KnowBe4

Security awareness training and phishing simulations

Public Sector Channel Account Manager

Business Development & PartnershipsPosted on Nov 11

Full-timeArlington County, Arlington, VA, USA

About the Job

Requirements

A bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Information Technology, or a related field is required.
At least 8 years of progressive channel sales and partner management experience in the public sector technology market, with a demonstrable track record of exceeding revenue targets.
Deep expertise in U.S. government procurement, including hands-on experience with GSA Schedule (MAS), SEWP V, CIO-SP3, and SLED cooperative purchasing vehicles such as NASPO and NCPA.
Ability to recruit, develop, and scale a high-performing partner ecosystem of systems integrators, value-added resellers, distributors, and managed security service providers focused on Federal and SLED markets.
Strong understanding of federal and state cybersecurity regulatory frameworks, including FedRAMP, FISMA, CMMC, NIST SP 800-53 and 800-171, StateRAMP, and CISA mandates.
Experience structuring and managing teaming arrangements, prime/sub relationships, and IDIQ, BPA, and task-order-based selling motions.
Demonstrated success managing channel programs at a SaaS or enterprise software company, including MDF/Co-Op management, partner portal administration, and incentive program design.
Expert knowledge of government procurement regulations (FAR/DFARS), contract vehicle structures (IDIQ, BPA, task orders), and acquisition lifecycle management.
Mastery of federal and SLED cybersecurity compliance frameworks and their implications for SaaS vendor selection.
Proven channel partner management skills, including partner recruitment, tiering, business planning, QBR facilitation, MDF/Co-Op administration, and conflict resolution.
Ability to envision and articulate long-term channel strategies aligned with organizational goals and emerging opportunities in government cybersecurity markets.
Executive-level verbal and written communication skills and ability to present to agency CISOs, C-suite partner executives, and internal senior leadership.
Proficiency with Salesforce CRM, partner relationship management platforms, and channel analytics tools to track pipeline, partner performance, and revenue attribution.
Strong analytical skills, including using data-driven insights, market intelligence, and pipeline metrics to guide investment priorities and optimize partner performance.
Experience with Gmail, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Willingness and ability to travel up to 50% for partner meetings, agency visits, and industry events.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive public sector channel strategy covering Federal Civilian, DoD/IC, and SLED segments, with segment-specific go-to-market plans, ARR targets, and pipeline goals aligned to company revenue objectives.
Build and scale a tiered partner ecosystem of public sector-specialized value-added resellers, systems integrators, distributors, and managed security service providers, ensuring coverage across major agency verticals.
Drive ARR growth through partner-sourced and partner-influenced opportunities and establish quarterly pipeline, bookings, and growth KPIs for each partner tier and segment.
Identify and capture new opportunities by monitoring agency IT modernization initiatives, CISA mandates, zero-trust architecture programs, and Congressional cybersecurity funding priorities.
Recruit, onboard, and develop strategic channel partners with public sector reach and cybersecurity technical competency, applying partner profiling and business-case analysis.
Design and manage partner enablement programs, including sales training, product certifications, co-selling playbooks, and joint marketing funds, tailored to government-focused partners.
Conduct regular business reviews with top-tier partners to assess pipeline health, competitive positioning, and enablement gaps, and deliver revenue-acceleration action plans.
Cultivate prime/subcontractor teaming arrangements, position the company as a preferred subcontractor on large SI-led bids, and help partners build compliant teaming agreements.
Leverage and expand the company’s presence on government contract vehicles, including GSA MAS, SEWP V, CIO-SP3, NASA SEWP, and NCPA/NASPO state cooperative contracts.
Guide partners through government acquisition processes, including RFP/RFI responses, IDIQ task orders, BPAs, sole-source justifications, and competitive bid strategies.
Monitor federal and SLED budget cycles, appropriations activity, and continuing resolution impacts, and develop strategies to maintain pipeline momentum amid fiscal uncertainty.
Coordinate with Legal to ensure channel partner activities comply with applicable federal and state regulations, FAR/DFARS requirements, cybersecurity executive orders, ITAR restrictions, and internal compliance standards.
Maintain expert-level knowledge of cybersecurity compliance frameworks relevant to government customers, including FedRAMP, FISMA, CMMC, NIST SP 800-53/800-171, StateRAMP, and CISA Binding Operational Directives.
Collaborate with Legal, Finance, and Compliance teams to vet partner agreements, channel incentive structures, and government contract terms and minimize organizational risk.
Conduct ongoing market analysis tracking government IT spending trends, competitive landscape shifts, emerging mandates, and SLED cybersecurity funding initiatives.
Represent the company at government-focused industry events to build brand visibility and thought leadership.
Serve as the internal authority on public sector channel strategy and educate the CRO, Revenue Leadership Team, Product, and Marketing on government customer dynamics, buying processes, and compliance requirements.
Partner with direct sales, marketing, and product teams to coordinate public sector opportunities, avoid channel conflict, and maximize market coverage.
Co-develop demand-generation campaigns with Marketing, including agency-targeted digital campaigns, event sponsorships, and thought-leadership content aligned to government cybersecurity priorities.

