Director- Alliances And Partnerships CPX

Overview

The Head of Partnerships & Alliances is a senior, dual-mandate leadership role that owns the full end-to-end relationship with CPX’s ~10 most strategic partners — driving the best total commercial outcome for CPX from each account across both sell-side and buy-side. The role deliberately bridges Partnerships and Procurement, closing the margin-leak gap between the two functions by concentrating spend and attention on a defined strategic tier and standing up CPX’s first scientific, framework-driven model for managing strategic partners.

The role owns both sides of the partner equation — sell-side (translating alliances into qualified opportunities, co-sell motions, joint pursuits, and closed revenue) and buy-side (improving CPX’s tier status and negotiating rebates, discounts, incentives, and master framework agreements that structurally improve gross margin). The Head operates as the single point of accountability for the strategic partner portfolio, working in close alignment with Sector Leads, Account Managers, Solution Sales Specialists, Pre-Sales, Procurement, and Finance / FP&A.

Responsibilities

Strategic Partner Ownership (End-to-End)

• Own the full end-to-end relationship with CPX’s ~10 selected strategic partners, accountable for the best total outcome for CPX from each — spanning both sales and purchase optimisation.
• Define and own the partner-vs-vendor distinction and the top-10 strategic tiering model, deciding which relationships are managed as strategic partners versus transactional vendors.
• Drive deliberate concentration of spend and attention onto the strategic tier, reducing the active vendor base and eliminating uncoordinated, margin-leaking activity.
• Act as the internal single point of accountability for the assigned strategic partner portfolio.
  
  

• Drive partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline, working directly with Sector Leads and Account Managers.
• Support opportunity shaping, joint account planning, and co-sell execution across key accounts.
• Ensure partner opportunities are qualified, governed, and progressed in line with CPX sales discipline.
• Execute joint go-to-market initiatives (campaigns, events, account-based plays) with priority partners.
  
  

• Negotiate and own master framework agreements with strategic partners — including rebates, discounts, volume incentives, and pricing structures — that structurally improve CPX’s gross margin.
• Drive tier-status upgrades with CPX’s material partners and vendors (e.g. Splunk, Dell, Cisco) to unlock better economics, support, and go-to-market benefits.
• Maximise rebate and incentive capture, ensuring entitlements are tracked, claimed, and realised — not left on the table.
• Partner with Finance / FP&A to model, monitor, and protect the margin and rebate economics of each strategic relationship.
• Apply enterprise procurement / category-management discipline to consolidate spend, rationalise the vendor base, and lift blended margin across the strategic tier.
  
  

• Actively support sales teams in positioning partner solutions and value propositions.
• Enable sellers through partner briefings, solution narratives, and playbooks.
• Ensure clarity on who engages when — avoiding overlap, confusion, or unproductive partner activity.
• Work closely with Solution Sales Specialists and Pre-Sales to align partner capabilities to client needs.
  
  

• Establish a clear operating rhythm with partners (QBRs, pipeline reviews, commercial / framework reviews, planning sessions).
• Prepare structured partner performance updates — covering both revenue and margin / rebate economics — for Commercial and Finance leadership.
• Manage escalations and misalignment decisively, protecting CPX’s commercial interests on both the sell and buy side.
• Maintain strong working relationships across Sales, Delivery, Procurement, Finance, Legal, and Operations.
  
  

• Dual commercial acumen — equally fluent in revenue growth and margin / cost optimisation.
• Strong negotiation skills across both sell-side and buy-side commercial arrangements.
• Ability to influence without authority across Sales, Procurement, Finance, and Delivery.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Structured, data-driven approach to pipeline, margin, and performance tracking.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and fast-paced growth / transformation environments.
• Collaborative, decisive, and execution-focused senior leadership style.
• Vendor, alliance, or procurement / category-management certifications are a plus.
  
  

• 12+ years spanning partnerships / alliances and commercial or procurement leadership, within technology or cybersecurity.
• Cybersecurity or technology background required (non-negotiable).
• Demonstrated success driving revenue and pipeline through partners (sell-side).
• Proven enterprise procurement / category-management capability — having built or run a structured, data-driven model for managing strategic suppliers (buy-side).
• Track record of delivering tier-status improvements with material technology vendors (e.g. Splunk, Dell, Cisco, or equivalent).
• Demonstrated success negotiating master framework agreements — rebates, discounts, volume incentives, and pricing structures.
• Strong experience operating in matrixed, sales-led organisations, partnering closely with Finance / FP&A on margin and rebate economics.
• Proven ability to operate at both strategic and execution levels, and to lead at Director / Executive Director level.
  
  

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Technology, Engineering, or a related field.
• Vendor, alliance, or procurement / category-management certifications are a plus.