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CanonicalAlliances & Channels Leader
Canonical, the publisher of Ubuntu, is hiring a senior Alliances and Channels Leader. Ubuntu runs across IoT, AI, data science, public cloud and engineering work, and…
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About This Role
Canonical, the publisher of Ubuntu, is hiring a senior Alliances and Channels Leader. Ubuntu runs across IoT, AI, data science, public cloud and engineering work, and Canonical's clients include large cloud and chip vendors. The company has more than 1,200 colleagues in over 75 countries, is founder-led and profitable, and has few office-based roles. The posts are globally remote. This person is accountable for partner strategy, forecasting, bookings and revenue…
Job Description
Canonical, the publisher of Ubuntu, is hiring a senior Alliances and Channels Leader. Ubuntu runs across IoT, AI, data science, public cloud and engineering work, and Canonical's clients include large cloud and chip vendors. The company has more than 1,200 colleagues in over 75 countries, is founder-led and profitable, and has few office-based roles. The posts are globally remote.
This person is accountable for partner strategy, forecasting, bookings and revenue across indirect sales channels, whether managing a team or running a strategic partner book aimed at quicker growth. The job creates senior relationships with worldwide and regional partners, drafts and runs shared go-to-market plans with sales, product, marketing and engineering colleagues, and builds partner skills through training, co-marketing and rigorous planning. Additionally, the leader establishes meeting cadences, pipeline oversight and metric-based accountability for complicated partner arrangements.
Partner types range from system integrators and resellers to distributors, software and hardware makers, chip firms, cloud platforms and app marketplaces. Focus areas may include channels, global system integrators, software vendors, hardware and OEM partners, silicon, cloud or cross-ecosystem work. Applicants should show a decade-plus of managing alliances, channels or indirect sales, strong commercial command of revenue, margin and partner economics, and the composure to talk with everyone from engineers to executives. The posting also asks for business-level English, international travel two to four times a year, and alignment with Canonical's values of precision, reliability, accessibility and adaptability.
The posting says pay considers location, experience and performance, is reviewed annually, and includes a performance-driven bonus or commission. Listed perks include a USD 2,000 annual learning allowance, two in-person team gatherings each year, holiday leave, parental leave, wellness support, and Priority Pass for long trips.
Responsibilities
- Be accountable for partner strategy, forecasting, bookings and revenue through indirect channels
- Manage a team or a key partner portfolio aimed at quicker revenue expansion
- Cultivate senior-level ties with partners across the world and by region
- Draft and execute shared market launch plans involving sales, product, marketing and engineering
- Build partner capability through enablement, joint marketing and business planning
- Establish meeting cadence, pipeline oversight and metric-driven ownership
- Move offerings from product planning into positioning and sales execution
Requirements
- Ten-plus years leading work in alliances, channels, partnerships, ecosystems or indirect sales
- Background with system integrators, resellers, distributors, software or hardware vendors, chip companies, clouds or marketplaces
- Substantial commercial background spanning income, margin, pipeline, forecast accuracy and partner economics
- Leadership and presentation skills to engage from engineer to CxO
- Capacity to form trusted links with executives and bring teams into agreement
- Track record of data-driven decisions across complex global relationships
- Working professional English, written and spoken
Qualifications
- Understanding of open source, Ubuntu, cloud, AI, security, enterprise infrastructure and rival offerings
- Trips two to four times annually for corporate gatherings of up to a fortnight
Core Skills
Benefits
- Annual bonus or commission tied to results
- Annual compensation review
- USD 2,000 per year learning and development budget
- In-person team sprints twice a year
- Holiday time plus maternity and paternity leave
- Team Member Assistance Program and wellness platform
- Priority Pass access and upgraded travel for distant company events
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers are based only on the employer’s listing; where it doesn’t say, neither do we.
Is this Canonical role remote?
The posting describes the roles as globally remote. The listing's on-site flag conflicts with this text.
What experience is required?
The posting asks for a decade or more leading work in alliances, channels, partnerships, ecosystems or indirect sales.
What is the salary?
The posting does not specify a base salary. It says pay considers location, experience and performance, with a performance-driven bonus or commission.
How much travel is expected?
The posting expects international trips two to four times annually for company events of up to two weeks.
Sample Interview Questions
AI-generated questions tailored to this specific role — a preview of the full practice set.
