What is a Partnership Manager?

A Partnership Manager (or Partner Relationship Manager), particularly within dynamic B2B SaaS and tech environments, is a strategic linchpin responsible for architecting, nurturing, and scaling a vibrant ecosystem of partners. This multifaceted role involves much more than traditional channel management; it encompasses identifying high-potential allies (from tech integrations to strategic alliances and influential voices), negotiating complex agreements, and orchestrating ongoing collaboration to drive growth. Key responsibilities are extensive, including meticulous partner identification and qualification, sophisticated relationship cultivation, adept deal negotiation, spearheading joint go-to-market initiatives, rigorous performance analytics, and proactive conflict resolution. Ultimately, their contributions are pivotal, directly accelerating market expansion, and significantly amplifying brand visibility and credibility in a crowded marketplace.

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So, what defines the ideal partnership manager for a technology company? We've identified 15 Essential Skills to look for when hiring a partnership manager, along with tips on identifying these strengths in candidates. If you're looking to transition into a partner manager, make sure to check out this article.

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1. Strategic Thinking

Great partnership managers go beyond promoting their partner ecosystem – they are strategic thinkers whose main goal is to maximise their business impact. Top performers see the bigger picture (company goals, industry, competition) and translate it into winning partnerships. What’s crucial is they need to see beyond one-off deals while being able to execute on the company's vision and meticulously identify key partners that bridge capability gaps or amplify core strengths. During the recruitment process, look for candidates who can discuss industry trends and articulate how partnerships contribute to long-term objectives. 

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Interview Tip: Present a hypothetical problem: Describe a strategic challenge your company is facing and ask the candidate how they would approach it. Look for their ability to identify key issues, consider various factors, and propose creative solutions.

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2. Communication (& Listening Skills)

These rather fall under a category of ‘soft skills’ and therefore are often overlooked by hiring managers. However, according to Forbes, they are becoming more and more in demand as we turn to social media apps and often do not pay enough attention to verbal and written communication skills that are the foundation of effective teamwork. 

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While recruiting for partner managers, seek a candidate who excels in both verbal and written communication. Are they able to articulate the message well and adapt it to various audiences? Partnership managers being the bridge between companies, should be able to articulate complex ideas in a clear and engaging way for both internal and external audiences. Compelling narratives capture attention and build trust, so storytelling skills can showcase the value proposition of both your company and potential partnerships. Last but not least, strong active listening skills are crucial too, when trying to build relationships with others. 

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Interview Tip: Situational Question - present hypothetical scenarios relevant to the role and ask how they would communicate in those situations. This assesses their ability to adapt communication styles to different audiences.

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3. Networking & Relationship Building

Partnerships are built on strong relationships. Look for candidates who excel at building rapport and fostering a sense of trust and collaboration with potential and existing partners. A strong network allows partner managers to discover potential partners who complement their company's offerings. 

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According to professor’s Heidi K. Gardner from Harvard University, individuals who mastered cross-team collaboration achieved a significant competitive advantage compared to those who did not. When different teams with specialised knowledge work together, they can combine their expertise to generate innovative solutions that might not be possible for a single team. This can lead to new products, improved processes, and a stronger overall offering for customers. Imagine attending an industry event and connecting with a company whose product perfectly integrates with yours. This initial connection, fostered through networking, could lead to a lucrative partnership.

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Interview Tip: Present a scenario where they need to solve a problem that requires collaboration with another team or department. How would they approach building relationships and navigating the situation?

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4. Negotiation Skills

Striking mutually beneficial agreements is a core skill. A skilled negotiator can craft contracts that benefit both your company and the partner. This fosters long-term, successful partnerships. Imagine negotiating a revenue-sharing deal with a distributor. You want a high cut, but they need a good profit margin. A good negotiator finds a middle ground that incentivises both parties. Negotiation isn't just about compromise. Partners with better negotiation skills can secure more favourable terms, like higher commissions or earlier access to new products. This can give your company a competitive edge in the market. In short, negotiation skills allow partner managers to build strong, mutually beneficial relationships, navigate challenges, and maximise the value of partnerships.

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Interview Tip: Present candidates with hypothetical partnership scenarios and assess their negotiation style and focus on achieving win-win outcomes.

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5. Conflict Resolution

Disagreements and misalignments are inevitable in any collaborative venture, especially within complex partner ecosystems. A top-tier partnership manager excels at identifying the root causes of conflict—whether it's divergent strategic priorities, operational friction, or communication breakdowns between partner organisations. They act as skilled mediators, facilitating open and constructive dialogue, ensuring all parties feel heard (showcasing active listening), and guiding conversations towards mutually acceptable solutions. Their goal is to transform potential breaking points into opportunities for strengthening the partnership.

