Senior Channel Partnership Manager

Description About Daylight Daylight is a channel-first company built on the belief that strong partner relationships drive exceptional outcomes. We are committed to empowering resellers, VARs, and distribution partners to bring our solutions to market — and we back that commitment with real investment, real support, and a culture that puts partners first. As we scale, we are looking for a founding Channel leader who shares our conviction: that the right partner ecosystem, built intentionally and nurtured with care, becomes a durable competitive advantage. The Opportunity This is a rare chance to own the Channel function at a company that has made channel-first a strategic priority — not an afterthought. As our first Channel hire, you will design the program from the ground up, activate your existing network of reseller relationships, and set the standard for how Daylight shows up as a partner. You will carry a quota but you will also build the infrastructure — the playbooks, the processes, the partner tiers, the SPIFFs, and the co-sell motions — that will scale well beyond you. You are equally comfortable closing a deal and coaching a reseller team on how to position Daylight. You move fast, operate with high integrity, and you know how to make partners feel like they are winning when they work with you. What You'll Do Channel Strategy & Program Build Design and launch Daylight's channel partner program from scratch — including partner tiers, certification requirements, margins, deal registration, and rules of engagement Establish a scalable partner onboarding process that enables resellers to start selling Daylight quickly and confidently Build co-sell and co-marketing playbooks, partner portals, and enablement materials in collaboration with Marketing and Product Define KPIs for channel health and own regular reporting to executive leadership Partner Development & Sales Execution Leverage your existing book of reseller and VAR relationships to accelerate Daylight's time-to-revenue through the channel Actively recruit net-new partners who align with Daylight's ICP and geographic priorities Own a channel revenue quota and drive pipeline through partners — you are a player, not just a coach Travel to partner sites, industry events, and joint customer meetings regularly to deepen relationships and accelerate deals Partner Enablement & Advocacy Train and enable partner sales teams to position, demo, and close Daylight — ensuring they can go to market independently Serve as Daylight's internal advocate for partners — bringing partner feedback into product, marketing, and pricing conversations Build executive relationships at key partner organizations to ensure Daylight is prioritized in their line card and selling motions Run QBRs, partner summits, and incentive programs that keep partners engaged and producing Cross-Functional Leadership Collaborate with direct Sales to establish clear rules of engagement and prevent channel conflict Partner with Marketing to execute co-branded campaigns, MDF programs, and demand-generation activities Work with Finance and Legal to structure partner agreements, deal economics, and compliance frameworks Requirements Proven Channel Track Record: 7+ years of experience in channel sales, partnerships, or partner development — with at least 3 years managing or building a channel program A Real Rolodex: You have existing, active relationships with resellers, VARs, distributors, or MSPs that you can bring to bear on Day 1 — and partners who will take your call Builder Mentality: You have built a channel program before, or have been a foundational hire who created structure where none existed. You are energized by a blank canvas Player / Coach DNA: You are willing to carry your own bag and personally close deals while simultaneously developing scalable infrastructure for future channel hires Executive Presence: You can credibly engage with C-level stakeholders at partner organizations and internally, presenting a compelling vision for the Daylight Channel Data-Driven: You track pipeline health, partner productivity, and program ROI — and you use data to prioritize your efforts and make the case for investment High Travel Tolerance: You are comfortable and enthusiastic about frequent travel — regional partner visits, national events, and customer-facing engagements are core to this role Startup Ready: You thrive with ambiguity, can set your own agenda, and are not dependent on large support infrastructure to be productive Nice To Have Experience selling through the channel in [Daylight's vertical / industry] — familiarity with the reseller landscape in our space Prior experience as the first Channel hire at a growth-stage company Exposure to channel automation tools (e.g., Alliances, Impartner, Zift, PartnerStack) and CRM hygiene for channel pipeline Relationships with distributors (e.g., Ingram Micro, TD SYNNEX, Arrow) in addition to direct resellers