Partner Development Manager

CIQ OVERVIEW

CIQ believes in helping people do great things by providing world-class software infrastructure for others to build value on top of. This includes working closely with open-source communities, securing the software infrastructure, and driving performance throughout the entire stack. We love our customers who are doing things like running a traditional IT infrastructure to building the future of genAI and leading major research and scientific initiatives like curing cancer.

We are looking for individuals who strive to work on teams empowered by ownership, diversity of thought, pushing the limits of what is possible and want to help others.

POSITION SUMMARY

As a Partner Development Manager, you will be the key point of contact for our relationships with one of the major cloud providers (AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure). Your primary responsibility will be to manage and grow CIQ’s partnership with this cloud provider, identifying new business opportunities and ensuring smooth delivery of CIQ’s solutions, including Rocky Linux. You will act as the bridge between CIQ’s technical teams, sales teams, and the cloud provider to drive joint success and alignment. Additional responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Account Management: Develop and nurture strong relationships with key decision-makers at the cloud provider. Maintain a deep understanding of their business, objectives, and challenges to effectively position CIQ's offerings.
• Business Development: Identify and pursue new opportunities for collaboration, growth, and revenue generation within the cloud ecosystem. This includes expanding the adoption of Rocky Linux and related services.
• Collaboration & Coordination: Work closely with CIQ’s technical, product, and marketing teams to ensure alignment with the cloud provider’s roadmap, particularly around joint projects such as Rocky Linux integration, cloud service optimization, and other tailored solutions.
• Strategic Planning: Develop and execute account strategies that align with CIQ’s broader business objectives and the cloud provider’s goals. This includes quarterly business reviews, joint planning sessions, and tracking key performance metrics.
• Advocate for the Client: Ensure that the cloud provider receives top-tier support from CIQ. Work with internal teams to address any technical or operational challenges, advocate for new features, and ensure smooth delivery of Rocky Linux and related services.
• Reporting & Metrics: Track and report on account performance, including revenue growth, project milestones, and client satisfaction. Use data-driven insights to inform strategy and decision-making.

NEEDED TO SUCCEED

Successful candidates will have:

• Strong executive presence with exceptional sales and presentation skills. Ability to confidently engage and influence executives, delivering compelling narratives that drive decision-making and close high-value deals.
• Adaptability, organizational skills, and the ability to lead and mentor a team effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• An understanding of infrastructure—both on-prem, hybrid, and multi-cloud—with familiarity in Open-Source, HPC, enterprise performance computing, AI/ML, and NLP infrastructure.
• Demonstrated success in meeting or exceeding sales targets, particularly with high-value and complex deals.
• A deep understanding of the enterprise software ecosystem, particularly with Linux distributions like Rocky Linux, and experience in complex regulatory and compliance environments.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills with a focus on closing deals and maximizing revenue.
• Ability to think strategically, analyze market trends, and execute effectively to drive revenue growth, supported by a background in enterprise transformation and compliance.
• A friendly, collaborative, humble, honest, and always striving to be better attitude.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in business administration or a related field.

• Proven experience in partner and sales business development with a strong focus on cloud ecosystems, strategic partnerships, and technology scaling.