Partner Business Manager Expert at SAP

Job Description

• The VAR Partner Business Manager (PBM) is a field-based T4 level (or higher) employee that leads partners in geography (MU or Cluster).
• The PBM maintains executive-level engagement with each partner and is responsible for proactively developing the partner’s SAP business by securing investments for packaged cloud IP development “powered by SAP”.
• The PBM must be seen as a board-level trusted advisor by each partner. By defining a 3-5 year plan mutally with each partner executive team that sets out the business case(s) for SAP investments the PBM develops a long-term engagement that will ensure compelling, packaged SAP-powered solutions are brought to market by each partner.
• The PBM leads and orchestrates the partner engagement and is responsible for coordinating all SAP interactions (with executives, PSA, solutions teams, peers, etc.).
• It is expected that each multi-year business plan demonstrates how the partners SAP practise will grow at 2.0x the prevailing MU GB growth rate for each metric each year of the plan, i.e. ACV, LFR or ARR. Additionally the PBM is expected to deliver performance close to plan.
• The PBM must secure meaningful change.

Key Responsibilities - Partner Business Manager
Strategic Value and Business Development:

• Responsible for the holistic management and representation of the Partner to SAP, and for proactively leading and developing the partner following a disciplined business planning process to expand their partner’s business with SAP.
• Understands the partner’s financial structure and key drivers which influence their business and decisions and is able to develop complex business cases affecting identified KPIs that result in investments in SAP technology resulting in future sales. The PBM should be able to articulate with evidence the regular “board pack” that is reviewed by the board of their partners:
  • Explains economic trends and using self or SAP experts industry knowledge to support the partner’s investment in developing the SAP business and to gain trusted advisor status
• Proactively develops active and long-term partner relationships across all executive roles in the partner and keeps up to date with all changes to the partners’ organization as well as with the changing environment at SAP:
  • Understands and articulates the SAP corporate strategy both at a long-term strategic level but also in terms of the customer value proposition and the partner value proposition including partner economics, advise the partner on investments into various solutions as appropriate, using available SAP experts. 
  • Ensure a named SAP executive sponsor is aligned to the CEO or equivalent of each partner and that this executive engagement is leveraged to secure investment and/or remove blockers.
• Develops and drives effective mutual annual business planning with partner to ensure proper planning and execution of agreed initiatives. Orchestration of others within SAP to ensure completion of IP development activities, sales & marketing campaigns and that partner is fully sales & technically enabled as required:
  • Fully documents investment and expansion plans aligned to multi-year strategic plan
  • Holds partners accountable and can demonstrate results and ROI on agreed initiatives, i.e. packages in development, marketing leads generated, deals closed, etc…

Partner Demand Generation and Pipeline Creation:

• Responsible for the pipeline developed by & with a portfolio of partners. Leading the partners to ensure appropriate 4x coverage of expected revenue. Holding others within SAP and the partner to account to ensure agreed demand generation activies are executed and opportunities Dela Registered promptly.
• Works with partner teams and SAP team (MU GB Head, MU Channel Head, Territory Managers, marketing & DDE teams) to develop a comprehensive annual Pipeline Development plan.
• Guides partner’s demand generation plans to align with SAP’s current go-to-market messaging; 
  • Influences partner and SAP marketing to effectively utilize allocated marketing budget within partner or SAP and partner MDF
  • Orchestrates the team (marketing & PSA) to ensures partners utilize and leverage SAP’s Marketing resources, tools, collateral, sales plays, and other SAP demand generation programs
  • Tracks and measures the return on investment (ROI) on the partner’s documented demand generation activities 
  • Holds SAP sales staff to account for timely response and compliance with channel operations polices.
• Hold relevant SAP leadership accountable for ensuring that territory owners mutually plan their territories as appropriate and execute against the plan.

