Director, Global Strategic Alliances

Sphera is a leading global provider of enterprise software and services that enables companies to manage and optimize their environmental, health, safety and sustainability. Our mission is to create a safer, more sustainable and productive world.

Sphera is a portfolio company of Blackstone, a U.S.-based alternative asset investment company that focuses on private equity, technology and innovation, and more. Blackstone businesses succeed through strong partnerships, a personalized approach and a commitment to exceptional performance with uncompromising integrity. Sphera and Blackstone are leaders in the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) space.

We are guided by our core values of Customer Centricity, Accountability, Bias to Action, Innovation, and Collaboration. These values help us recruit the right talent to join our rapidly expanding team around the globe. It is important to us that each and every Spherion is not only eager to challenge themselves and knows how to get work done but is an awesome addition to our company culture.

Sphera is looking for a Director, Global Strategic Alliances to build and scale our strategic partner ecosystem globally, with a particular focus on Global System Integrators (GSIs), System Integrators (SIs), consulting firms, and other strategic partners.

This is a strategic, revenue-focused individual contributor role for someone who enjoys building rather than inheriting an established partner organisation. Sphera's partner ecosystem is still at an early stage, so this person will have the opportunity to shape the strategy, establish the operating model, build relationships, and create repeatable partner-led revenue motions from the ground up.

The goal is not simply to have partners associated with Sphera. We want partners who are actively sourcing and creating opportunities for Sphera, while also developing mutually beneficial relationships where Sphera can bring value back to the partner.

You will own key strategic relationships, joint business planning, partner activation, co-sell execution, and partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline and revenue. You will also work closely across Sales, Marketing, Product, Services, and Customer Success to establish the processes and governance needed to make partner-led growth a meaningful part of Sphera's go-to-market strategy.

Over time, there is potential to build and lead a team as the alliances function grows

What You'll Do

Build and Lead the Strategic Alliance Ecosystem

• Own and grow a portfolio of high-value GSI, SI, consulting, and strategic alliance relationships.
• Identify, recruit, onboard, and activate partners that expand Sphera's market reach and complement our solutions.
• Build trusted relatonships with executive sponsors, alliance leaders, consulting organisations, and sales teams within partner organisations.
• Develop joint business plans aligned to Sphera's growth objectives and partner priorities.
• Identify opportunities for ecosystem expansion based on market potential, customer needs, solution alignment, and revenue opportunity.
• Establish clear rules of engagement and operating models that allow Sphera and its partners to work together effectively.
• Build mutually beneficial relationships where partners are motivated to identify and bring opportunities to Sphera.

Drive Partner-Led Growth

• Own partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline and revenue targets.
• Build repeatable co-sell motions with Sphera's sales organisation and partner sales teams.
• Develop joint account mapping to identify whitespace, prioritise opportunities, and align resources.
• Drive partner participation throughout the sales cycle, from opportunity identification through solution positioning, executive engagement, and deal execution.
• Develop joint value propositions and go-to-market strategies that combine Sphera's technology with partner capabilities.
• Establish lead-routing, opportunity-registration, and rules-of-engagement processes that improve accountability and reduce channel conflict.
• Work with partners to identify opportunities where their customer relationships, consulting expertise, or industry capabilities can create new demand for Sphera.
• Improve win rates by aligning Sphera and partner capabilities around differentiated customer value propositions and joint solutions.

Build Partner Enablement & Activation

• Create scalable partner onboarding, enablement, and activation programmes that accelerate time to revenue.
• Develop joint sales plays, playbooks, solution positioning, and partner enablement programmes.
• Ensure partners have the knowledge, training, tools, and resources required to effectively position Sphera solutions.
• Partner with Marketing on co-marketing, demand generation, events, and thought leadership initiatives.
• Develop joint go-to-market plays that combine Sphera's technology and expertise with partner capabilities.
• Establish clear expectations and success measures for each strategic partner.

