Director of Partnerships

ZipLiens•Somerset, KY

About The Position

The Director of Partnerships builds and leads Zipliens’ partnerships function at a strategic level, originating and closing priority relationships with business-level partners such as management services organizations (MSOs), multi-office and national law firms, legal-tech and case management platforms, and industry associations. The role owns partner selection, terms, and strategic rationale, and operationalizes referral and channel programs that generate qualified opportunities without cold outbound prospecting. This is a quota-carrying individual-contributor position within the sales organization, responsible for building a pipeline, managing complex deals from first conversation through signed agreement, and maintaining forecasting and CRM discipline. The role reports to the VP of Sales once that position is filled; in the interim, it reports to the Chief Customer Officer. It works closely with Sales Development, Account Executives, Customer Success, Marketing, Product, Legal, and Finance to turn partnerships into pipeline, signed agreements, and retained revenue. The Director defines partnership strategy and the target partner map across Single Event and Mass Tort segments and new verticals, structures and negotiates partnership, referral, vendor, and integration agreements, and serves as executive sponsor for top partners. The role also owns the referral and channel network, including program design, partner recruitment and retention, enablement, attribution, and ROI. It carries a revenue target for partner-sourced and partner-influenced business, manages its own HubSpot pipeline, supports sales enablement and cross-functional lead routing, proposes and manages the partnerships budget, reports on program performance and investment cases, and represents Zipliens at industry events. Travel for partner relationship building and industry events may be 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 ideal.
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, complex multi-stakeholder deal execution, and accurate forecasting.
Strong sales process and CRM discipline; hands-on HubSpot experience is preferred for pipeline tracking and partner attribution.
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 work 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.
Authorization 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.

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 strategic 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; lead 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 increase partner value.
Own the strategy, growth, and health of the referral and channel partner network, including referring attorneys, firms, and professional associations.
Design partner program structure, including tiers, agreements, incentives, and rules of engagement.
Identify and recruit referral and channel partners aligned with current segments and new business verticals.
Maintain and grow existing partner relationships and ensure 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 personal pipeline in HubSpot, from target research and outreach through qualification, with clear stages, next steps, and close dates.
Run discovery, qualification, and multi-stakeholder deal cycles for partner-led and strategic opportunities; collaborate with Account Executives on joint calls and hand signed relationships to Customer Success.
Equip Sales Development and Account Executives with partner plays, talk tracks, and co-sell materials, and conduct training sessions.
Track partner- and referral-sourced pipeline in HubSpot with clear attribution, report on program health and ROI, and help define relevant KPIs.
Develop partner referral materials and processes, including referral paths, co-branded materials, training, and enablement sessions.
Propose and manage the partnerships budget, directing spending toward activities, engagements, and events that drive ROI.
Coordinate with Sales Development and Account Executives to route partner-sourced leads cleanly, ensure timely follow-up, and maintain transparent pipeline progress and proactive communication.
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 bring partner and client feedback into partnership planning.
Report partnership pipeline, revenue, program health, 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, host or speak at partner and peer gatherings, and monitor the referral, vendor, MSO, and legal-tech landscape for new opportunities.