Partnerships Manager in EdTech- Role Overview
- Responsible for building, managing and scaling strategic partnerships
- Bridges commercial, product and ecosystem functions
- Expands reach through reseller, channel, integration and alliance networks
- Drives revenue, market credibility and adoption through partnerships
- Works closely with GTM teams, product leaders and external stakeholders
Partnerships Managers in EdTech focus on long‑term, scalable relationships that support go‑to‑market execution, adoption acceleration and customer success. They help position solutions within broader education ecosystems and influence key decision makers beyond direct sales.
Key Responsibilities
Partnership Strategy & Planning
- Define partner segmentation and prioritisation strategy
- Identify high‑value partnership opportunities aligned with business goals
- Build frameworks for partner evaluation and scoring
- Align partnership plans with product and GTM roadmaps
Prospecting & Outreach
- Research and target potential partners (resellers, distributors, consultants, technology alliances)
- Run multi‑channel outreach to establish initial engagement
- Personalise pitches to illustrate mutual value and market resonance
Pipeline Enablement
- Collaborate with SDRs, BDMs and Enterprise AEs to qualify joint opportunities
- Support co‑selling motions and shared account plans
- Co‑ordinate partner readiness and enablement resources
Partner Onboarding & Enablement
- Manage onboarding workflows and training for new partners
- Create sales enablement materials, playbooks and product collateral
- Run enablement sessions with sales, marketing and partner teams
Relationship Management
- Maintain ongoing partner engagement
- Monitor partner health metrics and engagement signals
- Address conflicts, misalignment or slippage proactively
Commercial Negotiation
- Lead commercial discussions with partners, including margins, discounts, tiers and incentives
- Build multi‑year contractual agreements
- Secure co‑marketing and co‑selling commitments
Cross‑Functional Collaboration
- Work with Product to prioritise integrations or co‑developed offerings
- Align with Marketing on joint campaigns, events and content
- Co‑ordinate with Customer Success to support retention and expansion via partners
Internal Stakeholders
- SDRs, BDMs, Enterprise AEs
- Sales leadership (Head/VP Sales)
- Product and Engineering
- Customer Success and Support
- Marketing and Demand Generation
- Legal and Finance
External Stakeholders
- Resellers and distributors
- Strategic alliances and tech partners
- Consultants and implementation partners
- VARs (Value added resellers) or regional agents
- Educational networks, MATs, universities
- Government or ministry partners
Partnership Types
Reseller/Channel Partners
- Sell on your behalf with margin incentives
- Extend reach in local or international markets
Technology & Integration Partners
- API integrations or bundled offerings
- Joint GTM campaigns with complementary solutions
Consultant & Implementation Partners
- Advise customers with embedded services
- Improve adoption and reduce deployment friction
Strategic Alliances
- Co‑development of new features or products
- Long‑term joint value propositions
Salary Benchmarks
United States
- Base: $90k–$120k
- OTE/Bonus: $120k–$180k+
United Kingdom
- Base: £55k–£80k
- OTE/Bonus: £75k–£110k+
Europe
- Base: €60k–€85k
- OTE/Bonus: €80k–€120k+
Expect variation by company size, partner scope and international focus.
Day in the Life
Morning
- Review partner pipeline and performance metrics
- Internal syncs with sales and product teams
Midday
- Outreach to priority partners
- Onboarding or enablement sessions
Afternoon
- Negotiation or planning calls
- Cross‑functional progress reviews
- CRM updates and forecasting
Partnership Work Modalities
Inbound Partnerships
- Handle incoming partner interest or referrals
- Focus on partner qualification and readiness
Outbound Partnerships
- Target strategic partners proactively
- Lead value articulation and joint planning
- Requires deeper research and custom positioning
Hybrid roles combine both approaches depending on market and product maturity.