Establish Alliance Governance & Operating Model

• Build the governance framework required to scale Sphera's partner ecosystem.
• Establish executive sponsorship, regular pipeline reviews, performance reviews, and QBRs.
• Serve as the operational connector across Sales, Marketing, Product, Services, Customer Success, and partner teams.
• Establish clear escalation processes, accountability, and rules of engagement.
• Drive adoption of Sphera processes and tools that improve collaboration, visibility, and execution.
• Develop executive dashboards and scorecards covering alliance performance, pipeline, revenue, enablement, and engagement.
• Help embed partner-led growth into Sphera's broader sales motion.

Performance & Accountability

• Establish and track KPIs for partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline, ARR, win rates, partner activation, enablement, and co-sell participation.
• Maintain accurate pipeline, forecasts, and executive reporting on alliance performance.
• Measure partner contribution and establish clear accountability for pipeline and revenue outcomes.
• Continuously assess alliance performance, market dynamics, and ecosystem opportunities to determine where Sphera should invest.
• Use data and partner feedback to continually improve the partner model and return on investment.

What We're Looking For

• 10+ years of experience in strategic alliances, partner ecosystems, GSI/SI partnerships, enterprise software sales, business development, or partner leadership within enterprise software or SaaS.
• Proven experience building and developing partner ecosystems, rather than simply managing an established channel.
• Demonstrated success generating partner-sourced or partner-influenced pipeline and revenue.
• Experience working directly with system integrators, global system integrators, consulting organisations, or specialist consultancies.
• Experience developing joint business plans, co-sell motions, partner enablement, and go-to-market strategies.
• Strong executive presence with excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to build relationships at multiple levels, from operational sales teams through to executive stakeholders.
• Comfortable operating strategically while remaining hands-on and accountable for execution.
• Strong understanding of enterprise sales motions, account mapping, opportunity management, and complex multi-stakeholder sales cycles.
• Experience creating partner programmes, governance models, sales plays, and operating processes.
• Comfortable working in an environment where the partner function is still being built and processes are not yet fully established.
• Willingness to travel up to 40% as required.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within EHS&S, Sustainability, Supply Chain Risk Management, Operational Risk Management, Industrial Software, Digital Manufacturing, or a related enterprise software environment.
• Experience working with major consulting and engineering organisations such as Deloitte, Accenture, EY, PwC, ERM, Arcadis, Jacobs, or similar organisations.
• Experience building partnerships with both large global organisations and specialist or boutique consultancies.
• Experience within a SaaS company of similar or smaller scale to Sphera, particularly where you have personally helped build the partner ecosystem.
• Experience with reseller relationships is a plus, but the primary focus of this role is strategic alliances, consulting relationships, and partner-led opportunity creation.
• Experience designing and implementing partner governance frameworks, executive sponsorship programmes, and QBR processes.
• Familiarity with partner enablement, co-sell strategies, joint account planning, and joint go-to-market programmes.

Why This Role Matters

Sphera's strategic partner ecosystem is still developing, giving you the opportunity to build the function rather than inherit it.

You'll have significant influence over how Sphera works with GSIs, SIs, consulting firms, and strategic partners — from deciding where we should invest, to establishing the operating model, to creating the partner motions that generate measurable pipeline and revenue.

This is a role for someone who is comfortable being hands-on, building relationships from the ground up, and turning partnerships into a genuine source of growth.

Pay:

Commensurate with relevant qualifications and experience

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

• Health Savings Account

• Flexible Spending Account

• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match

• Life and Disability Insurance

• Critical Illness Insurance

• Accident Insurance

• Hospital Indemnity Insurance

• Paid Time Off and Holidays

• Flexible Working Schedule

Sphera is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all colleagues. We provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status.

If you require a reasonable accommodation for a disability during the application or recruiting process, please email us at [email protected] to make your request. To help us best respond, please include your name and the position you are applying for in your message.

This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the job and the general nature and level of work performed by job holders within this job. This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of qualifications, skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position.