What Is a Channel Development Manager and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

A channel development manager partners with sales marketers and business associates to develop marketing techniques and strategies to reach customers in a specific channel. You are the link between businesses and customers, and your job duties include recruiting candidates, creating resources to reach customers, and managing or teaching other channel managers. A career as a channel developer requires you have some formal qualifications and education, typically at least a bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or a related field, and a minimum of five years of experience in sales or marketing and management. Developing relationships with channel partners is necessarily interpersonal, so you should emphasize skills in communication, organization, and developing messaging strategies.

To begin a career as a channel development manager, you need a bachelor’s degree in a business-related field or an area of study relevant to your employer, preferably coupled with prior experience including job duties related to marketing or relationship-building. Other qualifications the ability to travel, computer proficiency, especially with word processing and spreadsheets, and sales experience and skills. Channel development managers are excellent leaders and project managers who know how to manage time effectively. Being bilingual can set you apart in these positions if you work with a global company.