Director, partner programs

Acumatica • Bellevue, WA

1d

About The Position

Acumatica is seeking a leader to own the operations, governance, economics, data, infrastructure, and partner incentives for five programs: Value Added Reseller (VAR), Independent Software Vendor (ISV), Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Services, and Alliance (referral). The role will simplify program architecture, shift incentives toward growth, adoption, and customer outcomes, establish a trusted partner data and attribution model, and scale the ISV and marketplace motion. VAR and ISV programs are the highest priorities, while all five programs will be held to consistent standards of governance, economics, and accuracy. The role reports to the SVP, Partner Strategy and Programs.

The Director will design, govern, and evolve program standards, eligibility, tiers, benefits, requirements, and operating practices; own the program roadmap and annual refresh; and maintain program documentation. The role oversees compliance, partner onboarding and offboarding, legal agreement operations, deal attribution, payment rules, exceptions, incentive administration, partner reporting, and program economics. It also equips account managers with tools and performance frameworks and maintains common partner data and metrics across Sales, Finance, and Marketing.

Program-specific work includes managing VAR tier, margin, discount, profitability, and incentive structures; overseeing ISV admission, certification, marketplace listings, and business reviews; and optimizing Alliance referral, co-sell, and joint business-planning frameworks. The Director also owns the ecosystem strategy and multi-year plan, partner technology stack, partner advisory boards, and executive sponsor programs. This leader builds and develops the programs and operations team and coordinates execution with Finance, FP&A, Revenue Accounting, Deal Desk, Legal, RevOps, Education, Recruiting, Enablement, and Channel Management.

Success is measured by the role’s ability to influence partner growth and volume, customer retention and expansion, influenced revenue, and operational excellence. Initial goals include auditing the five programs and baselining metrics in the first 90 days; launching a simplified framework, outcome-based incentives, a single partner data model, a decision-rights matrix, and an ISV and marketplace roadmap within 12 months; and demonstrating improvement in partner productivity, ISV attach, and retention within 24 months while keeping program cost as a percentage of channel revenue at or below plan.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in partner programs, channel operations, or channel management at a software company.
• 5+ years of experience leading teams.
• Demonstrated ownership of VAR or reseller programs, including tier, margin, and incentive design, and of ISV programs.
• Direct experience running an ISV or technology partner program, including eligibility criteria, solution certification or marketplace listing, and ISV agreements.
• Proven financial modeling skills involving margins, discounts, and incentive structures, with experience presenting them to senior finance leaders and executives.
• Hands-on command of PRM and CRM platforms and partner reporting.
• AI and Excel or equivalent analytical fluency.
• Experience writing and administering partner agreements and program policy in coordination with Legal.
• Experience at a company where most revenue comes through indirect channels, and experience with services-led partners that implement the product.
• Experience rationalizing or sunsetting program elements and managing partner change, including grandfathering and communications.
• Executive communication skills, including preparing board-ready materials and clear written program documentation.
• Working knowledge of revenue recognition and control considerations for channel incentives such as rebates, MDF, and referral fees, or ability to partner effectively with Revenue Accounting.

Nice To Haves

• Experience designing referral programs and Alliance or systems integrator programs.
• ERP, SaaS, or vertical software channel experience.
• Experience with marketplace or app store platforms and technical certification of partner solutions.
• International or multi-region program experience.
• Experience in a company with most revenue coming through indirect channels.
• Experience managing contract negotiations and redlining.

Responsibilities

• Design, govern, and evolve standards, eligibility, tiers, benefits, requirements, and operating standards across the VAR, ISV, OEM, Services, and Alliance programs.
• Own the program roadmap and annual refresh cycle, including partner feedback, competitive benchmarking, financial modeling, executive approval, and launch.
• Maintain consistent internal and external program documentation, including governance documents, guides, policies, and FAQs.
• Perform compliance reviews and audits to ensure partners meet minimum standards and receive appropriate benefits.
• Build automation for prospective partner pipeline management and initial qualification before referral to recruiting teams.
• Oversee partner onboarding and offboarding, legal agreements, program transitions, rules of engagement, and partners participating in multiple programs.
• Oversee deal attribution, conflict resolution, payment rules, approval workflows, and policy exceptions across applicable programs.
• Own program economics, including margins, discounts, incentives, rebates, MDF, referral fees, revenue sharing, and contra-revenue; model P&L impact before launch.
• Approve applicable MDF and referral payments and margin exceptions, and manage the incentive lifecycle from modeling and calculation through accrual, documentation, audit, reporting, and payment.
• Partner with Finance on forecasts, payment accuracy, audit readiness, and alignment with company margin targets.
• Equip account managers with scorecards, segmentation, business-plan frameworks, and a monthly performance cadence.
• Maintain a common partner data model and metrics framework across Sales, Finance, and Marketing, and report on partner-sourced and partner-influenced revenue, customer attach, partner health, retention, and program ROI.
• For the VAR program, own tier, margin, discount, and partner profitability models; define productivity and coverage measures; conduct annual portfolio reviews; and align incentives with growth, retention, and product attach.
• For the ISV program, make admission decisions with the ISV business development team; own solution certification standards and marketplace listing standards; define referral, resale, and revenue-share models; and run strategic ISV business reviews.
• For the Alliance program, manage referral frameworks, joint business-plan standards, co-sell rules, governance cadence, lead and opportunity tagging, referral fees, and payment timing.
• Own ecosystem strategy and the multi-year plan, including market coverage, partner mix, ISV categories, geographic expansion, segment investment, and build-versus-partner decisions.
• Run partner advisory boards and executive sponsor programs, translating feedback into program improvements.
• Own the partner technology stack, including PRM/portal, CRM, deal registration, certification, marketplace listings, referral tracking, and reporting, maintaining one authoritative partner record.
• Serve as the primary channel counterpart to Finance, FP&A, Revenue Accounting, Deal Desk, and Legal; present program economics and margin decisions to senior executives and the board as required.
• Build, lead, and develop the programs and operations team; set priorities, manage budgets, and hold the team accountable for measurable outcomes.
• Coordinate execution with RevOps, Education, Recruiting, Enablement, Legal, and Channel Management.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents.
• Employer-paid short-term and long-term disability coverage.
• Employer-paid basic life coverage.
• 401(k) plan with company match.
• Flexible time off.
• Sick and safe leave.
• Certain roles may be eligible for an annual bonus and stock awards based on individual performance.
• Certain roles may have the opportunity to earn sales incentives based on revenue or utilization, depending on the plan and role.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed