Senior Manager – Partner Operations
| Company | Palo Alto Networks |
|---|---|
| Location | Santa Clara, CA, USA |
| Salary | $Not Provided – $Not Provided |
| Type | Full-Time |
| Degrees | |
| Experience Level | Senior, Expert or higher |
Requirements
- 8+ years in partner operations, channel operations, or related business operations roles, preferably within a SaaS or high-growth tech company
- Proven success managing partner incentive programs, compensation frameworks, or operational policy implementation across partner ecosystems (resellers, distributors, GSIs, MSSPs, and CSPs)
- Hands-on experience with Salesforce (CPQ, PRM) and inventive management platforms like Varicent. Experience with cloud marketplace private offers is a strong plus.
- Advanced skills in Excel/Google sheets (pivot tables, vlookups, visual storytelling) and Powerpoint/Google Slides
- Demonstrated ability to identify operational gaps, define scalable solutions, and drive cross-functional alignment to implement them
- Deep understanding of governance, compliance requirements, and audit controls related to partner compensation and incentives.
- Strong business acumen and judgment, analytical and problem-solving skills, and ability to structure solutions to complex problems
- Strong communication, collaboration and leadership skills and the ability to effectively partner with all levels of management
- Self-starter, highly motivated with insatiable curiosity to learn about and influence the business
- Works well within a matrixed environment, with ability to manage simultaneous projects with multiple stakeholders, and tight deadlines
Responsibilities
- Lead partner compensation and incentive operations
- Own end-to-end execution of partner incentive programs, ensuring accuracy, scalability, and compliance with internal controls
- Partner with Finance, legal, and Ecosystem teams to implement policies and governance frameworks for incentive structures.
- Lead audit and compliance reviews related to partner compensation, surfacing faps and driving corrective actions
- Drive operational scalability across partner programs and routes to market
- Design and maintain standardized processes that support different partner types (resellers, distributors, GSIs, MSSPs, CSPs)
- Develop documentation, playbooks, and training to ensure consistency and operational readiness
- Lead operational planning for new partner program launches, coordinating across Systems, Enablement, and Field teams
- Influence partner tooling and systems roadmaps by providing business requirements and feedback to technical teams
- Own cross-functional execution and continuous improvement initiatives
- Serve as a senior operational point of contact for partner-facing teams, guiding issue resolution and process handoffs
- Facilitate the rhythm of the business for theatre channel teams, enabling visibility, alignment, and accountability across top partnerships.
- Identify inefficiencies and partner across teams to implement scalable solutions and improve tooling and workflows
- Partner with Analytics to deliver insights that drive data-informed decisions on partner performance and operational effectiveness
- Partner with enablement to ensure field teams adopt new processes effectively
Preferred Qualifications
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No preferred qualifications provided.