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Role guide

Channel and alliances recruitment

Partner-sourced revenue is the highest-leverage line in most software plans. We hire channel managers, alliances leads and hyperscaler-facing specialists who bring an ecosystem with them.

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Key facts

UK channel OTE
£150k–£185k

£85k–£105k base

US channel OTE
$250k–$300k

$140k–$165k base

Ramp
6–9 months

Longer than direct sales; partner cycles

Coverage
VAR, GSI, MSP, cloud

AWS, Azure and GCP marketplace motions

Relationships are the product

In channel hiring, the network is the asset. We map by partner organisation as well as by vendor, so we can find the person who already has working relationships with the specific VARs, GSIs, MSPs or distributors in your target territory.

That mapping also tells you something useful before you hire: if no one in your region has built the ecosystem you want, the honest answer may be that this is a build role, not a bring role, and it should be scoped and paid accordingly.

Marketplace and hyperscaler motions

Co-sell through AWS, Azure and Google Cloud marketplaces is now a distinct skill set: private offers, committed spend drawdown, partner-sourced versus partner-influenced attribution and the internal mechanics of hyperscaler field teams.

We track the people who have actually driven marketplace revenue, not just listed a product on it.

Roles we cover

Partner sales manager, channel account manager, alliances manager, distribution manager, partner solutions architect, and director or VP of channel and alliances across EMEA and North America.

2026 pay benchmarks

What these roles pay

RoleUKUSNote
Channel / Alliances Manager£85k–£105k base · £150k–£185k OTE$140k–$165k base · $250k–$300k OTEPartner-sourced quota, longer ramp
Sales Director / RVP£120k–£150k base · £240k–£300k OTE$180k–$230k base · $360k–$450k OTETeam quota 5–6x, equity meaningful

Full dataset: 2026 GTM salary and hiring benchmarks. Model the cost of a vacant seat with the quota loss calculator.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How long does a channel hire take to produce revenue?
Six to nine months, longer than a direct seller. Partner cycles involve enablement, joint pipeline building and at least one full deal cycle through the partner's own customer base. Comp plans that expect direct-sales pace in quarter one drive early attrition.
What does a channel or alliances manager earn in 2026?
In the UK, £85k to £105k base with £150k to £185k OTE. In the US, $140k to $165k base with $250k to $300k OTE. Quota is partner-sourced rather than direct, and hyperscaler-facing alliances roles pay above the top of both ranges.
What does GTM Search cost?
Contingent searches are charged as a percentage of first-year base salary, payable only on placement. Retained and RPO engagements are staged or fixed-fee and work out lower per hire at volume. We quote before any work starts, with no fee for the market map.
How long does a search take?
You receive a shortlist within 14 days of kick-off. Median time from kick-off to signed offer across our 2025 to 2026 searches is under six weeks, with the interview process itself the usual bottleneck rather than pipeline.
Contingent, retained or RPO: which should we use?
Contingent suits one-off or opportunistic hires. Retained suits leadership and confidential searches where you need guaranteed focus. RPO suits teams hiring five or more revenue seats in a year and wanting a single embedded partner.

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