When should a startup make its first partner manager hire?

Usually once direct sales is working and partners are already bringing in deals without anyone managing them. A partner manager turns those occasional referrals into a repeatable channel.

Should a partner manager come from sales or from partnerships?

Either can work. Sellers bring deal sense and pace, and partnership people bring programme experience and partner relationships. The right mix depends on how much of the role is new partner recruitment. We help you decide on the discovery call.

Can you find partner managers with networks in specific markets?

Yes. We have placed channel hires building partner networks in new regions, including the Middle East and DACH. Tell us the markets and we will map the talent.

How long does a partner manager search take?

We typically deliver a shortlist within 10 to 15 working days and aim to have your partner manager hired within 30 days. Notice periods can add time after the offer is signed.

What does it cost to hire a partner manager through The Recruiter?

It depends on the model you choose: contingent search, embedded recruitment or Recruitment as a Service. If you are building out a partner and sales team, embedded recruitment or Recruitment as a Service usually works out better than single searches. We recommend the right fit on the discovery call.

Is The Recruiter a licensed employment agency?

Yes. TechR Ltd trading as The Recruiter holds Employment Agency Licence EA 4551.

— SPECIALIST ROLE SEARCH

Partner Manager Recruitment,
in Ireland.

Partners can open markets your sales team can't reach alone. We find and place Partner Managers and Channel Managers for VC-backed SaaS companies across Ireland and EMEA, from the first partner hire to the leader who builds the channel.

Book a call

How we work

PHONOVATION

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ACTIONPOINT

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CONDUKTOR

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FAMLY

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HUMAANS

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INSTRUCTURE

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ITQUOTES

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JUST EAT TAKEAWAY

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NOLOCO

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RADIUS TECHNOLOGIES

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SCURRI

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STORA

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PHONOVATION ◆ ACTIONPOINT ◆ CONDUKTOR ◆ FAMLY ◆ HUMAANS ◆ INSTRUCTURE ◆ ITQUOTES ◆ JUST EAT TAKEAWAY ◆ NOLOCO ◆ RADIUS TECHNOLOGIES ◆ SCURRI ◆ STORA ◆

— WHAT CLIENTS ASK US

Before you
brief us.

Three questions founders and sales leaders ask us before every partner or channel search.

Should we hire a Partner Manager or a Channel Manager?

The titles overlap. Partner Managers usually run referral, technology and integration partners. Channel Managers usually run resellers and distributors who sell for you. We help you decide which model fits your product on the discovery call.

Where do you find good Partner Managers?

Mostly in partner and alliance teams at SaaS companies selling into a similar market, plus account managers at resellers and consultancies who know how partners make money. We approach them directly, so you meet people who aren't applying elsewhere.

What if the hire doesn't work out?

Every placement is covered, with terms set by the model you choose: 12 months on Recruitment as a Service, active throughout an Embedded engagement, and 3 months on retained and contingent search. We'll set out which fits on the discovery call.

— THE PROFILE

What makes
a great partner manager.

The partner managers who succeed in VC-backed SaaS share a few consistent traits:

01.

Thinks in partner economics.

They know why a partner would sell your product and what it earns them. We test whether they can build a programme partners want to join.

02.

Recruits and activates.

Signing partners is the easy part. The best ones get partners trained, generating pipeline and closing deals in the first quarter.

03.

Works across the business.

One day it is a joint pitch with a partner's sales team, the next it is aligning marketing, product and your own AEs. They keep everyone pulling the same way.

04.

Builds with little behind them.

At early stage there is rarely a partner team or programme. The strong hires write the playbook, set the targets and prove the channel works.

— THE MARKET RIGHT NOW

Partner talent
in Ireland and EMEA.

Experienced partner and channel talent is hard to find in Ireland. Many strong people sit in large vendor programmes and have never built a channel from scratch. The challenge is finding someone who can recruit partners, run the numbers and sell internally without a large team behind them.

10–15

Working days to shortlist

30

Days, target time to hire

— COMPENSATION RANGE

Partner Manager and Channel Manager packages in Irish SaaS companies typically range from €70,000 to €110,000 OTE, usually with a 60/40 split between base and variable. Partner type, region and how much new business the role owns all move the number.

Recently placed: two channel hires for a global EdTech company, a Channel Director for the Middle East and a Channel Account Manager for DACH. See all placed roles, or read how we built their GTM team across EMEA and the US.

— HOW WE RUN A PARTNER MANAGER SEARCH

From brief to
signed offer.

A structured process built around speed and quality. Not a CV pile, but a considered shortlist of people your partners will want to work with.

01.

Discovery briefing

We get into your product, your partner model, which partners you have today and what success looks like at 3, 6 and 12 months.

02.

Market mapping

We map partner and channel talent across Ireland and EMEA, including strong performers who aren't actively looking and people with networks in your target markets.

03.

Outreach and assessment

Every candidate is approached directly and assessed on partner experience, commercial track record, programme building and genuine interest in your opportunity.

04.

Shortlist delivery

3 to 5 interview-ready candidates, each with a written brief explaining why they fit your situation.

05.

Offer management

We handle scheduling, interview prep, debriefs, compensation benchmarking and counteroffers through to a signed offer.

— RELATED ROLES

Also placing
these roles.

We recruit across the full GTM function for SaaS companies across Ireland and EMEA.

VP Sales Recruitment

Sales leaders who build teams, process and pipeline from Series A to C.

Account Executive Recruitment

SaaS closers who turn pipeline into revenue, from founding AEs to enterprise.

Sales Engineer Recruitment

Pre-sales hires who win the technical evaluation, including multilingual SEs.

— FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Partner manager hiring
questions answered.

Everything you need to know before starting a partner or channel search.

Usually once direct sales is working and partners are already bringing in deals without anyone managing them. A partner manager turns those occasional referrals into a repeatable channel.
Either can work. Sellers bring deal sense and pace, and partnership people bring programme experience and partner relationships. The right mix depends on how much of the role is new partner recruitment. We help you decide on the discovery call.
Yes. We have placed channel hires building partner networks in new regions, including the Middle East and DACH. Tell us the markets and we will map the talent.
We typically deliver a shortlist within 10 to 15 working days and aim to have your partner manager hired within 30 days. Notice periods can add time after the offer is signed.
It depends on the model you choose: contingent search, embedded recruitment or Recruitment as a Service. If you are building out a partner and sales team, embedded recruitment or Recruitment as a Service usually works out better than single searches. We recommend the right fit on the discovery call.
Yes. TechR Ltd trading as The Recruiter holds Employment Agency Licence EA 4551.

— START YOUR SEARCH

Ready to hire your
next partner manager?

Book a 30-minute discovery call. We'll tell you what the market looks like for your stage, what a realistic brief looks like, and whether we're the right fit to run the search.

Book a discovery call