For example, if a co-marketing campaign with a key technology partner faces budget disputes or messaging misalignments, the partnership manager steps in to renegotiate contributions, clarify objectives, and find common ground that ensures the campaign's success and preserves the long-term relationship.

Interview Tip: Present a scenario involving a conflict with an external partner (e.g., unmet commitments, IP concerns). Ask, 'Describe how you would de-escalate the situation, identify the core issues, and work towards a resolution that protects our interests while maintaining a viable partnership.'"

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6. Goal Execution

A brilliant partnership strategy is worthless without flawless execution. Exceptional partnership managers are not just visionaries; they are pragmatic doers who translate strategic plans into tangible outcomes. They excel at defining clear, measurable objectives for each partnership initiative, establishing realistic timelines, and mobilising both internal and external resources to achieve them. This involves meticulous project management, proactive communication to keep all stakeholders aligned, and a relentless focus on overcoming obstacles to ensure commitments are met. They understand that successful partnerships are built on delivered value, not just signed contracts.

Interview Tip: Ask candidates to describe a complex partnership initiative they managed from conception to completion. Probe for details on how they defined success, managed stakeholders, tracked progress against goals, and what the specific results were."

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7. Partnership Portfolio Management (PPM)

Partnership Portfolio Management (PPM) is a critical skill for technology partnership managers for several reasons. Firstly, a strong PPM strategy helps prioritise partnerships based on their alignment with overall business goals. Not all partnerships are created equal, and PPM allows the manager to focus resources on the most impactful ones. PPM ensures efficient allocation of time, budget, and personnel across the partnership portfolio. PPM helps identify and mitigate potential risks associated with individual partnerships. For instance, dependence on a single partner can be risky. A diversified portfolio lessens this risk. By analysing partnership performance, managers can identify best practices and implement them across the portfolio, leading to overall improvement.

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Lastly, what’s worth mentioning is that a well-managed portfolio is easier to scale as business needs evolve. Having a clear understanding of each partnership's role and contribution allows for efficient expansion or contraction. In essence, PPM empowers technology partnership managers to become strategic leaders, maximising the value derived from a network of partners and driving overall business growth.

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Interview Tip: Assess candidates on their ability to identify potential risks (e.g., technology incompatibility, cultural clashes) and develop mitigation strategies. Top candidates can navigate change effectively, adapting strategies and partnership models as circumstances evolve.

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8. Results & Data Driven Decisions

Partnerships need to demonstrate value. Without data, gauging a partnership's effectiveness is like driving blindfolded. KPIs provide concrete metrics like revenue generated, partner driven or partner-influenced leads conversion rates help identify if a partnership is on track or requires adjustments. Intuition can be helpful, but data provides a more objective basis for decision-making. Analysing KPIs allows partner managers to see what's working and what's not, enabling them to allocate resources effectively and prioritise efforts with high-performing partners.

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Example: Data reveals a specific partner consistently drives high-quality leads. The manager can invest in further training or co-branded initiatives with this partner, maximising their return.

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KPIs and a data-driven mindset equip partner managers to navigate the complexities of tech partnerships. By leveraging data, they can make informed decisions, measure success, optimise programs, and ultimately, build stronger, more valuable partnerships. This brings us to the next crucial skill in 2024 - being technology adept at understanding data and making decisions based on these metrics often involve being tech savvy with a partner related technology stack.

Interview Tip:

Use STAR to showcase your decision-making:

• Briefly describe a challenging partnership situation (Situation)
• Explain your role and responsibility (Task)
• Focus on data analysis, collaboration, and clear evaluation in your decision process (Action)
• Quantify the positive outcome (Result)

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9. Tech-Savvy

The world of partnerships is increasingly tech-driven. Look for candidates comfortable with relevant platforms like Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software and partner relationship management, and Partnerships Collaboration Tools. There’s plenty of business intelligence tools out there that help identify potential prospects and joint customers, such as Crossbeam or Reveal (to name a few). Understanding multi-touch lead attribution and how it impacts partner-influenced and led deals is paramount.  

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Navigating through analytics software is also incredibly important for partner managers. Analytics provide insights to measure partner performance, track sales metrics, and identify areas for improvement. This allows partner managers to make informed choices about resource allocation, support strategies, and program optimisation. Data speaks volumes.

‍Interview Tip: Ask questions that require the candidate to describe past experiences using PRM, for example: How did you leverage a PRM system to track partner performance?

