Director, Ecosystem Partnerships

Cleo's supply chain orchestration platform powers end-to-end connectivity for thousands of businesses worldwide. As we accelerate our ecosystem-led growth strategy, we are seeking a Director, Ecosystem Partnerships to build and own publisher-level relationships with the leading ERP, TMS, and WMS software publishers whose platforms are at the center of our customers' supply chain technology stacks.
This is not a channel sales role. This is a strategic, publisher-facing alliance position where you will engage directly with the corporate alliance, product, and executive teams at publishers such as Microsoft, SAP, NetSuite (Oracle), Acumatica, Sage, and leading TMS/WMS providers. Your mission is to position Cleo as a preferred integration partner within these ecosystems-driving joint go-to-market initiatives, ISV certifications, marketplace presence, and measurable partner-influenced revenue.
This is a REMOTE OPPORTUNITY with up to 30% travel to publisher headquarters, industry conferences (e.g., Microsoft Inspire, SuiteWorld, SAP Sapphire, MODEX, Manifest), and Cleo offices.
What you will be doing
Publisher Relationship Strategy
• Own and develop executive-level relationships with the corporate alliance, product management, and partner teams at target ERP publishers (Microsoft, SAP, NetSuite/Oracle, Acumatica, Sage) and leading TMS/WMS publishers.
• Develop and execute a rolling 12-month strategic alliance plan for each publisher, aligned with Cleo's product roadmap and go-to-market priorities.
• Serve as Cleo's primary liaison and advocate within publisher organizations, ensuring Cleo is positioned as a preferred or recommended integration partner.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with publisher field sales organizations to drive deal-level collaboration and referrals.
Joint Go-to-Market & Revenue
• Own and deliver against annual publisher-influenced ARR targets, with clear accountability for pipeline creation, deal progression, and revenue attribution.
• Architect and execute joint go-to-market motions including co-sell plays, joint solution positioning, co-branded campaigns, and publisher-sponsored events.
• Build data-driven business cases to justify investment in alliance programs, including trade-off analysis and ROI modeling for joint initiatives.
• Establish and track partner-influenced pipeline metrics, providing regular forecasting and performance reporting to Cleo leadership.
• Identify and activate publisher referral and lead-sharing programs to generate qualified pipeline for Cleo's direct and channel sales teams.
ISV Certification & Marketplace Strategy
• Drive Cleo's ISV certification and technology validation efforts with each publisher, ensuring Cleo's supply chain orchestration platform meets or exceeds publisher standards for endorsed or certified integrations.
• Own Cleo's marketplace presence across publisher ecosystems (e.g., Microsoft AppSource, NetSuite SuiteApp, Acumatica Marketplace, SAP Store, Sage Marketplace), ensuring listings are current, optimized, and generating inbound interest.
• Collaborate with Product and Engineering to align Cleo's integration capabilities with publisher roadmaps, ensuring timely support for new ERP/TMS/WMS releases and features.
• Coordinate joint product development plans with publishers to keep Cleo's solutions aligned with publisher innovations and evolving customer requirements.
Cross-Functional Leadership
• Partner closely with Cleo's Channel Director to ensure strategic alliances feed and reinforce the VAR/reseller channel strategy-creating a multiplier effect across the partner ecosystem.
• Work with Marketing to develop co-branded content, case studies, joint webinars, and thought leadership that elevates Cleo's visibility within publisher ecosystems.
• Provide market intelligence and publisher feedback to Product, Engineering, and executive leadership to inform competitive positioning, product investment, and go-to-market strategy.
• Represent Cleo at publisher conferences, advisory councils, partner summits, and industry events as a senior spokesperson for Cleo's alliance strategy.
Requirements

• Education:
  • BA/BS degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Experience:
  • 10-15 years of experience in strategic alliances, publisher partnerships, business development, or ISV alliance management within B2B enterprise software.
  • Deep, demonstrable experience managing strategic relationships with ERP publishers at the corporate/global level. Experience with one or more of the following is required: Microsoft, SAP, Oracle/NetSuite, Acumatica, or Sage.
  • Strong knowledge of EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) and how EDI/integration solutions fit within ERP, TMS, and WMS technology ecosystems. This is a must.
  • Thorough understanding of the ERP VAR landscape and how publishers, ISVs, VARs, and system integrators interact within partner ecosystems. This is a must.
  • Proven track record of delivering measurable partner-influenced revenue or ARR through publisher alliance programs.
  • Experience architecting joint go-to-market strategies, co-sell motions, and ISV certification programs with enterprise software publishers.
  • Familiarity with supply chain technology ecosystems, including TMS (Transportation Management Systems) and WMS (Warehouse Management Systems) publishers and their integration requirements.
  • Ability to build compelling, data-driven business cases and strategic frameworks that align publisher and Cleo objectives.
  • Executive presence with the ability to engage, influence, and present to C-level stakeholders at both publisher organizations and within Cleo.
  • Exceptional relationship-building, negotiation, and communication skills across in-person, video, and written channels.