Partner Development Manager

About the role

Join a leading enterprise AI company focused on securing and deploying advanced AI models. This role drives the adoption of generative AI in the Japan enterprise market, a key strategic region for the company. You will build and manage partnerships to deliver AI solutions tailored to the needs of Japanese businesses.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Develop and implement the partner market strategy for Japan, aligning with regional business goals.
• Recruit high-impact partners, including system integrators, distributors, resellers, ISVs, and cloud providers.
• Cultivate strong relationships with key stakeholders across the partner ecosystem.
• Lead partner onboarding, certification, and training programs to enable effective sales and deployment of solutions.
• Collaborate on scaling partner enablement in Japan through sales and technical workshops.
• Generate joint pipeline by creating co-sell motions and strategic go-to-market initiatives.
• Partner with others to identify and pursue high-value opportunities in key Japanese segments.
• Ensure partners align with strategic goals and performance metrics through joint business planning and quarterly reviews.
• Track sourced and influenced annual recurring revenue (ARR) against targets.
• Act as the internal advocate for partners, providing feedback to product, engineering, and legal teams.
• Work with public policy teams to navigate Japanese government AI policies and advise partners on risk management.
• Promote the company's vision and solutions at partner and industry events.
• Build thought leadership through briefings, speaking engagements, and collaborative initiatives.

Requirements

• Native-level Japanese and business-level English fluency.
• 8+ years of experience in partner development, channel sales, or alliance management in the tech industry, with a focus on enterprise ARR contribution.
• Deep understanding of the Japanese enterprise market and key industry verticals.
• Proven ability to build relationships and negotiate, with a history of driving partner success.
• Capability to navigate complex regulatory and compliance landscapes, including AI ethics and government policies.
• Working knowledge of AI concepts such as large language models (LLMs), retrieval-augmented generation, and agentic workflows.
• Experience working with major system integrators, global consultancies, and hyperscalers, including joint go-to-market and co-sell motions.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills to promote the company's vision to partners and stakeholders.
• Results-oriented mindset with a drive for growth and action, comfortable in a fast-paced environment.

Nice to have

• Existing relationship with Fujitsu.

Skills & tools

• Partner development
• Channel sales
• Alliance management
• AI/cloud solutions
• Enterprise ARR contribution
• Relationship building
• Negotiation
• Regulatory compliance
• AI ethics
• Government policies
• LLMs
• Retrieval-augmented generation
• Agentic workflows
• Communication
• Presentation

Practical notes

• This is a remote position.
• Benefits include a weekly lunch stipend of $75/£75 or equivalent, full health and dental benefits with a mental health budget, RRSP matching, 401K, or pension scheme.
• 100% parental leave top-up for up to 6 months for either parent.
• Annual enrichment benefits for arts & culture, fitness/wellness, quality time, and workspace improvements.
• Education and learning stipend for conferences, courses, and coaching.
• 6 weeks of paid vacation (30 working days).
• Budget for traveling to other offices if remote, plus an annual company offsite.
• Remote employees receive a $500 home office stipend and a co-working benefit.
• The company uses AI-enabled tools for initial applicant screening.
• Be aware of scams; all legitimate roles are listed on the official careers page and LinkedIn, with communications from @cohere.com or @cw.cohere email addresses.