Strategic Partner Manager

About OpenSesame

OpenSesame is transforming workforce development with an AI-powered marketplace of skill-building courses and learning pathways. We help organizations build skills and stay compliant through a high-quality content catalog, seamless LMS/LXP integrations, and advanced capabilities like skills-based curation and multilingual content creation. More than 2,000 companies, including 150+ of the Global 2000, rely on OpenSesame to develop the world's most productive and admired workforces.

Learn more: www.opensesame.com/about

About the Team

The Partnerships team builds and scales OpenSesame's global partner ecosystem. We work across technology, channel, referral, reseller, marketplace, and strategic alliances to expand reach of our joint solutions and deliver exceptional experiences for our partners and their customers.

The Strategic Partner Manager (SPM) is the relationship owner responsible for driving revenue growth, partner activation, and strategic alignment with assigned partners. SPMs operate within a system designed for partner success—they maintain consistent cadences, deliver quick wins, build trust, and drive pipeline behavior. Through partner planning, enablement, and execution, SPMs translate company strategy into partner-led revenue.

About the Role

OpenSesame is seeking an entrepreneurial, relationship-focused Strategic Partner Manager to own a portfolio of strategic partners, drive sourced and influenced revenue, and deliver consistent partner value.

As an SPM, you will manage a book of partner relationships, each with its own business model, sales structure, and growth opportunity. You'll partner with Marketing, Sales, Product, and Operations to activate partners, create joint go-to-market motions, and drive pipeline. This is a blend of relationship management, commercial acumen, strategic thinking, and execution—combining partner business planning with day-to-day touchpoints that keep partners engaged and accountable.

What You'll Do

Know & Own Your Partner Portfolio

You are the primary expert and relationship owner on/for your assigned partners. You segment and prioritize partners based on strategic potential, current performance, partner health, and market opportunity and identify when a partnership should be accelerated, remediated, restructured, or deprioritized. You maintain consistent touchpoints (weekly/bi-weekly), drive quarterly business reviews (QBRs), align on joint strategies, and keep partners accountable to their OpenSesame revenue targets. You build trust through reliability and genuine enthusiasm for partner success.

Drive Pipeline & Revenue

You own sourced and influenced pipeline and booking targets for your partner portfolio. You work with partners to identify co-sell opportunities, activate referral channels, and expand OEM relationships. You maintain pipeline visibility, align with Sales on shared opportunities, and work with partners to move deals forward.

Plan & Execute Partner Growth

You identify opportunities to expand the scope and value of your partnerships by understanding each partner’s strategy, customer base, sales motion, product roadmap, and economics. You evaluate new routes to market, commercial models, integrations, and joint offerings, then align stakeholders and drive the highest-potential opportunities from idea through execution. You develop partner business plans that outline quarterly targets, go-to-market motions, campaign priorities, and success metrics. You coordinate with Partner Marketing to execute co-marketing campaigns, sales plays, and enablement activities. You use planning frameworks and tools (Euler, Crossbeam, Salesforce, Gong) to drive accountability and measure progress.

Enable & Activate Partners

You ensure partners have the content, messaging, demos, training, and certifications they need to effectively sell and support OpenSesame. You equip partners to understand OpenSesame’s value proposition, confidently position our solutions, and generate pipeline in alignment with OpenSesame sales teams and GTM priorities. Using Highspot and other enablement tools, you coordinate partner onboarding, training, and ongoing enablement while reinforcing best practices that improve partner effectiveness, sales alignment, and operational efficiency.

Be a Strategic Partner Internally

You represent your partners internally. You escalate integration requests, coordinate with Product and Support for critical issues, align Sales on shared accounts, and surface insights that help OpenSesame serve partners better. You maintain visibility into partner technical contacts and ensure proper escalation paths during critical issues.

Performance Objectives

First 30 Days: Learn & Align

Build a strong understanding of OpenSesame's partner ecosystem, your assigned partner portfolio, and how you'll succeed in this role.

Success looks like:

• Complete OpenSesame onboarding, partner playbook training, and system access (Salesforce, Highspot, Crossbeam, Euler, Gong)
• Introduce yourself to each partner in your portfolio and schedule recurring touchpoints
• Understand each partner's business model, OpenSesame integrations, current pipeline,  key contacts, and the relevant technology and SaaS context needed to effectively manage the portfolio.
• Meet with your SPM team, manager, and cross-functional stakeholders (Marketing, Sales, Product, Operations)
• Align with leadership on expectations, goals, and your plan for the first 90 days

Days 30–90: Build Relationships & Demonstrate Impact

Establish yourself as a trusted partner by delivering quick wins, maintaining consistency, and driving early revenue momentum.

