Account Manager, Cision

• 5+ years in channel sales, partner management, or related experience in B2B SaaS, technology, or PR/Media services
• Strong existing business relationships specifically with existing channel sales partners
• Proven success in building and managing partner programs that drive measurable results
• Strong understanding of indirect sales strategies and partner lifecycle management
• Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills
• Experience developing and delivering partner training and enablement materials
• Highly organized, self-motivated, and capable of managing multiple priorities with precision
• Preferred Qualifications:

Desirable

• We are seeking a Strategic Account Executive, Channel Sales to build, scale, and manage a high-performing partner ecosystem focused on long-term mutual profitability, operational discipline, and outstanding partner care
• In this role, you will recruit, enable, and manage a portfolio of Reseller Partners, Referral Partners, and Event Partners to accelerate revenue growth, drive market expansion, and increase brand awareness through indirect sales
• The ideal candidate is a credible brand ambassador, creative problem solver, strategic thinker with a bias for action, strong collaborator internally, and expert liaison externally with a passion for channel partner success and an equal focus on partner experience and revenue generation
• Identify, recruit, and onboard new reseller, referral, and event partners
• Build strategic partner programs that align with company objectives and market needs
• Develop clear engagement models and value propositions tailored to each partner type
• Develop and deliver onboarding materials, sales training, and product education to ensure partner readiness
• Collaborate with internal teams to adapt and create content tailored for partner use
• Equip partners with the tools, messaging, and support they need to succeed
• Drive adoption of partner-delivered offerings to meet and exceed revenue targets
• Generate and nurture leads collaboratively with partners through joint marketing, events, and campaigns to retain and grow existing partners and sell and scale net new partners
• Develop co-selling strategies to influence and support partner sales efforts
• Build strong, trust-based relationships with partners to ensure long-term success
• Regularly review partner performance and implement growth and improvement strategies
• Serve as the internal advocate for partner needs and opportunities
• Identify opportunities for expansion and capture market share in targeted regions or verticals
• Analyze partner pipeline, influence forecasts, and refine the partner strategy accordingly
• Bring insights from the field to inform product, marketing, and go-to-market teams
• Develop and execute strategic channel partner plans to achieve sales targets and channel partner growth at 100% to plan
• Optimize the number and type of channel partners to produce the ideal business mix that leads to business unit profitability and partner experience through a high impact, low resource business model approach
• Ability to gain the trust of C-level executives and technical teams from partner organizations by casting the vision of the partnership with Cision and building joint business opportunities defined and managed through business and marketing plans
• Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of sales, methods, costs, and results. Is a Data Driven decision maker with a bias for action
• Accurately forecast future channel partner sales and develop sales plans to adapt to shifting marketplace sales and sales reporting at all times
• Manage potential channel conflict by proactively fostering excellent communications internally and externally
• Understand channel specific landscapes and bring the voice of the channel partner to the organization
• Consistently demonstrates a strategic and successful channel partner review process
• Demonstrate the Cision Values & support a strong culture at PR Newswire
• Leverage your network (internal & external) to drive visibility into top opportunities and collaborate with internal executives to close business as needed, including deep involvement with top prospects when needed
• Elevate performance of KPI achievement, quality assurance, and standard competencies
• Help identify opportunities to improve the organization and go-to-market segmentation strategies based on effective feedback loops, internal networking, and properly managing up
• Engage daily with peer leaders to ensure a strong, collaborative sales channel environment, proactively sharing ideas, creative strategies, and updates with other managers, and help triage crisis as needed
• Maintain and expand positive interdepartmental communication and collaborative teamwork, also ensuring that the prospect experience is seamless
• Other duties as assigned
• What Success Looks Like:
• A growing and engaged partner network aligned with strategic company goals
• Increased partner-sourced and partner-influenced revenue
• High partner satisfaction and retention rates
• Efficient, scalable processes for partner recruitment/enablement/performance management
• Measurable market share growth through indirect channels with reseller, referral, and event partner lines of business