Foundational Partner Lead

Company Description

Merkle is a leading data-driven, technology-enabled, global performance marketing agency that specializes in the delivery of unique, personalized customer experiences across platforms and devices. For more than 30 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. The agency's heritage in data, technology, and analytics forms the foundation for its unmatched skills in understanding consumer insights that drive people-based marketing strategies. Its combined strengths in performance media, customer experience, customer relationship management, loyalty, and enterprise marketing technology drive improved marketing results and competitive advantage. With 9,600+ employees, Merkle is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, with 50+ additional offices throughout the US, EMEA, and APAC. In 2016, the agency joined dentsu. For more information, contact Merkle at 1-877-9-Merkle or visit www.merkleinc.com.    

We are champions for meaningful progress, and we strive to be a force for good—for our people, for our clients, for the industry and for our society. We keep our people at the center, creating space for growth, understanding, and learning so they can thrive. We embed diversity, in our mindset, in our solutions and in our teams to empower an inclusive, equitable and culturally fluent environment. Building this culture within our teams makes us better collaborators with each other and with our clients, driving better outcomes for all. Merkle is an agency of dentsu.  

Job Description

Merkle is seeking a uniquely talented senior executive to serve as the leader of its Alliance partner team.  The Foundational Alliance Partner Lead is a critical leader at Merkle, owning the overall strategy tied to key growth technology partners.  Our foundational partners are technology partners in CRM, loyalty, creative, commerce, experience and content, analytics, marketing technology and cloud.   These are growth companies like Mirakl, Shopify and Braze. 

With a deep understanding of these partner organizations, business strategy and culture, you will engage with your partners at senior levels to develop a shared strategic vision and the executive sponsorship and support required to act on it.  As a respected thought leader, you will propose innovative new business ideas and secure the partner alignment and engagement needed to put them into practice.   

The Foundational Partner Lead will be accountable for driving alliance growth and establishing Merkle and dentsu as a leader in pursuing transformational deals.  

Key Responsibilities 

• Responsible for developing the overall strategy tied to each of the Foundational partnerships, including bringing joint initiatives to market and ensuring successful programs – with responsibility from ideation to post-launch and maturity 

• Develop and own the business plan for Foundational Partners for Merkle, CXM (Customer Experience Management) Line of Business and dentsu. 

• Manage the Partner Alliance to higher levels of maturity across Partner framework: Sales, Marketing, Enablement, Joint Initiatives, Delivery. 

• Drive long-term value for the Alliance channel through a combination of innovation and execution.     

• Liaise with cross-functional team to bring offerings to market: work with sales to build and manage pipeline for partner offerings; work with product or other operating groups to bring offerings to launch; work with marketing to build and execute on marketing plan; work with executives on Merkle and partner teams to manage communications and updates. 

• Create a global community across all dentsu for partner experts, aligning to a common vision and expanding the knowledge set across the organization. 

• Keep up with the latest features/functionality of the partner technology stacks. 

• Working collaboratively to develop solutions with our architecture/delivery groups. 

• Support Solutions group in business pitches for alliance partner. 

• Engage directly on new suite POCs/ first launches (help team on the ground get this launched). 

• Work with alliance partner on appropriate training programs and manage certifications across the organization. 

• Understand and navigate unique partner scenarios to reduce conflict, generate revenue and create a long-lasting partnership 

• Identify services opportunities and facilitate an introduction for the partner and Merkle teams to pursue together 

• Work with sales and client services teams to track partner opportunities for effective reporting across the organization 

• Hold the foundational partner accountable for pipeline, revenue, mutual marketing