Director of Partnerships

Career Guide

A Director of Partnerships builds and grows strategic relationships that create measurable business value. They identify the right partners, negotiate agreements, align internal teams, and ensure partnerships deliver revenue, customer growth, or product advantages over time.

Key Responsibilities

Define partnership strategy aligned to company goals
Identify and prioritize potential partners
Develop partner value propositions
Lead partner outreach and relationship building
Negotiate commercial terms and contract structure
Coordinate legal review and approval steps
Create joint plans with partners
Align sales, marketing, and product teams on partner execution
Track partnership performance against targets
Resolve partner issues and manage escalations
Manage partner renewal and expansion conversations
Build and lead a partnerships team and operating process

Top Skills for Success

Relationship Building

Negotiation

Executive Communication

Stakeholder Management

Strategic Planning

Business Case Development

Partner Strategy

Deal Structuring

Contract Fundamentals

Revenue Forecasting

Go To Market Planning

Partner Performance Management

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Vice President of Partnerships

Head of Business Development

Vice President of Strategic Alliances

General Manager

Chief Revenue Officer

Transition Opportunities

Director of Business Development

Director of Sales

Director of Product Marketing

Director of Corporate Development

Director of Strategy

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Partner Program DesignPartner EnablementData FluencyPipeline ManagementPricing StrategyChange Management

Development SuggestionsBuild a repeatable partner lifecycle with clear stages, metrics, and owners. Practice translating partner activity into revenue impact using simple forecasts and weekly reporting. Strengthen negotiation by preparing a target, a walk away point, and a trade list before each deal conversation.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry Level$110,000 to $150,000

Mid Level$150,000 to $220,000

Senior Level$220,000 to $320,000

Growth Trend

Steady demand, strongest in software, financial services, healthcare, and marketplaces where partnerships directly drive distribution and growth.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

GoogleMicrosoftAmazonSalesforceStripePayPalShopifyUberAirbnbPfizerUnitedHealth GroupVisa

Industry Sectors

Software as a ServiceFinancial TechnologyEcommerceMarketplacesAdvertising TechnologyHealthcareLife SciencesTelecommunicationsMedia and Entertainment

Recommended Next Steps

Create a one page partnership strategy with target partner types, value proposition, and success metrics

Build a shortlist of 20 high fit partners with a clear outreach angle for each

Develop a standard partnership proposal template and mutual plan template

Implement a monthly partner business review with consistent reporting

Collect two to three partnership case studies that show measurable outcomes

Strengthen commercial skills with a negotiation course and contract basics training