Head of Channel Partnerships, COOL AI - US, Remote

the COOL company•New York, NY

4d•$180,000 - $230,000•Remote

About The Position

COOL AI is on a mission to make artificial intelligence accessible, intuitive, and impactful for every business. As we scale our go-to-market engine, channel partnerships are a strategic growth lever—enabling us to reach new markets, verticals, and customer segments faster than a direct-only model could. The Head of Channel Partnerships will own the full partnership lifecycle: strategy, recruitment, enablement, co-selling, and revenue performance. You will build and lead a high-performing partnerships team, work cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Product, and Legal, and be the internal and external face of COOL AI’s partner ecosystem. This is a player-coach role for someone who loves closing big deals AND developing the systems, people, and playbooks to scale.

Requirements

8+ years in channel partnerships, alliances, or business development—preferably in a B2B SaaS or AI/ML company
Proven track record of building and scaling a partner program from early stage to meaningful ARR contribution ($10M+ influenced or sourced)
Experience recruiting, structuring, and managing partnerships with VARs, GSIs, ISVs, and technology alliances
Strong commercial acumen: you can structure deals, negotiate contracts, and manage co-sell motions with large channel partners
Excellent communication and executive presence—you’re comfortable presenting to C-suite stakeholders internally and externally
Proficiency with CRM and PRM tools (Salesforce, PartnerStack, Impartner, or similar)
Experience working in a US-based entity with an understanding of US go-to-market dynamics
Must be able to work primarily between the hours of 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM ET
Must have a player/coach mentality, willing to both execute and lead. Ability to juggle multiple projects concurrently and set and meet deadlines
Skilled at receiving and providing direct feedback
Collaborative mindset and great teamwork skills
Entrepreneurial & adaptable; great learning skills
Curious, research-minded, data-informed
Able to search for possible solutions and apply them
Creative confidence
Proactive communicator
A sense of humor and a love of online culture
Thrives in a start-up culture

Nice To Haves

Experience in the AI, ML, or data infrastructure space
MBA or equivalent advanced degree
Prior team-building experience (hired and led a partnerships team of 3+)
Familiarity with AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure marketplace and co-sell programs
Track record of working with SI partners on large enterprise implementations

Responsibilities

Define and own the COOL AI channel partner strategy for the US market, including partner tier model, target partner profiles, and go-to-market priorities
Develop a 12–24 month partner recruitment roadmap aligned to revenue and market expansion goals
Establish KPIs for the channel program (sourced ARR, influenced ARR, partner-attached deals, partner-sourced pipeline) and report to CRO quarterly
Identify, recruit, and sign strategic partners including VARs, managed service providers, GSIs, and technology ISVs
Lead all commercial negotiations for partnership agreements, working with Legal and Finance
Design and continuously improve the partner onboarding experience, ensuring partners can sell COOL AI effectively within 30 days of signing
Build and maintain a partner enablement program including sales training, certification tracks, co-marketing assets, and a partner portal
Work closely with COOL AI AEs on co-sell motions—setting rules of engagement, joint account planning, and deal registration
Coordinate with Marketing on partner-focused demand generation, events, and co-branded content
Own and deliver against a channel-sourced and channel-influenced revenue target
Forecast partner pipeline weekly with accuracy; escalate blockers proactively
Manage partner incentive programs (rebates, MDF, SPIFs) within approved budget
Hire, develop, and lead a partnerships team as headcount is approved (initial hire: Partner Success Manager and Partner Marketing Manager)
Select and administer PRM software to manage partner records, deal registration, and enablement content
Create and maintain a Partner Playbook documenting COOL AI’s partner rules of engagement, processes, and best practices