Partner Executive, SUSE
$71-130k
+ Commission plan
To bring the infinite potential of open source to the Enterprise.
Open for applications
To bring the infinite potential of open source to the Enterprise.
1001+ employees
Open for applications
$71-130k
+ Commission plan
1001+ employees
Company mission
We transform open source innovations into enterprise-grade solutions to give customers choice.
Role
Who you are
- Experience in a partner-facing sales role, with understanding of ecosystems, customer needs and channel sales strategies in key industries such as cloud services, software-defined infrastructure, and open-source solutions
- Analytical skills to assess market trends, partner performance, and business opportunities, using insights to refine partner strategies and maintain a competitive advantage
- Expertise in managing customer and partner relationships from initial discussions to long-term strategic alliances, with the ability to build trust and rapport with C-level executives
- Knowledge of the enterprise software industry - particularly solutions such as Linux Infrastructure, Hybrid Cloud, Container Management, Edge, Artificial Intelligence and Security
- Ability to apply enterprise sales methodologies, particularly MEDDPICC, or similar frameworks. Industry certifications in sales or IT are a plus
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage and coordinate cross-functional teams across partner organisations, influencing decisions and driving mutual business success
- Experience working with CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce, Clari) to manage pipelines and forecast sales accurately
- Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, for articulating and translating complex technical solutions into business value propositions, to partners and internal teams, with the ability to guide strategic discussions with senior stakeholders
- Problem-solving skills that focus on innovative solutions to partner challenges, ensuring both SUSE and its partners achieve their business goals in changing business conditions
- Advanced sales negotiation and deal-closing skills for high-value, complex deals involving multiple stakeholders, with proven success in steering senior-level discussions and closing opportunities
What the job involves
- Partner Executives serve as senior business development professionals who work closely with strategic partners to align SUSE solutions with partner objectives. Their role involves building strong relationships with partners, fostering business growth, and driving mutual success through creative and effective partnerships
- By acting as ambassadors for SUSE’s indirect sales model, Partner Executives develop and execute business models with partners, enhancing SUSE’s presence in the market and expanding partner reach
- Drive pipeline development through partner led-opportunities, ensuring consistent communication and coordination with Account Executives to align partner strategies with regional business plans
- Develop and maintain joint business plans outlining shared goals, budgets, and strategies. Hold regular partner management meetings, including weekly and quarterly reviews, to ensure ongoing alignment with SUSE's sales strategy
- Serve as a central point of contact for partner-related activities by building and expanding relationships with assigned strategic partners. Leverage SUSE's network to develop business models that align partner capabilities with SUSE's open-source solutions, fostering a collaborative approach to drive mutual success, enhance market presence, and achieve joint business goals
- Track partner contributions to business growth by measuring key performance indicators such as incremental revenue generation,deal registration, certifications, upsell opportunities, and cross-sell success. Continuously improve partner impact on SUSE’s sales pipeline by setting and exceeding contribution targets
- Maintain and develop strong relationships with key partner stakeholders, including CXO-level executives. Building key relationships - Economic Buyer (internal customer), Technical Buyer (our liaison), Coach & Executive Buyer (Champion)
- Manage initiatives to recruit, onboard, and engage new partners that align with SUSE’s growth areas, identify new business opportunities and integrate partners into SUSE’s broader ecosystem for long-term success
- Motivate partners to engage in SUSE programs, drive sales, technical partner certifications, and demand generation through developing go-to-market solutions and tailored playbooks that align with SUSE’s growth strategies in areas like security, edge, and cloud, with a focus on customer success and revenue generation
- Take proactive ownership of your professional development by staying curious and embracing a growth mindset. Focus on driving your success, advancing your skills as a Sales professional, and deepening your expertise in the SUSE value proposition
- Collaborate with Marketing to create and promote compelling partner success stories, showcasing impactful business outcomes and enhancing brand visibility to support partner engagement and pipeline growth
Our take
The tech world is facing a shift and businesses are under pressure to modernise, cut costs, and stay flexible, all while dealing with increasingly complex IT demands. Many are finding that traditional software just don't offer the flexibility or value they need anymore.
This is where SUSE steps in with its open source tools that help businesses run their IT systems better. From managing cloud services to running virtual machines and containers, SUSE's software makes it easier for businesses to scale and streamline complex infrastructure, all from one central platform.
The company is making a name for itself by blending open source freedom with solid support and real results. Aussie Broadband, for example, boosted efficiency and trimmed down deployment times by switching to SUSE. With its sights now set on edge computing and AI, SUSE is showing that open source isn't just practical, but is powering the future of scalable tech.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
24% female employees
Company
Funding (2 rounds)
Feb 2002
$5.2m
EARLY VC
Oct 2001
$17.4m
LATE VC
Total funding: $22.6m
Company benefits
- Company bonus: We believe that everyone makes an impact on the success of the company, so we reward our employees for our achievements as one SUSE team.
- Agile Worker Policy: Unless your role requires a specific work model, we offer flexibility in how our people work - home-base, office-based or hybrid
- Flexibility: To maintain a healthy work-life balance, our people can adapt their work schedule to their personal and family needs
- Global Parental Leave: 20-week maternity leave with full salary and time off with pay for pregnancy-related appointments will be provided to pregnant SUSE people. Leave is also available to employees adopting a child or using surrogacy
- Health & well-being benefits program: We offer a well-being program designed for our people and their families. We also provide an excellent benefits plan including insurance, medical package and more, depending on the local market
- Employee referral program: Earn a financial reward or every successful referral you make – help us build a great team and get rewarded in the process
- Employee Resource Groups: Our main people networks are Women in Tech, Neurodiversity, GoGreen, Pride at SUSE and Open Source Community Citizen network. Through them our people can align to personal values, build bonds, and engage with communities of interest
Company values
- Choice
- Innovation
- Trust
- Community
Company HQ
Gare, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Articles
Leadership
DP held executive roles, including Red Hat GM for APAC and NA, before SUSE. He's on the NUS Institute of Systems Science board and mentors women in business. DP is an open-source programming hobbyist!
Ian Halifax
(CFO)Ian has more than 30 years' experience in Senior Financial Leadership positions, including as CFO at leading global tech providers such as Trellix (McAfee Enterprise/FireEye), Riverbed Technology, Wind River Systems, Micromuse, and Macrovision.
Andy McDonald
(Chief Legal Officer)They have extensive experience in Legal Affairs and Governance in a variety of companies, including Interserve, Premier Foods plc, Uniq plc, and Spirent plc. They also worked as a Corporate Lawyer at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer before moving into Industry.
Lisa Sherwell
(CPO)Lisa Sherwell, CPO, is a global strategy & transformation exec with 25 years in B2B tech - led SUSE's strategy, and was GM/Sales Director at SAP/Merchants. Lisa champions people-centric leadership!
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