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10. Problem-Solving 

The road to partnership success isn't always smooth. Hire someone who can anticipate potential roadblocks and develop creative solutions to overcome challenges. Look for a candidate who thrives under pressure and goes beyond simply reacting to problems.  They should demonstrate the ability to develop creative solutions that are not only effective but also beneficial for both your company and the partner.  When evaluating their responses, pay attention to their problem-solving process. Do they consider different perspectives?  Can they think critically and analyse data to reach well-rounded solutions?

Finally, successful partnerships often require working under pressure and tight deadlines.  During the interview, assess how the candidate handles stress.  Do they get flustered or do they remain calm and collected? Look for someone who thrives in challenging environments and can use pressure to their advantage to find win-win solutions for all parties involved.

Interview Tip: Present hypothetical challenges: Imagine a key partner is unhappy with the level of support they're receiving. How would you identify the specific issue, address their concerns,  and ensure their satisfaction?

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"Honestly, working in partnerships has completely rewired my brain," says Emilia Janis, Head of Partnerships at Oneflow. "Now, I see potential collaborations everywhere—whether it’s hacking life by coordinating preschool pickups with my best friend or strategically convincing my wife that we definitely need a new carpet (ongoing negotiations, terms still pending)."

11. Project Management

Launching and managing partnerships is a complex undertaking. Prioritise candidates with strong project management skills. They should be able to define goals, establish timelines, delegate tasks, and stay organised, ensuring smooth partnership implementation. Partnerships involve internal and external stakeholders.  A Partnership Manager with project management skills can effectively delegate tasks, leveraging the strengths of both teams. They can also allocate resources efficiently, ensuring everyone has the tools and support they need to succeed.

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Interview Tip: Ask the candidate about their experience with project management tools such as Gantt charts, Kanban boards, or work management software.  While specific tool expertise isn't essential, understanding their comfort level with these tools can be insightful.

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12. Contract Confidence

Partnerships are formalised through legal agreements that define the terms of engagement, responsibilities, and mutual benefits. A strong partnership manager doesn't need to be a lawyer but must possess solid commercial acumen and confidence in navigating contracts. This includes understanding key clauses related to scope, deliverables, intellectual property, data sharing, revenue models (e.g., rev-share, referral fees), liability, and termination.

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They should be adept at working alongside legal teams to draft, review, and negotiate terms that are equitable, clear, and protect the company's interests while fostering a fair and motivating framework for the partner. An understanding of data privacy regulations (like GDPR) and compliance within contracts is increasingly vital.
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Interview Tip: Briefly outline a common contractual point of negotiation (e.g., exclusivity, data usage rights) and ask the candidate how they would approach discussing it with a potential partner and collaborating with the legal team to reach a sound agreement."

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13. Content Creation 

Building brand awareness and promoting partnerships often involves crafting compelling content. Look for a candidate who can write clear, concise, and engaging marketing materials to showcase the value proposition of the partnership to both internal and external audiences.

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Interview Tip: Present a hypothetical partnership launch scenario. Ask the candidate to outline a content strategy to support the launch.  This can reveal their understanding of different content formats.

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14. Trend Spotter & Outside-The-Box Thinker

In 2025, leading partnership managers are true Ecosystem Orchestrators. This means moving decisively beyond opportunistic, one-off deals to strategically cultivate a dynamic, interconnected network of partners. They possess a keen ability to spot emerging market trends, anticipate industry disruptions (e.g., the impact of generative AI on service delivery), and think creatively to identify non-obvious partnership opportunities.


They actively foster connections between existing partners (P2P collaboration), architecting new, combined value propositions and fostering a win-win-win mentality across the entire network. This might involve partnering with a series of complementary businesses to deliver an integrated solution suite that addresses a complex customer need holistically.


Interview Tip: Describe a current disruptive trend in your industry (e.g., AI, a new regulatory landscape). Ask the candidate to brainstorm 2-3 innovative partnership models or types of partners your company could engage to navigate or capitalise on this trend.
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15. Passion for Partnerships

Building strong partnerships takes dedication and enthusiasm. Seek a candidate who genuinely enjoys the process of connecting companies for mutual benefit. Data is powerful, but stories resonate. Partner managers should be passionate advocates, inspiring teams and igniting enthusiasm for collaboration (think: weaving a narrative about how a partnership unlocks a new market segment or solves a critical customer challenge).

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Interview Tip: It's a tough one. Pay attention to the candidate's overall demeanour. Are they enthusiastic when discussing the industry? Does their body language and tone of voice reflect genuine interest?

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