Range:
USD $217,000.00 - USD $271,000.00
Pay Transparency Statement:
Placement within this range depends upon several factors, including the applicant's prior relevant job experience, skill set, and geographic location. In addition to base pay, BlackLine also offers short-term and long-term incentive programs, based on eligibility, along with a robust offering of benefit and wellness plans.
BlackLine is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible experience for all candidates. If you require a reasonable accommodation that would better enable your success during the application or interview process, please complete this form.
Accommodations:
BlackLine is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible experience for all candidates. If you require a reasonable accommodation that would better enable your success during the application or interview process, please complete this form.