Partner Operations Manager Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

GavinHeath is partnering with a client in the Washington DC metro area looking to add a Partner Operations Liaison to their team. The role is a Direct Hire position.

• Partner Relationship Management
  • Serve as the central point of contact and accountability for our client's strategic partners, as well as targeted emerging partners identified by leadership, across OEMs and Services partners.
  • Work with Sales and Leadership to maintain strategic initiatives and quarterly, review the Strategic Partner list based on current business priorities and growth targets.
  • Own and manage partner deal registrations and pricing coordination for Strategic Partners in collaboration with Sales.
  • Own distribution relationships, Rebate Incentive Agreements, and inform inside and outside sales teams of any new distribution alignment.
  • Maintain continual engagement with partner contacts (calls, events, quarterly business reviews) and record all activities in CRM.
  • Act as the escalation point for partner issues across Sales, Marketing, Technology, and Service Delivery.
  • Recommend and document the appropriate level of partnership for each partner using CRM data, market intelligence, and field feedback.
  • Drive Senior-to-Senior engagement planning and execution in coordination with Sales and Leadership.
  • Attend pertinent meetings, trade shows, and any other events as deemed important to the overall growth strategy
• Program Development & Enablement
  • Define baseline requirements for each partner, including training, certifications, revenue expectations, and lead behaviors.
  • Build and maintain Partner Levels and their associated benefits and obligations (e.g. Gold, Silver, Strategic).
  • Enable emerging or underdeveloped manufacturers to build federal-ready channel programs (deal reg structure, pricing policy, compliance, GSA/FSS mapping, contract utilization).
  • Drive partner participation in Sales Kickoffs, Partner Advisory Boards, speaking engagements, and awards programs.
• Sales & Marketing Alignment
  • Coordinate with Sales to target underdeveloped partner patches and increase breadth of field engagement.
  • Partner with Marketing to design and execute co-branded campaigns, lead-sharing agreements, and MDF-backed activities.
  • Align internal teams on partner strategies and ensure they meet partner training and engagement expectations.
• Market Development Funds (MDF) Stewardship
  • Raise and organize MDF opportunities from partners and make them visible internally.
  • Stay in continual sync with MDF owners (Sales Leadership, Finance, Marketing) to align on priorities.
  • Manage planning, logistics, and execution for MDF-funded efforts, ensuring alignment with partner strategy.
  • Maintain that MDF spend strategy decisions stay with company leadership, while enabling smooth execution.
• Accountability, Tracking & Incentives
  • Maintain partner/distributer contact info, capabilities, engagement activities, and compliance status.
  • Track engagement history, deal influence, and performance trends over time.
  • Produce partner health scorecards and dashboards.
  • Design and maintain partner incentive structures (SPIFs, lead-sharing rewards, co-marketing incentives) to drive desired behaviors.
  • Implement clear joint pursuit agreements outlining responsibilities and expected outcomes on major opportunities.
  • Run quarterly reviews with each key partner against defined goals.

• 5+ years in partner/channel management
• Market Development Fund program management experience
• GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) and federal contracting familiarity
• Distributor relationship management experience
• Federal Community Relationships
  • Bring established and active relationships with partner contacts across the federal IT community.
  • Existing relationships with federal channel program managers, partner development managers and alliance leadership.
  • A strategic relationship builder who can develop and grow high-impact partner ecosystems
• Federal Acquisition and Contracting knowledge
  • Working knowledge of federal government acquisition vehicles and contracting processes; RFP award cycles, and how partners engage across Civilian, DOD, and/or Intelligence Community accounts.
• Ability to travel approximately 40% during peak seasons
  • Support partner meetings, industry events, trade shows, Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), and Sales Kickoffs (SKOs).
  • Travel will be concentrated around key industry event seasons and quarterly business review cycles with lighter periods in between.
• Skilled at aligning Sales, Marketing, and Leadership around shared partner strategies and revenue goals
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail in managing partner programs, deal registrations, and pricing coordination
• A proactive communicator who maintains consistent partner engagement and effectively navigates escalations
• Data-driven, using CRM insights and performance metrics to guide decisions and optimize partner outcomes
• Accountable and results-oriented, with a track record of driving partner engagement and measurable growth

GavinHeath is an equal opportunity employer. GavinHeath will extend equal opportunity to all individuals without regard to race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, disability, age, creed, ancestry, genetic information, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.