Director of Partnerships

ZipLiens•Somerset, KY

3h•$147,000 - $199,000

About The Position

Zipliens is seeking a proactive, results-driven Director of Partnerships to build and lead its partnerships function at a strategic level. The role carries a revenue target and is responsible for originating and closing priority relationships with business-level partners, including management services organizations (MSOs), multi-office and national firms, legal-tech and case management platforms, and industry associations. The Director will also operationalize referral and channel programs that generate qualified pipeline without relying on cold outbound sales. This is a high-performing individual contributor role within the sales organization. The Director will build and manage their own pipeline, run complex deals from initial conversation through signed agreement, and maintain quota-carrying seller standards for forecasting and CRM discipline. The role reports to the VP of Sales once that position is filled and, in the interim, to the Chief Customer Officer. It works closely with Sales Development, Account Executives, Customer Success, Marketing, Product, Legal, and Finance to turn partner relationships into pipeline, signed agreements, and retained revenue. Travel for partner relationship building and industry events is expected, up to 40% or more.

Requirements

At least 7 years of experience in partnerships, strategic alliances, channel sales, or enterprise business development; experience in B2B services, legal tech, or the personal injury legal ecosystem is preferred.
Track record of originating, negotiating, and closing strategic partnerships with enterprise or multi-entity organizations, and structuring agreements with support from Legal.
Demonstrated experience building or scaling an early-stage referral or partner program with measurable revenue outcomes.
Proven quota-carrying sales performance, including consistent attainment, management of complex multi-stakeholder deal cycles, and accurate forecasting.
Strong sales process and CRM discipline; hands-on HubSpot experience is preferred.
Strong relationship-building skills and executive presence, with credibility among attorneys, law firm leadership, MSO and vendor executives, and internal leaders.
Ability to build structure in ambiguous environments and operate autonomously while collaborating across Sales, Customer Success, Marketing, Product, and Legal.
Willingness to travel for partner relationship building and industry events, up to 40% or more.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without employer-sponsored visa support now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

Experience in B2B services, legal tech, or the personal injury legal ecosystem.
Hands-on HubSpot experience.
People leadership experience.
Experience coaching or enabling teammates.

Responsibilities

Define the partnership strategy and target partner map across Single Event and Mass Tort segments and new verticals, identifying where partnerships can create reach, product value, or revenue beyond direct sales.
Originate, negotiate, and close relationships with MSOs, multi-office and national firms, legal-tech and case management platforms, and industry associations, engaging executive and ownership-level stakeholders.
Lead negotiation of partnership, referral, vendor, and integration agreements, including commercial terms, referral economics, exclusivity, and service expectations, in coordination with Legal and Finance.
Serve as executive sponsor for top partners; conduct joint business planning and recurring business reviews and hold both parties accountable for commitments.
Work with Product to identify integrations, co-selling motions, and co-marketing opportunities that deepen partner value.
Own the strategy, growth, and health of the referral and channel partner network, including referring attorneys, firms, and professional associations; design tiers, agreements, incentives, and rules of engagement.
Identify and recruit referral and channel sources aligned with current and emerging business segments and verticals.
Maintain and grow existing partner relationships, ensuring partners remain engaged and see value in referring business.
Carry and accurately forecast a revenue target for partner-sourced and partner-influenced business as part of the broader sales forecast.
Build and manage a pipeline in HubSpot, from target research and outreach through qualification, with clear opportunity stages, next steps, and close dates.
Run discovery, qualification, and multi-stakeholder deal cycles for partner-led and strategic opportunities; work jointly with Account Executives and hand signed relationships off to Customer Success.
Equip Sales Development and Account Executives with partner plays, talk tracks, and co-sell materials, and lead training sessions on working partner-sourced leads.
Track partner- and referral-sourced pipeline in HubSpot with clear attribution; report program health and ROI and help define KPIs.
Create partner referral materials and processes, including referral paths, co-branded materials, and training and enablement sessions.
Propose and manage the partnerships budget, directing investment toward activities, engagements, and events that deliver ROI.
Coordinate with Sales Development and Account Executives to route partner-sourced leads cleanly, ensure prompt follow-up, and maintain transparent, proactive communication about pipeline progress.
Collaborate with the Director of Marketing on co-branded content, joint events, and conference sponsorship strategy focused on partner development.
Work with Customer Success on onboarding and retention of partner-introduced clients and incorporate partner and client feedback into the partnership plan.
Report partnership pipeline, revenue, program health, partnership plans, and investment cases to the VP of Sales and Chief Customer Officer, and to the executive team as needed.
Represent Zipliens at conferences and industry events, deepen strategic relationships, and host or speak at partner and peer gatherings where doing so builds credibility.
Monitor the referral, vendor, MSO, and legal-tech landscape across Single Event and Mass Tort and bring new channel and alliance opportunities to leadership.