Partner Manager

About Gusto
Gusto is a modern, online people platform that helps small businesses take care of their teams. On top of full-service payroll, Gusto offers health insurance, 401(k)s, expert HR, and team management tools. Today, Gusto offices in Denver, San Francisco, and New York serve more than 300,000 businesses nationwide.
Our mission is to create a world where work empowers a better life, and it starts right here at Gusto. That's why we're committed to building a collaborative and inclusive workplace, both physically and virtually. Learn more about our Total Rewards philosophy .
The Partner Manager of Industry Alliances, will be responsible for managing new industry-focused channel partnerships, which will include layering multiple types of partnerships and building hybrid digital and human acquisition strategies. You'll do this by identifying and building relationships with strategic partners that are influential to the chosen industry, structuring bundled deals for each audience, executing an optimal cross-functional acquisition growth plan, thereby driving revenue growth through the partner network.
This role is ideally suited for someone who is creative, data-driven and understands the breadth of practice areas within partnerships. You'll make the biggest impact by creating new sustainable and scalable growth channels that are aligned with Gusto's overall strategy. We do have existing partnerships which you'll take over and own, but you're mostly excited about building from the ground up. There's a lot to be done within the Channel Partnerships function, and while you might not be an expert in all of it, you're excited about taking it on, thinking through solutions and new unique opportunities to grow the business and executing flawlessly on them. You will take part in idea generation by building/leveraging relationships, opportunities, and allowing your curiosity to drive profitability. You're hungry for success, create win-win-win scenarios and deliver impactful results for our partners, customers and ultimately Gusto.
The Channel Development team is new, and is working to drive outsized market share and revenue through sales and marketing initiatives from product and referral partnerships. This team is responsible for developing new and unique programs to drive growth across segments within Gusto, and that's where you fit in We are strategic, creative and dynamic, with a passion to bring great solutions to small businesses to make otherwise mundane tasks easier via our partner solutions. You'll be developing big-picture plans, and helping execute on them. We're looking for the unique individual who loves to think about long-term implications and 5000-foot views, and who also doesn't mind rolling up their sleeves and doing what it takes to achieve the results we know we can.
Here's what you'll do day-to-day:
Responsibilities:

• Build a strategic modern channel partnership program while adhering to a foundation of best-in-class partnerships principles
• Manage partnerships with relevant industry players, technology vendors, data providers, to expand our reach and offerings.
• Execute a comprehensive partnership strategy to drive revenue growth and market expansion.
• Contribute to the Ecosystem's corporate and commercial strategy by leveraging your experience and expertise, consulting with the right subject matter experts, collaborating with key partners, and delivering persuasive and high quality presentations/memos to internal and external executives

Relationship Management:

• Manage relationships with strategic partners, including technology partners, accounting and broker firms, relevant associations and B2B platforms, knowledge of partner product offerings and identify growth opportunities that arise from prospect conversations
• Represent the company at relevant industry events, conferences, and networking opportunities to showcase the product and explore potential partnerships.

Performance Monitoring:

• Drive monthly assigned annual quota by accurately forecasting and effectively managing a pipeline through partners; Continuously enhance funnel efficiency drivers to elevate ARR metrics.
• Monitor and analyze partnership performance metrics to optimize partner performance, identify areas for improvement, and provide regular reporting to senior management.
• Set and achieve ambitious OKRs.

Cross-Functional Expertise and Partner Engagement:

• Collaborate with the Sales, Marketing, and Product teams to drive opportunities for partner-driven growth.
• Optimize existing operational levers and ideate on new ones
• Implement key programs & coordinate directly with internal business units to build process flows, data analytics, marketing pushes and other requirements before campaign roll out.
• Provide training and educational resources to partners and internal teams to ensure a deep understanding of the product's capabilities and unique value proposition
• Be a consultative thought-partner with your team, as well as with cross-functional team members to drive growth and close rates for partner prospects
• Act as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert to customers, channel partners and cross-functional teams

Market and Competitive Analysis:

• Stay up-to-date on industry trends, competitive landscape, and emerging technologies to inform partnership strategy and identify new opportunities.
• Conduct market research to identify potential growth opportunities for your partners.
• Leverage insights to make informed decisions and adjustments to partnership and integration

Here's what we're looking for:

• 5+ years B2B sales, account management, partnerships or business development experience in a fast paced evolving environment
• Extensive experience in a partnerships/ecosystem role, building and iterating on new partnership models that scale, preferably at a high-growth company. We want these programs to last long after you've grown out of this role
• Expertise in tying partnership motions to specific revenue goals.
• Partner marketing experience collaborating with strategic partners to drive marketing programs that acquire new customers at scale, both digitally and with human-assisted strategies.
• Proven track record in high velocity channel sales funnels, developing and executing successful partnership strategies that bring value to mutual customers.
• Demonstrated experience in a high-tech/growth-oriented setting.
• Strong business acumen, highly analytical and data-driven, with experience in developing and managing partnership performance metrics, sales strategies and operations (Goal and KPI-driven mindset)
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with senior executives at partner companies.
• Passion for innovation and entrepreneurship, with an understanding of the fintech or HR Tech landscape and emerging trends.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail, can prioritize a dynamic workload, and successfully handle multiple deadlines with a busy schedule.
• You are able to thrive in a fast paced, rapidly changing environment - you move quickly, think strategically, identify opportunities, and excel at tactical execution.
• Self-starter. You can work on multiple projects with many stakeholders at the same time. You take ownership, sweat the details and see projects through to the end with little/no support needed.
• A clear communicator & excellent writer, capable of taking big, ambitious ideas and distilling them down into concise, exciting talking points.

Our base salary cash compensation range for this role is $116,000 to $142,000 in Denver and most other remote locations, and $141,000 to $172,000 in San Francisco and New York City. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors, including candidate experience and expertise, and may vary from the amounts listed above.
Gusto has physical office spaces in Denver, San Francisco, and New York City. Employees who are based in those locations will be expected to work from the office on designated days approximately 2-3 days per week (or more depending on role). The same office expectations apply to all Symmetry roles, Gusto's subsidiary, whose physical office is in Scottsdale.
Note: The San Francisco office expectations encompass both the San Francisco and San Jose metro areas.
When approved to work from a location other than a Gusto office, a secure, reliable, and consistent internet connection is required.
Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it makes our company stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for small businesses, you will find a home at Gusto.
Gusto is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. Gusto considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Gusto is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you require assistance in filling out a Gusto job application, please reach out to candidate-accommodations@gusto.com.