Partner Development Alliance Lead, Apj

**The Opportunity**

Cognizant is looking for an enthusiastic and energetic business development and alliance professional to join our Global Partner Ecosystem (GPE). GPE is chartered with driving incremental revenue growth through joint offers and market development programs with Cognizant’s most strategic and global technology and solution partners. Our GPE team is a critical function for executing our strategy which is increasingly becoming more dependent on deep relationships with critical partners.

As the Head of Strategic Partnerships for APJ, you will be responsible for leading and managing a high-performing team to drive strategic partnerships across all service lines in ANZ, ASEAN, and Japan. You will play a pivotal role in shaping and executing our partner strategy, forging deeper relationships with key technology partners such as AWS, IBM, Google, Microsoft, ServiceNow, Salesforce, and many others.

**Strategic Partnership Development and Leadership**:

- Develop and execute a comprehensive strategic partnership plan for APJ, aligned with the overall company strategy.
- Identify, prioritize, and cultivate strategic partnerships with key technology providers to drive business growth and innovation.
- Build strong, collaborative relationships with C-level executives at partner organizations.
- Negotiate and secure favorable partnership agreements that maximize value for the company.

**Team Management**:

- Lead and mentor a team of experienced alliance managers across APJ.
- Foster a high-performance culture that emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and accountability.
- Provide guidance, coaching, and development opportunities to team members.
- Recruit and hire top talent to strengthen the team.

**Business Development**:

- Collaborate with sales and delivery teams to identify opportunities for joint solutions and go-to-market initiatives.
- Drive pipeline generation and revenue growth through strategic partnerships.
- Develop and execute joint marketing and sales campaigns to increase market visibility.

**Partnership Optimization**:

- Continuously evaluate and optimize the partner ecosystem to ensure alignment with business objectives.
- Identify and address potential risks and challenges associated with partnerships.
- Monitor industry trends and emerging technologies to identify new partnership opportunities.

**Performance Measurement**:

- Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of partnership initiatives.
- Track and analyze partnership performance metrics to identify areas for improvement.
- Report on partnership progress and achievements to executive leadership.

**_Required Capabilities/Skills/Years of Experience:_**
- Domain and/or industry skills
- Technology skills, including an understanding of the hyperscalers, genAI, ISVs and other technology segments
- Years of Experience- Minimum 15+ years in senior leadership role
- Minimum 10+ years in IT services industry
- Other requirements- Proven track record in strategic partnership management, preferably in the technology industry.
- Deep understanding of the technology landscape, including cloud computing, AI, CX/CRM, and cybersecurity.
- Strong leadership and people management skills.
- Excellent negotiation and communication skills.
- Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with C-level executives.
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
- Experience working in a matrixed organization.

**_Preferred Capabilities/Skills/Years of Experience:_**
- Cross-functional collaboration:
- Foster strong relationships with leaders across all service lines to align partner strategies and identify cross-selling opportunities.
- Facilitate collaboration between alliance managers and service line teams to ensure seamless execution of joint initiatives.
- Innovation and co-creation: Encourage innovation and co-creation with partners to develop joint solutions and services that address emerging market needs.
- Global alignment:
- Collaborate closely with global counterparts to ensure consistency and alignment in partner strategies and programs across different regions.
- Identify opportunities for global partnerships and joint ventures to drive scale and efficiency.

**What You Can Expect**
- Organization driven by technology and industry expertise
- Open, can-do’ team spirit
- Entrepreneurial environment where you can make your own ideas a reality
- Drive your own career
- Market benefits

**About Cognizant