Senior Strategic Channels & Alliances Manager

Freshworks•San Mateo, CA

7h•$149,940 - $185,220

About The Position

This is a pivotal individual contributor role at the heart of Freshworks’ North America channel growth strategy. As SI Partner Manager, you will own the full lifecycle of our Systems Integrator business in North America — from prospecting and signing new SI partners through to driving active pipeline and revenue through those relationships. The North America SI opportunity is significant. Freshworks is building a strategic motion to displace incumbent ITSM and CX platforms through SI-led delivery, and this role sits at the center of that effort. You will work closely with field sales, pre-sales, and marketing, as well as directly with SI practice leads, to build a partner ecosystem that generates meaningful, repeatable revenue. The right person for this role combines a hunter’s instinct for identifying and signing the right partners with the commercial discipline to hold those partners accountable to joint business plans and pipeline commitments. You know how SIs operate, how they build practices, and how to get from first conversation to active GTM motion.

Requirements

7+ years’ experience in channel, alliances, or partner management within a SaaS or enterprise software environment
Demonstrable track record of recruiting and activating SI partners, not just managing existing relationships
Strong understanding of how mid-tier SIs operate: practice structures, P&L dynamics, delivery models, and how they make partner investment decisions
Experience working in or adjacent to ITSM, EX, or CX categories — familiarity with the ServiceNow ecosystem is a strong advantage
Commercially rigorous: comfortable building joint business plans, setting pipeline targets, and holding partners accountable to commitments
Ability to build and maintain senior relationships within SI organisations — practice leads, alliance directors, and C-level stakeholders
Strong pipeline management discipline — fluent in Salesforce or equivalent CRM for partner opportunity tracking and forecasting
Effective at working cross-functionally: comfortable aligning field sales, pre-sales, and marketing behind partner-led motions

Nice To Haves

Prior experience at a vendor in a channel or alliance role targeting ServiceNow displacement or competing against legacy ITSM platforms
Existing network within North America SI community (Capgemini, CGI, Unisys, Computacenter, or equivalent)
Experience building net-new SI practices around a vendor platform from early stage
Familiarity with co-sell and marketplace dynamics as a complement to SI-led GTM
Background in solution or pre-sales that gives you credibility in technical and delivery conversations with SI partners
Hunter mentality: energised by finding and opening new relationships, not just managing the existing book
High commercial IQ — able to quickly assess partner fit, investment appetite, and revenue potential
Direct and confident communicator — able to influence without authority across both internal and partner organisations
Disciplined operator: tracks commitments, follows through, and manages a structured pipeline without prompting
Comfortable with ambiguity and early-stage programme building — this is a role that will shape the SI motion, not inherit a mature one

Responsibilities

Identify, target, and sign SI partners (e.g., Capgemini, CGI, Unisys) aligned to Freshworks’ ITSM and CX growth priorities
Build and maintain a pipeline of prospective SI partners, drawing on market mapping, ex-ServiceNow and ex-incumbent networks, and competitive intelligence
Lead the end-to-end partner recruitment process — from initial outreach and business case development through to contract execution and onboarding
Design and execute structured onboarding programs that bring new SIs to first-deal-ready status quickly: product knowledge, commercial terms, deal registration, pre-sales support model
Build and maintain SI partner capability across sales, pre-sales, and delivery —ensuring partners can self-sufficiently position, scope, and close Freshworks-based solutions
Develop joint go-to-market plans with each SI partner, including target verticals, solution plays, and co-sell motions with Freshworks field teams
Drive participation in Freshworks enablement programmes, including accreditation, demo certification, and deal support resources
Act as the primary relationship owner into SI practice leads and partner alliances teams, building multi-threaded engagement across sales, delivery, and leadership
Own and actively manage a partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline, working with CAMs and field AEs to progress and close SI-originated opportunities
Set and hold partners to joint pipeline targets and revenue commitments through structured QBR and business planning rhythms
Co-sell alongside SI partners on key opportunities, providing commercial, technical, and executive support as required
Track and report on SI pipeline health, deal velocity, and revenue contribution through Salesforce, ensuring accurate and up-to-date forecasting
Contribute to the North America SI partner strategy, including partner selection criteria, tiering, and investment allocation
Identify SI partners with existing ServiceNow or legacy ITSM practices as priority displacement targets and develop engagement plans accordingly
Work cross-functionally with marketing, product, and pre-sales to develop SI-specific content, solution briefs, and campaign assets
Feed market and competitive intelligence back into channel leadership, including partner sentiment, competitor partner programmes, and whitespace opportunity