Domestic vs International Partnership Work
Domestic Focus
- Understand local education procurement norms
- Easier cultural alignment with smaller partners
International Focus
- Map global frameworks (IB, MoE, national standards)
- Coordinate multi‑region enablement and localisation
- Manage compliance, pricing variations and regional priorities
Experience with international partners adds significant value.
Common Backgrounds
- Sales, BDM or AE with partnership exposure
- Channel or alliance experience in SaaS or enterprise tech
- Product evangelism or business operations
- Education sector professionals transitioning into partnerships
Hiring managers prioritise candidates who blend commercial, technical and relational skills.
Success Metrics
- Number of active partners onboarded
- Partner‑sourced revenue contribution
- Partner pipeline acceleration
- Co‑sell engagement and conversion rates
- Partner satisfaction and retention scores
- Speed of partner enablement and go‑live
Core KPIs
- Partner-sourced revenue- revenue directly attributed to partner-led deals or referrals.
- New partners onboarded- number of strategic partners successfully signed and activated within a set timeframe.
- Time to partner activation- average time from agreement to the first meaningful activity (e.g. co-sell, referral, integration use).
- Pipeline contribution from partners- value of deals in the sales pipeline that originate from or involve partners.
- Co-sell or co-marketing activity volume- number of joint events, webinars, campaigns, or sales engagements.
- Partner retention rate- percentage of partners renewing agreements or remaining active over time.
- Partner satisfaction (NPS or custom surveys)- qualitative and quantitative assessment of partner experience.
Operational KPIs
- CRM hygiene and partner data completeness- accurate tracking of partner accounts, contacts, and influence on deals.
- Enablement engagement rates- attendance or completion of partner onboarding and training sessions.
- Deal registration or referrals logged- number of qualified leads or deals logged by partners.
- Integration usage (for tech partnerships)- number of customers using features via partner integrations.
Strategic KPIs
- Influence on market expansion- new regions or sectors accessed through partnerships.
- Channel margin and cost-to-revenue ratio- efficiency of revenue generated through partners vs direct channels.
- Joint business plans executed- number and quality of collaborative plans implemented with partners.
Required Skills
Core Commercial Skills
- Negotiation and contracting
- Strategic account and partner planning
- Pipeline and revenue forecasting
Relationship & Communication
- Empathy and stakeholder influence
- Clear articulation of value propositions
- Effective facilitation of cross‑organisation workflows
EdTech Context
- Education procurement systems
- Curriculum alignment and stakeholder priorities
- Sensitivity to compliance and data protection
Technical Understanding
- Integration landscape
- APIs and product architecture knowledge
- Project coordination between partners and product teams
Interview Questions to Expect
- How have you structured and closed a high‑value partner agreement?
- How do you prioritise partners for a new region?
- Tell us about a time you resolved a partner conflict
- What is your approach to co‑selling with internal teams?
- How have you enabled partners for long‑term success?
How to Stand Out as a Candidate
- Showcase partner pipelines and revenue contribution
- Present joint business plans you’ve developed
- Demonstrate cross‑functional influence
- Speak to education sector partner nuances
- Include case studies or partner testimonials
Partnership Challenges
- Aligning incentives between organisations
- Slow institution adoption cycles
- Balancing short‑term revenue vs long‑term strategic value
- Coordination across large ecosystems
- Partner churn or activation delays
Career Progression
- Partnerships Manager → Head of Partnerships → VP/Director of Strategic Alliances
- Cross‑functional moves into GTM leadership or product strategy
- Roles in global partner ecosystem leadership
Gender Representation & Diversity
- Many partnerships teams remain male dominated
- Women often excel in relationship‑centric commercial roles
- Diverse teams improve trust and cultural resonance with educational buyers
- RecruitHer actively supports diverse talent pipelines into partnerships
When to Ask for a Promotion
- You’ve consistently exceeded partner KPIs
- You own key strategic partner relationships without oversight
- You’ve led multi‑region enablement or scaling
- You influence partner strategy and GTM outcomes
- You’ve built foundational partner materials or playbooks