Desired Qualifications

An MBA or equivalent advanced degree is preferred.

KnowBe4 empowers the modern workforce to make smarter security decisions every day. Trusted by more than 70,000 organizations worldwide, KnowBe4 is the pioneer of digital workforce security, securing both AI agents and humans. The KnowBe4 Platform provides attack simulation and training, collaboration security, and agent security powered by AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Defense Agents) and a proprietary Risk Score. The platform leverages 15-years of behavioral data to combat advanced threats including social engineering, prompt injection, and shadow AI. By securing humans and agents, KnowBe4 leads the industry in workforce trust and defense.

The Public Sector Channel Account Manager is responsible for leading the strategy and execution of channel partner relationships across the full public sector — Federal Civilian, Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC), and State, Local, and Education (SLED) — driving growth and market penetration for KnowBe4’s platform. Reporting directly to the Channel Chief, this role owns the identification, recruitment, and cultivation of high-value partnerships with public sector-focused Value-Added Resellers (VARs), Systems Integrators (SIs), distributors, and Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs). The role will architect and execute channel programs that are fully aligned with government procurement vehicles, federal compliance mandates, and KnowBe4’s overall revenue objectives. This CAM brings deep domain expertise in the government acquisition ecosystem — including GSA Schedule, SEWP V, CIO-SP3, and state-level cooperative purchasing vehicles — and a proven ability to drive significant ARR growth through partner networks. By combining a thorough understanding of cybersecurity compliance frameworks (FedRAMP, FISMA, CMMC, NIST SP 800-53, StateRAMP) with strong partner management skills, in the public sector segments.

Responsibilities:

Channel Strategy & Revenue Growth

Develop and execute a comprehensive public sector channel strategy covering Federal Civilian, DoD/IC, and SLED segments, with segment-specific go-to-market plans, ARR targets, and pipeline goals aligned to KnowBe4’s overall revenue objectives.
Build and scale a tiered partner ecosystem comprising public sector-specialized VARs, national and boutique Systems Integrators (e.g., Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, SAIC, Peraton, ManTech), distributors (e.g., Carahsoft, Immix Group), and MSSPs, ensuring coverage across all major agency verticals.
Drive significant ARR growth through partner-sourced and partner-influenced opportunities; establish quarterly pipeline, bookings, and growth KPIs for each partner tier and segment.
Identify and capture net-new opportunities by monitoring agency IT modernization initiatives, CISA mandates, zero-trust architecture programs, and Congressional cybersecurity funding priorities.

Partner Recruitment, Enablement & Management

Recruit, onboard, and develop strategic channel partners with demonstrated public sector reach and technical competency in cybersecurity, applying rigorous partner profiling and business-case analysis.
Design and manage partner enablement programs including sales training, product certifications, co-selling playbooks, and joint marketing funds (MDF/Co-Op), tailored to the unique needs of government-focused partners.
Execute regular business reviews (QBRs) with top-tier partners assessing pipeline health, competitive positioning, and enablement gaps; deliver action plans to accelerate revenue.
Cultivate prime/subcontractor teaming arrangements, positioning KnowBe4 as a preferred subcontractor on large SI-led bids and helping partners build compliant teaming agreements.

Government Procurement & Contract Vehicles

Leverage and expand KnowBe4’s presence on key contract vehicles, including GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), SEWP V, CIO-SP3, NASA SEWP, and NCPA/NASPO state cooperative contracts, to simplify government procurement.
Guide partners through government acquisition processes, including RFP/RFI responses, IDIQ task orders, BPAs, sole-source justifications, and competitive bid strategies.
Monitor federal and SLED budget cycles, appropriations activity, and continuing resolution (CR) impacts; develop strategies to maintain pipeline momentum regardless of fiscal uncertainty.

Compliance, Regulatory Alignment & Risk Management

In coordination with the Legal team, ensure all channel partner activities comply with applicable federal and state regulations, FAR/DFARS requirements, cybersecurity executive orders (EO 14028), ITAR restrictions, and KnowBe4’s internal compliance standards.
Maintain expert-level knowledge of cybersecurity compliance frameworks relevant to government customers, including FedRAMP, FISMA, CMMC (all levels), NIST SP 800-53/800-171, StateRAMP, and CISA Binding Operational Directives.
Collaborate with Legal, Finance, and Compliance teams to vet partner agreements, channel incentive structures, and government contract terms, minimizing organizational risk.

