Partner Program Leader

Job Description

Nokia's Network Infrastructure group is at the heart of a revolution to bring more and faster network capacity to people worldwide through our ambition, innovation, and technical expertise.

The NI Services & Solutions organization is responsible for:

• Develop and support the NI (IP, Optics and Fixed) services portfolio to contribute to the profitable growth of NI revenues
• Drive Services business Growth and assure services competitiveness, performance, innovation, and customer satisfaction.
• Facilitate transversal solutions across the NI portfolio, focusing on elements that the BDs would not natively address.
• Run a highly competitive NI Partner Program to grow NI indirect business
• Portfolio and GTM for network automation of our customer operation processes at NI Level

The Partner Program Manager is responsible for developing and managing a Partner Program that drive business growth, enhance market positioning, and create value for the organization. This role involves overseeing the planning, execution, and optimization of partner programs, ensuring strong collaboration between internal teams and external partners. The leader will also work to identify new partnership opportunities and foster long-term relationships with partners that align with the company's objectives.

Responsibilities

• Lead the vision, strategy, and execution of the NI Partner Program
• Collaborate with leadership to align partner strategies with overall business goals.
• Oversee the end-to-end partner lifecycle, from onboarding to ongoing partner management.
• Design and implement partner incentives and reward programs
• Ensure partner enablement through effective training, tools, and resources
• Monitor and evaluate the performance of partner programs, adjusting strategies as needed to improve results.
• Work closely with sales, marketing, product, and operations teams to ensure alignment and successful execution of partner initiatives
• Act as a liaison between partners and internal teams to ensure effective communication and issue resolution
• Identify and evaluate new partnership opportunities to expand the company's partner ecosystem.
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) for the partner program and monitor progress against goals
• Analyze partner performance data, identify trends, and make data-driven recommendations for improvement
• Regularly report on program performance to senior leadership, highlighting successes, challenges, and opportunities for growth
• Ensure that all partner activities comply with legal, regulatory, and company standards.
• Identify potential risks in partner relationships and take proactive steps to mitigate them.

Qualifications

You have:

• Proven experience (10+ years) in partner management along with business development, product line management, marketing, sales, or a similar executive roles.
• Strong leadership skills with a demonstrated ability to drive results through strategic partnerships.
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills, with experience managing complex partner relationships.
• In-depth understanding of the company's products, market landscape, and competitive positioning.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to translate data into actionable insights.
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and manage cross-functional teams.
• Experience in the Telecom & IT market
• Experience with Enterprise Customers
• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or a related field

Skills and Competencies:

• Strategic thinking and problem-solving ability
• Negotiation and contract management expertise
• Strong business acumen and market insight
• Project management and organizational skills
• High level of adaptability and ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment

It would be nice if you also had:

• Master's in business administration (MBA)

About Us

Come create the technology that helps the world act together
Nokia is committed to innovation and technology leadership across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. Your career here will have a positive impact on people's lives and will help us build the capabilities needed for a more productive, sustainable, and inclusive world.
We challenge ourselves to create an inclusive way of working where we are open to new ideas, empowered to take risks and fearless to bring our authentic selves to work

What we offer
Nokia offers continuous learning opportunities, well-being programs to support you mentally and physically, opportunities to join and get supported by employee resource groups, mentoring programs and highly diverse teams with an inclusive culture where people thrive and are empowered.

Nokia is committed to inclusion and is an equal opportunity employer
Nokia has received the following recognitions for its commitment to inclusion & equality:

• One of the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere
• Gender-Equality Index by Bloomberg
• Workplace Pride Global Benchmark

At Nokia, we act inclusively and respect the uniqueness of people. Nokia's employment decisions are made regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. We are committed to a culture of inclusion built upon our core value of respect.
Join us and be part of a company where you will feel included and empowered to succeed.

Additional Information
US/Canada Nokia Offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes but is not limited to:

• Corporate Retirement Savings Plan
• Health and dental benefits
• Short-term disability, and long-term disability
• Life insurance, and AD&D - Company paid 2x base pay
• Optional or Supplemental life and AD&D insurance (Employee/Spouse/Child)
• Paid time off for holidays and Vacation
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Tuition Assistance Plan
• Adoption assistance
• Employee Assistance Program/Work Life Resource Program

The above benefits exclude students.

Disclaimer for US/Canada

Nokia Maintains broad annual base salary ranges for its roles in order to account for variations in knowledge, skills, experience and market conditions, and with consideration to internal peer equity.(Check the salary ranges in the job info section for this role)

All North America job posts will post for a minimum of 7 calendar days and up to 180 days or until candidate/s identified.

About the Team

The pandemic has highlighted how important telecoms networks are to society. Nokia's Network Infrastructure group is at the heart of a revolution to bring more and faster network capacity to people worldwide through our ambition, innovation, and technical expertise.