GCP Partner Account Manager

Ahead•Chicago, IL

5d•$250,000 - $300,000

About The Position

AHEAD builds platforms for digital business. By weaving together advances in cloud infrastructure, automation and analytics, and software delivery, we help enterprises deliver on the promise of digital transformation. At AHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging, where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD. We are an equal opportunity employer, and do not discriminate based on an individual's race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived. We embrace all candidates that will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives at AHEAD. In this role, you will use your business savvy and industry background to accelerate AHEAD’s strategic relationship with Google Cloud Platform (GCP). You will have the opportunity to drive results and shape the future of our AHEAD–GCP partnership across all GEOs, ensuring we are tightly aligned with Google Cloud’s priorities, programs, and routes to market. As the Partner Account Manager – Google Cloud (GCP), you will create and execute joint go-to-market (GTM) plans, shape strategy, ensure consistent sales contribution, and maintain a healthy balance across AHEAD’s partner portfolio with a primary focus on our GCP alliance. You will also be responsible for leading a team of Partner Account Managers focused on developing strategic partnerships with Google Cloud and orchestrating alignment across AHEAD sales, practices, marketing, and delivery.

Requirements

Minimum of 10 years in Partner Management or Sales, with at least 5 years working directly with GCP.
Minimum of 5 years in the IT system integrator, reseller, or ISV industry, preferably in roles that include partner management, channel sales, or cloud-focused GTM.
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field.
Direct experience managing or co-selling through Google Cloud Partner Advantage, GCP Marketplace, or similar cloud marketplace / alliance programs strongly preferred.
Experience leading cross-functional teams (sales, marketing, technical, operations) in support of joint GTM and alliance growth.
High-level technical knowledge of cloud infrastructure, data platforms, security, and application modernization, with a strong understanding of how these map to GCP solution areas.
Deep understanding of Google Cloud’s partner ecosystem, including Partner Advantage tiers, specializations, incentives, co-sell, and marketplace constructs.
Strong communication and executive presence, with the ability to clearly articulate complex joint value propositions to C-level audiences at both AHEAD and Google Cloud.
Exceptional relationship-building skills, with a track record of developing trusted advisor status with partner and customer stakeholders across sales, technical, product, and leadership roles.
Proven leadership skills and experience leading, coaching, and developing Partner Account Managers and cross-functional alliance teams.
Excellent presentation and storytelling skills, including experience building executive-ready decks, QBR content, and joint business plans for strategic alliances.
Ability to build net-new GTM content, plays, and enablement and distribute them effectively across AHEAD field teams and OEM partners.
Ability to collaborate internally on joint solutions and integrated offerings and roll out those solutions with multiple OEMs, with a primary focus on Google Cloud.
Strong commercial acumen with comfort structuring and negotiating complex enterprise deals involving cloud consumption, marketplace terms, and joint incentives.
Highly motivated, self-driven, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment while navigating both AHEAD and Google Cloud organizational structures.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Business Administration or Information Technology preferred.
Direct experience managing or co-selling through Google Cloud Partner Advantage, GCP Marketplace, or similar cloud marketplace / alliance programs strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Set annual and quarterly revenue, ACV, and pipeline targets for the GCP partnership, including co-sell, marketplace, and influenced revenue sourced through Google Cloud.
Develop and negotiate strategic partner investment agreements with Google Cloud (e.g., MDF, incentives, joint business plans) to contribute to AHEAD’s business development and sales growth.
Manage and report national pipeline and performance metrics for GCP, including co-sell pipeline, win rates, marketplace contribution, and profitability, providing visibility and insight to Sales and Executive Leadership to help manage the business.
Maintain deep subject matter expertise in Google Cloud Partner Advantage, co-sell, and marketplace programs to maximize incentives, rebates, and overall profitability back to the business.
Own the governance of GCP scorecards and joint business plans, ensuring AHEAD consistently meets or exceeds Google’s performance expectations for tier status, specialization, and competencies.
Maintain a strong working relationship with Google Cloud Partner Development Managers (PDMs), Partner Sales Managers (PSMs), Solution Architects, and Industry teams, brokering relationships between AHEAD sales teams and GCP field sellers.
Serve as the primary executive liaison between AHEAD and Google Cloud, coordinating executive briefings, bi-directional business reviews, and long-range alliance planning.
Develop AHEAD’s partner QBR messaging for Executive QBRs and Managing Director QBRs, with clear representation of GCP performance, pipeline, and strategic initiatives.
Participate in weekly cadence calls with Google Cloud and AHEAD Channel / Alliance teams to review pipeline, key pursuits, and program updates.
Lead and facilitate executive meetings, including preparing executive briefs, strategic narratives, and presentations that clearly articulate AHEAD’s value proposition on GCP and joint GTM plays.
Align closely with AHEAD Cloud & AI team to ensure solution roadmaps, reference architectures, and services offerings are tightly mapped to GCP solution areas.
Partner with AHEAD Finance and Operations to operationalize GCP programs (e.g., registration processes, funding utilization, marketplace operations, and deal-approval workflows).
Develop compelling joint GTM plays and “stitching stories” that showcase how AHEAD integrates multiple Google Cloud services and partner solutions into business outcomes for clients.
Build and execute joint marketing campaigns with Google Cloud (events, digital campaigns, webinars, workshops, executive briefings) to generate qualified pipeline aligned to target industries and solution focus areas (e.g., Data & AI, Security, Cloud Foundation, Application Modernization).
Leverage GCP Marketplace and co-sell programs to build and maintain a robust pipeline of enterprise opportunities, ensuring offers are well positioned, discoverable, and easy for customers to procure.
Monitor a robust GCP-focused sales pipeline and review profitability metrics such as margin percentage, incentive capture, and coverage across territories, making recommendations to improve performance.
Work with regional sales leadership and field sellers to drive teaming agreements with Google Cloud account teams on strategic pursuits, ensuring clear roles, value propositions, and close plans.
Collaborate with AHEAD’s Executive Briefing Center (EBC) and technical labs to ensure the latest GCP products, reference architectures, and joint solutions are showcased in demos, POVs, and customer workshops.
Ensure AHEAD receives its fair share of GCP demand generation activities and marketing development funds (MDF) by proactively identifying opportunities, submitting proposals, and ensuring flawless execution.
Drive strong pre- and post-event discipline, ensuring field alignment before events (target accounts, messaging, meeting objectives) and structured follow-up motion after events to convert interest into pipeline and bookings.