Success looks like:

• Develop a business plan for each partner, including quarterly targets, key initiatives, and success metrics
• Schedule and conduct first QBRs with each partner, establishing alignment and cadence
• Maintain weekly/bi-weekly touchpoints and respond quickly to partner requests
• Coordinate one partner marketing campaign or enablement initiative
• Present an assessment of your partner portfolio, including early wins and challenges

Days 90–120: Drive Pipeline & Optimize Execution

Demonstrate consistent progress toward quarterly targets while identifying opportunities to improve partner execution and OpenSesame alignment.

Success looks like:

• Maintain pipeline visibility and pacing toward quarterly revenue targets
• Keep partners engaged through consistent communication, quick wins, and clear next steps
• Identify operational or program friction points and surface recommendations for improvement
• Build relationships with key technical and commercial contacts at strategic partners

Months 4–12: Mature Partnerships & Drive Sustained Growth

Lead mature, predictable partnerships that consistently generate sourced and influenced revenue while exploring opportunities for deeper strategic collaboration.

Success looks like:

• Consistently meet or exceed quarterly targets (sourced and influenced)
• Maintain partner health through regular QBRs, strategic planning, and alignment on joint goals
• Proactively identify and solve partner challenges before they impact trust or revenue
• Lead strategic initiatives that deepen partner relationships (e.g., joint roadmap planning, co-marketing)
• Be recognized as a trusted partner across OpenSesame (Sales, Marketing, Product, Operations)

What Success Looks Like

• Partners consistently generate meaningful sourced and influenced revenue.
• Your partners are engaged, responsive, and aligned on OpenSesame's positioning and value.
• You maintain pipeline visibility and demonstrate pacing toward targets.
• Cadence matters—your partners expect consistent touchpoints and know what to expect from you.
• Relationships run deep—key partner contacts trust you, advocate for you, and come to you with opportunities.
• You're a trusted partner internally—Sales, Marketing, and Product come to you for partner insights.

Travel Requirement: This role may require up to 20% travel based on business needs, including company meetings, partner engagements, and other activities.

Location: This position can be located anywhere in the U.S. In addition to position-specific travel requirements, all positions will require up to 15 days of travel per year for company-wide events (typically January, May, September). 

Performance Driven: We’re looking for self-starters with a track record of follow-through, curiosity, and results. We don’t hire based on a checklist — we hire for potential, drive, and evidence of performance. If you’re motivated to learn, comfortable with experimentation, and excited about how technology can make sales more human, you’ll fit right in. 

Compensation: The base salary for this position typically ranges from $120,000 to $145,000 USD annually, depending on experience and level. This role is also eligible for up to a 30% bonus. We carefully consider a wide range of compensation factors, relying on market data to determine compensation and consider your specific job family, background, skills, and experience. 

Benefits: Benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, flexible PTO, 401(k) matching, incentive stock options, volunteer time off, Employee Resource Groups, and a generous professional development program with dedicated annual time off for learning and growth.

We use AI. For real. Every team at OpenSesame works with AI tools daily, not as a buzzword, but as practice. You'll build fluency that most companies are still talking about adopting, with hands-on training and clear guardrails to experiment responsibly. AI amplifies your creativity and judgment. It doesn't replace them. The skills you build here travel with you.

Equal Employment Opportunity: OpenSesame is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer that values and welcomes diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of various legally protected characteristics, including criminal history, and strive to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. We prioritize safety and security and may use your information accordingly, and you can contact us for assistance or accommodations during the job application process. 

Pay Transparency: At OpenSesame, we prioritize pay transparency, fairness, and equity to create a positive and inclusive work environment, regularly reviewing our compensation practices to align with our values and goals. We provide competitive and fair compensation to our employees based on their skills, experience, and performance.

CPRA (California Candidates): When you submit your application, OpenSesame may collect and use your personal information in accordance with our privacy policy and the CPRA. This may include personal details and employment history, and will only be used for employment-related purposes. We may share this information with third-party service providers, but we will not sell it to third parties. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us, and for more information on your rights under the CPRA, refer to our privacy policy or the California Attorney General's website.