Overall: Revenue Generation and Leadership:

• Responsible for sales of SAP subscription and/or software licenses with and through partners. The PBM owns the yearly budget for each portfolio of partners, coordinating activities of iPBM where present. Opportunities & quarterly targets reside with the sales team(s).
• Orchestrates the team to drives partner execution to revenue commitments to SAP. Reports progress to partner & SAP executives as required:
  • Orchestrates the team to ensure partners are trained on SAP sales methodology on overall SAP and specific product and solution positioning, and on competitive responses. 
  • Orchestrates the team to develop partner’s sales skills on successful sales strategies and on individual opportunities through sales coaching, opportunity reviews, role-playing, and observing and assisting at customer visits. By specific engagement of the Solution Sales team to expedite partner success of newly adopted SAP solutions.
  • Develops strategies and creates engagements that help partner develop relationships as necessary with other partners of the SAP Ecosystem such as PE Build or PE Service such that the transacting partner is able to broaden its offering to the market. Be able to demonstrate the impact of such approach against relevant KPIs.
  • Leads & orchestrates SAP teams (Account Executive, Commercial Sales Executive, General Business Sales Executives, Digital Demand Executive, etc.) acting as a strategic liaison between the partner and SAP to ensure effective communications, aligned strategies, and sales successes. Monitor to ensure partner uses full SAP resources effectively (executives, solution experts, sales, support, field services, etc.).
• Must ensure that partner has delivery & support capacity to support revenue objectives. Orchestrates others such as PSD to ensure relevant enablement, certifications and similar are in place or proactively resolved.
• PBM to regularly review business status with partner and able to provide oversight of partner pipeline to senior SAP MU leaders as required. It is expected that SAP sellers shall have their own updates through mutually working each sales opportunity. PBM should have more detailed knowledge of top 3 opportunities in each partner and be able to provide a “partner view” of each opportunity upon request. For all partner business they should orchestrate functions including iPBM, PSD (for PCoE, enablement & authorisations), AR for credit blocks and others to remove any issues.
• PBM to hold partner to account in case of poor or delayed responses to reasonable enquiries for sales information. PBM to hold SAP sales to account to same.
• In case of unethical behavior or breaches of channel operations policy or law the PBM will immediately challenge relevant sales leadership and escalate to GB lead. If no action with 48 hours or incorrect action escalate to regional Ecosystem Head within a further 24 hours.

General Partner Management:

• The PBM is responsible for leading the engagement with each partner and he/she should proactively orchestrate other functions such as iPBM, PSA and Solution Centre to ensure all aspects of the engagement exceed minimum requirements. The PBM should not necessarily “do” but the PBM must orchestrate and ensure action.
• Responsible for the overall success of a partner with SAP, and for partner compliance with SAP PartnerEdge program requirements and SAP’s Chanel Operating Policies.
  • Act as a thought leader to optimize partner engagement and investment in the SAP ecosystem and portfolio 
  • Ensures partner’s sales force become experts on delivering relevant joint value propositions  
  • Guides partner to work effectively within SAP’s Go-to-Market strategy specifically packaged IP.
  • Ensures via PSA that PartnerEdge requirements are met and that PSA is taking corrective action as necessary.
  • Diagnoses and prescribes corrective action for underperforming partners
  • Ensures that partners – and SAP teams - operate in a professional and ethical manner; take action or escalate if professionalism and ethics standards are not being met. 
  • Coordinates SAP team members to communicate key partner changes, e.g. new partner executives or organizational structure, new SAP solutions authorizations, partner demand generation campaigns, investments, etc. -- to relevant SAP systems and teams (e.g., PRM, ISE’s, Account Executives)  
  • Proactively provide professional preparation and leadership of partner/SAP meetings. A partner briefing must be prepared for every meeting of a SAP exec with any partner.

Education

• Bachelor equivalent: preferred
• Master equivalent: preferred
• MBA / PhD: no

Experience and Language Requirements:

• 10 - 15+ years working experience in the software industry
• 10+ years in a Partner Business Management equivalent role
• Excellent internal & external executive-level engagements must be demonstrated
• Solid understanding of and ability to make decisions based upon business financials including Balance Sheet, Profit & Loss Account must be demonstrated.
• Capable of developing complex business plans supporting partner investment in SAP and SAP investment in a partner.
• Partnering and sales leadership skills must be demonstrated.
• Relevant experience in cloud
• Business development planning and execution experience in driving sales pipeline, demand gen, and enablement with partners
• Strong analytical competencies
• Effective communication and presentation skills
• High energy - brings innovative ideas to the team and champions best practices
• Proven capability to work in a team and collaborate; with independent accountability
• Local market knowledge and understanding (software industry, trends, vertical market industries, etc.)
• Business level English: yes.