Director, ISV & Marketplace Strategy

Contentful•Denver, CO

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Contentful is seeking a director-level leader to own and scale our marketplace and ecosystem strategy within the Corporate Development & Strategy organization. Reporting into our VP of Corporate Development & Strategy, this role will focus on aligning our ISV partner strategy with our broader Product and GTM strategy, building and growing the ISV partner ecosystem, and making it easier for customers and the field to realize value from our ecosystem. You will partner closely with Product, Product Marketing, and the Field to define where ISVs add the most value, recruit and enable the right partners, and ensure our marketplace becomes a meaningful differentiator in customer evaluations and expansion. This is a hybrid role where office attendance in Denver is expected 2-3 days per week.

Requirements

Experience building or scaling a partner program (ideally ISV / marketplace) in a SaaS or enterprise technology company.
Ability to balance strategy and execution: defining the model while also running day-to-day partner motions.
Track record of recruiting partners and building a healthy partner pipeline.
Comfort engaging with partner sales and GTM leaders to align on joint go-to-market plans.
Demonstrated ability to work across Product, Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success to land and scale partnership initiatives.
Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, including with senior leaders and external executives.
Ability to understand where partners add the most value across the customer lifecycle and prioritize accordingly.
Experience using data and customer feedback to refine partner and marketplace strategy.
8+ years of experience in technology partnerships, business development, or ecosystem roles in SaaS or enterprise software.
Direct experience working with independent software vendors and/or app marketplaces (e.g., recruiting, enabling, and growing ISV relationships).
Experience working closely with Product and Engineering teams on integration requirements and partner enablement.
Experience partnering with Product Marketing, Marketing, and Field teams on joint messaging, launches, and go-to-market plays.
Comfortable operating in a fast-moving environment, with the ability to iterate quickly based on partner, customer, and internal feedback.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to represent Contentful externally with partners and customers.
Bachelor’s degree in business, technology, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a strategy to grow and optimize the ISV partner ecosystem, with clear priorities by use case, segment, and region.
Recruit, evaluate, and onboard independent software vendors into the Contentful app marketplace.
Operate and continuously improve a technology partner program that includes: Outbound partner marketing and recruitment motions to attract ISVs. Business development motions focused on getting target ISVs engaged and building. Solutions architecture / developer support in partnership with Product and SEs to help ISVs ship high-quality integrations quickly. Commercial constructs that support mutual growth (e.g., lead sharing, joint marketing, co-selling, and appropriate economic structures).
Partner with Product Management and Partner Marketing to identify, recruit, and enable high-impact ISVs aligned to Contentful’s roadmap and key customer needs.
Identify and prioritize ISVs in key verticals (e.g., retail / commerce, financial services, media) where Contentful sees strong demand.
Run outbound campaigns in partnership with Marketing and the Field to engage and onboard top vertical ISVs into the marketplace.
Ensure vertical ISV solutions are packaged and positioned in a way that’s easy for Sales and customers to understand and adopt.
Drive building out GTM motions for strategic ISV partners (e.g., co-sell / re-sell) from identification through to launch (hand off to Partnership org for execution)
Own marketplace health and growth metrics (e.g., app coverage by use case, install / adoption rates, usage by segment).
Collaborate with Product Marketing and Partner Marketing to: Launch and promote priority integrations and solution bundles. Build customer-facing stories and case studies that feature key apps and marketplaces use cases.
Partner with Customer Success, Sales, and Solution Engineering to: Make it easy for account teams to understand which apps matter, when, and why. Incorporate marketplace solutions into sales plays and customer success motions. Use data to show how marketplace usage correlates with customer value, satisfaction, and retention, and recommend iterative improvements.
Lead and mentor a small team focused on ISV and marketplace success (e.g., technology alliance managers and/or product ecosystem roles).
Drive tight alignment with: Product and Engineering on integration standards, roadmap fit, and technical quality. Product Marketing and Marketing on messaging, launch plans, and campaigns. Sales, Customer Success, and Solution Engineering on where and how to use ISVs to win and expand deals. Partnership org for execution of strategic partnerships
Represent Contentful’s marketplace and ISV ecosystem with partners and at select industry events, helping strengthen our position with key platforms and alliances.

Benefits

Join an ambitious tech company reshaping the way people build digital experiences
Full-time employees receive Stock Options for the opportunity to share in the success of our company
Comprehensive healthcare package covering 100% of monthly health premiums for employees and 85% of costs for your dependents.
Fertility and family building benefits, including a lifetime reimbursable wallet to support your growing family.
We value Work-Life balance and You Time! A generous amount of paid time off, including vacation days, sick days, compassion days for loss, education days, and volunteer days
Company paid parental leave to care for and focus on your growing family
Use your personal annual education budget to improve your skills and grow in your career
Enjoy a full range of virtual and in-person events, including workshops, guest speakers, and fun team activities, supporting learning and networking exchange beyond the usual work duties
An annual wellbeing stipend to care for your physical, financial, or emotional health
A monthly communication stipend and phone hardware upgrade reimbursement.
New hire office equipment stipend for hybrid or distributed employees. Get the gear you need to work at your best.