National Channel Account Manager - CDW (Remote)

KnowBe4•Chicago, IL

2d•Remote

About The Position

As National Channel Account Manager – CDW, you will be based in the Chicago metro area to serve as a dedicated, on-the-ground resource for CDW, one of KnowBe4's most strategic national partners. Your focus is on developing and growing KnowBe4's business within CDW by building deep relationships across every level of the organization — from individual sellers to executive leadership. Working under the direction of the Senior National Channel Account Manager – CDW, you will execute the joint CDW account strategy through high-impact, in-person activities such as on-site trainings, floor days, custom events, and joint business planning — enabling CDW sellers, driving deal registrations, and growing closed-won business. You will take an active leadership role in bringing KnowBe4 partner incentive, SPIFF, and rebate programs to life within CDW — partnering with the Partner Programs team, who design and administer these programs, to drive adoption, participation, and measurable ROI. Your success will be defined in business (annual growth and market share), breadth (positioning the full KnowBe4 platform), activation (demand generation activities that lead to deal registrations and enablement of sales), and brand awareness (joint success stories).

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field a plus
Familiarity with standard concepts, practices and procedures within the IT Security field
Minimum 5 years of sales experience, Channel Sales required
Experience working with large national partners (e.g., CDW, SHI, Insight, Connection) required; direct experience with CDW strongly preferred
Must reside in or be willing to relocate to the Chicago metro area
Must be able to demonstrate sales aptitude while being assertive, persistent, consultative, and comfortable working in a highly results oriented company
Strong understanding of partner ecosystems and channel sales, including national partner structures and segmentation
Experience driving partner results through incentive, SPIFF, and rebate programs
Excellent verbal and written communication
Excellent presentation and training delivery skills
Excellent time management and organization skills
Strong collaborative and teamwork skills
Strong analytical, strategic mindset, and negotiation skills
Having a good understanding of customer needs and pain points and positioning the KnowBe4 proposition to that accordingly
Influencing communications accompanied with the ability to make the complex understandable and gain a quick understanding of the needs and pain points of channel partners
Ability and willingness to travel up to 50%

Responsibilities

Build and maintain strong relationships with sellers, sales leadership, and executives across the CDW organization
Serve as a primary local point of contact for CDW, maintaining a consistent in-person presence at CDW offices in the Chicago metro area
Execute the CDW account strategy under the direction of the Senior National Channel Account Manager – CDW
Engage with CDW executives onsite to strengthen executive-level relationships, gain buy-in and commitment, and advance strategic initiatives
Conduct deep discovery to understand CDW's organizational structure, segmentation, goals and objectives, and the motivators for CDW sellers
Develop and execute joint strategic business plans with CDW, including agreed-upon sales, marketing, enablement, and certification goals
Deliver on-site sales trainings, enablement sessions, and floor days to equip CDW sellers with positioning, product knowledge, and selling best practices
Create and execute custom partner events (lunch-and-learns, executive briefings, joint customer events) that generate demand and deal registrations
Take an active leadership role in incentive, SPIFF, and rebate programs: partner with the Partner Programs team — who design and administer these programs — to champion them within CDW, propose CDW-specific incentives, drive participation, and own the results and ROI
Drive deal registrations and partner-sourced pipeline; meet and exceed targets for partner-sourced pipeline and closed-won business
Drive alignment between regional KnowBe4 sales teams and their counterparts within CDW to ensure consistent field-level engagement and relationship building
Facilitate account mapping sessions between KnowBe4 sales teams and CDW sellers to create measurable channel-sourced pipeline
Coordinate and collaborate on joint marketing efforts with the channel marketing team, tying activities to business goals and measurable ROI
Engage CDW leadership and KnowBe4 leadership to gain executive buy-in and commitment, including quarterly business reviews (QBRs)
Drive CDW to the partner portal to utilize marketing campaigns and demand generation tools
Collaborate with and support direct sales and customer success teams where needed to manage the overall partner relationship
Monitor partner performance and track key performance indicators (KPIs); provide regular updates including forecasts, competitive analysis, and partner trends
Meet assigned targets for monthly sales volume requirements and objectives within CDW and maintain a healthy pipeline/accurate forecasting
Become a subject matter expert on one or more channel topics (e.g., deal registration, partner account planning, incentive platforms, partner program operations) and share best practices with the broader channel team
Maintain accurate and thorough records in Salesforce.com
Ensure partner compliance with partner agreements and rules of engagement
Travel as required to CDW offices, events, and KnowBe4 meetings (up to 50%, including regular local travel within the Chicago metro area)