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Salary: USD 120,000 - 150,000 / annual
Distro is seeking a strategic, entrepreneurial Partner Manager to build and lead their partnership program from the ground up. As the company's first dedicated partner hire, you will identify, launch, and grow partnerships with HR technology, payroll, and PEO providers to expand their modern hiring and talent acquisition platform into new customer segments.
Key Responsibilities:
• Build the partner program from scratch, including partner strategy, referral and revenue-share structures, and a repeatable partner playbook
• Identify, pitch, and sign new partners across HRIS, payroll, PEO, and HR tech platforms whose customers would benefit from better hiring tools
• Own the full partnership lifecycle from outreach and negotiation through onboarding, enablement, and ongoing growth
• Drive partner-sourced pipeline and revenue against quarterly and annual targets
• Serve as the primary point of contact for partners, building trusted relationships at every level of their organizations
• Lead regular business reviews with partners, using data to track performance, surface growth opportunities, and address risks early
• Create enablement materials, co-marketing plans, and training to help partners confidently introduce the platform to their customers
• Collaborate with sales, marketing, product, and customer success to coordinate joint opportunities and share partner feedback that shapes the roadmap
• Work with finance and legal on partner agreements, renewals, and commission tracking
• Represent the company at industry events and conferences
You are a builder energized by creating something from scratch, a relationship-builder who earns trust quickly, and a self-starter who takes ownership and makes things happen. You excel at influencing cross-functional teams without direct authority, are resilient and adaptable in fast-paced environments, and work collaboratively across the organization.
Requirements:
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in partnerships, channel management, business development, or B2B SaaS sales
• Proven track record of sourcing and closing new partnerships or deals, and growing revenue through them
• Experience negotiating partner agreements for referral programs or revenue-share structures
• Strong analytical skills and comfort tracking partner performance and turning data into clear recommendations
• Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills with both senior leaders and day-to-day contacts
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple partners and workstreams simultaneously
• Familiarity with CRM tools such as HubSpot or Salesforce
• Understanding of HR, payroll, or recruiting workflows is a strong plus
Bonus qualifications:
• Partnership experience at an HRIS, payroll, PEO, or HR tech company
• Experience launching a partner program or serving as a company's first partner hire
• Background in recruiting software, ATS platforms, or talent acquisition solutions
• Existing relationships within the HR tech ecosystem