Market Intelligence & Thought Leadership

Conduct ongoing market analysis tracking government IT spending trends, competitive landscape shifts, emerging mandates, and SLED cybersecurity funding initiatives.
Represent KnowBe4 at government-focused industry events, building brand visibility and thought leadership.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Executive Alignment

Serve as the internal authority on public sector channel strategy, educating the CRO, Revenue Leadership Team (RLT), Product, and Marketing on the unique dynamics, buying processes, and compliance requirements of government customers.
Partner with the direct sales, marketing, and product teams to ensure a unified, coordinated approach to public sector opportunities — avoiding channel conflict and maximizing market coverage.
Co-develop demand generation campaigns with the marketing team, including agency-targeted digital campaigns, event sponsorships, and thought leadership content aligned to government cybersecurity priorities.

Qualifications:

A Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Information Technology, or a related field
MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred
8+ years of progressive channel sales and partner management experience in the public sector technology market, with a demonstrable track record of exceeding revenue targets
Deep expertise in U.S. government procurement, including hands-on experience with GSA Schedule (MAS), SEWP V, CIO-SP3, and SLED cooperative purchasing vehicles (NASPO, NCPA)
Proven ability to recruit, develop, and scale a high-performing partner ecosystem of SIs, VARs, distributors, and MSSPs focused on Federal and SLED markets
Strong understanding of federal and state cybersecurity regulatory frameworks: FedRAMP, FISMA, CMMC (all levels), NIST SP 800-53/800-171, StateRAMP, and CISA mandates
Experience structuring and managing teaming arrangements, prime/sub relationships, and IDIQ/BPA/task-order-based selling motions
Demonstrated success managing channel programs at a SaaS or enterprise software company, including MDF/Co-Op management, partner portal administration, and incentive program design
Expert knowledge of government procurement regulations (FAR/DFARS), contract vehicle structures (IDIQ, BPA, task orders), and acquisition lifecycle management
Mastery of federal and SLED cybersecurity compliance frameworks (FedRAMP, FISMA, CMMC, NIST SP 800-53, StateRAMP) and their implications for SaaS vendor selection
Proven channel partner management skills: partner recruitment, tiering, business planning, QBR facilitation, MDF/Co-Op administration, and conflict resolution
Ability to envision and articulate long-term channel strategies that align with organizational goals and capture emerging opportunities within government cybersecurity markets
Excellent executive-level verbal and written communication skills; ability to present compellingly to agency CISOs, C-suite partner executives, and internal senior leadership
Proficiency with Salesforce CRM, partner relationship management (PRM) platforms, and channel analytics tools to track pipeline, partner performance, and revenue attribution
Strong analytical skills; ability to use data-driven insights, market intelligence, and pipeline metrics to guide investment priorities and optimize partner performance
Experience with Gmail, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Willingness and ability to travel up to 50% for partner meetings, agency visits, and industry events

Our Fantastic Benefits

We offer company-wide bonuses based on monthly sales targets, employee referral bonuses, adoption assistance, tuition reimbursement, certification reimbursement, and certification completion bonuses - all in a modern, high-tech, and fun work environment. For more details about our benefits in each office location, please visit www.knowbe4.com/careers/benefits.

Note: An applicant assessment and background check may be part of your hiring procedure.

Individuals seeking employment at KnowBe4 are considered without prejudice to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please visit www.knowbe4.com/careers/request-accommodation.

No recruitment agencies, please.

Requirements at a Glance

Experience Level: Senior, Expert
Education: Bachelor's, MBA

Benefits

Financial Security - 3.5% 401k Matching, Company-wide Monthly Bonuses Up To $2,000 A Month, Employee Referral Bonuses, Employee Stock Purchase Program
Health and Wellness - Fully Paid Medical Insurance, Vision and Dental Plans, FSA (Flexible Spending Account), Free Gym Benefits Through Classpass, Virtual Yoga Classes, Free Fresh Fruit Delivered Weekly
Vacation, Time Off and Leave - Open Paid Time Off, National Holidays, Fully Paid Military Leave
Continuing Education - Tuition Reimbursement Up To $5,250 A Year, Certification Completion Bonuses Up To $10,000 A Year
Remote Work Options
Supporting Families - 8-weeks Fully Paid Parental and Adoption Leave, Breast Milk Shipping for Traveling Parents, Adoption Assistance, Fertility Assistance, Knowster Parents Employee Resource Group
On-site Life Coach

About the Company

KnowBe4

Security awareness training and phishing simulations

KnowBe4 provides a security awareness training and phishing simulation platform designed to reduce human-vulnerability risk from social engineering. It delivers a library of training modules and realistic phishing simulations through a subscription-based service that is built to be user-friendly and scalable for businesses of all sizes. The platform focuses on rapid deployment so IT teams can start in production quickly, often twice as fast as competitors, with a dedicated Customer Success team that handles onboarding without extra consulting hours. Compared to competitors, KnowBe4 combines a large, ready-to-use training library with easy-to-use tooling and fast onboarding to help organizations strengthen their human defenses more efficiently. The company’s goal is to lower security risk by educating employees and testing their responses to phishing and social engineering.

Company size: 1,001-5,000
Company stage: IPO
Headquarters: Clearwater, FL
Founded: 2010

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