Marketing Manager, Partnerships

About OpenSesame

OpenSesame is transforming workforce development with an AI-powered marketplace of skill-building courses and learning pathways. We help organizations build skills and stay compliant through a high-quality content catalog, seamless LMS/LXP integrations, and advanced capabilities like skills-based curation and multilingual content creation. More than 2,000 companies, including 150+ of the Global 2000, rely on OpenSesame to develop the world's most productive and admired workforces.

About the Role

The Partner Marketing Manager leads the strategy and execution of integrated marketing programs that grow OpenSesame’s indirect business. This role activates priority partners’ installed bases and prospects, creates demand through partner-specific and vertical campaigns, and helps convert that demand into sales-accepted leads, qualified pipeline, and bookings.

The role collaborates closely with the Partners team, Sales, Product Marketing, Content, Field and Account-Based Marketing, and GTM Operations to connect partner priorities to scalable go-to-market programs and measurable business outcomes.

How you'll find success

While you are strategically capable, you love to roll up your sleeves and manage the details required to bring programs to life. You translate joint priorities into clear audiences, messages, campaigns, conversion paths, and measurable outcomes, actively driving the work from planning through execution and optimization.

You build trust with internal stakeholders and external partners, bring structure to a complex partner ecosystem, and maintain the judgment to prioritize high-impact work. You can set thoughtful boundaries around ad hoc requests and reshape activities that do not support shared business goals.

Success is measured by marketing-attributable indirect bookings generated through partner campaigns. Beyond delivering results, you will be seen as a critical collaborator across the Partners and Marketing teams, known for making priorities clearer, execution easier, and joint programs more effective.

What You’ll Own

Indirect Funnel and Pipeline Generation: Plan, execute, and optimize marketing programs in alignment with partner overall annual and quarterly plans that generate partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline and bookings. Activate priority partners’ installed bases and prospects through co-marketing, account-based programs, vertical campaigns, email, webinars, events, marketplace motions, landing pages, and other channels. Manage applicable marketing development funds, including plans, utilization, compliance, and performance reporting. Partner-Rep Activation and Marketing-in-a-Box: Equip Strategic Partner Managers (SPMs) and partner field teams with scalable campaigns, better-together messaging, campaign kits, events, target-account plays, engagement flows, product and launch communications, and clear referral pathways. Make it easy for partner representatives to identify opportunities, engage their audiences, and take the next action. Bring the Partner Story to Life: Ensure OpenSesame’s partner value and better-together stories are clearly and consistently represented across the company’s marketing programs and channels. Collaborate with Product Marketing, Content, Field and ABM, and other teams to translate partner capabilities, launches, and customer value into compelling messaging, content, and market-facing experiences. Cross-Functional Operating Model: Serve as the marketing counterpart to the Partners team. Establish shared briefs, planning cadences, roles, handoffs, service levels, and decision criteria so Partner Marketing and SPMs work from one-market priority and one-funnel plan. Operational Effectiveness and Revenue Measurement: Set campaign goals and reporting cadences in partnership with GTM Operations. Track referral and non-referral leads, MQLs, SALs, opportunities, pipeline, sourced revenue, expansion revenue, engagement, and conversion rates by partner and program. Translate performance into clear optimization and investment decisions. Personal Effectiveness and AI Utilization: Build repeatable, scalable programs and be an organized, proactive cross-functional partner. Apply AI to account and audience research, personalization, partner-specific content adaptation, campaign development, analysis, reporting, and workflow efficiency.

Performance Objectives

Specific performance targets will be established with leadership after the partner funnel baseline has been validated.

First 30 Days: Execute, Learn & Evaluate As You Go

Goal: Seamlessly take ownership of in-flight work while building a strong understanding of the partner ecosystem, current priorities, and performance.

Take the reins: Quickly transition ownership of current partner marketing programs, campaigns, and partner commitments, establishing clear priorities and driving existing work forward with minimal disruption. Learn the partner ecosystem: Build an understanding of partner tiers, strategic priorities, key audiences, existing programs, and the role each partner plays in OpenSesame’s growth strategy. Build stakeholder context: Meet with Strategic Partner Managers, Sales, Product Marketing, Content, Field and ABM, GTM Operations, and other key collaborators to understand goals, current commitments, ways of working, and immediate needs. Understand current performance: Review available funnel and campaign performance to establish initial context around what is working, where challenges exist, and which areas require deeper evaluation. Confirm immediate priorities: Align with leadership and key partners on the most important near-term deliverables, risks, and decisions requiring attention. Funnel baseline: Assess performance by partner and motion across indirect non-referral leads, MQLs, SALs, opportunities, pipeline, revenue, expansion, engagement, and conversion rates. Identify the largest leaks, with particular attention to lead-to-SAL conversion.

Key deliverables:

Ownership and status tracker for all in-flight partner marketing programs, campaigns, and commitments. Documented near-term priorities, milestones, risks, and dependencies. Initial partner ecosystem and stakeholder overview, including key objectives and ways of working. 30-day execution plan for advancing immediate priorities and addressing urgent needs. Partner marketing current-state assessment and opportunity map. Baseline partner funnel scorecard and agreed metric definitions. Prioritized 90-day roadmap, request-intake criteria, and recommended quick wins.

Days 31–60: Build the System and Launch Pilots

Goal: Turn alignment into focused campaigns and establish the operating cadence needed to convert demand.

Campaign planning: Select priority partners, verticals, accounts, audiences, offers, calls to action, and conversion paths. Build campaign briefs that connect partner value propositions to OpenSesame solutions and measurable funnel targets. Portfolio and program audit: Review partner tiers, current plans, active and planned campaigns, installed-base and prospect access, target-account lists, partner assets, events, MDF, referral motions, and marketplace opportunities. Partner-rep enablement: Equip Strategic Partner Managers with the messaging, engagement flows, target-account plays, campaign kits, and referral guidance needed to activate partner field teams alongside the market-facing pilots. Measurement and handoffs: Put campaign tracking, routing, follow-up expectations, and weekly MQL-to-SAL-to-opportunity reviews in place with GTM Operations and Sales. Communication rhythm: Establish a consistent planning and performance cadence with the Partnerships team, including decisions, dependencies, risks, and recommendations to continue, pause, or stop work.

Key deliverables:

Partner marketing current-state assessment and opportunity map. Baseline partner funnel scorecard and agreed metric definitions. Approved partner campaign briefs and a shared quarterly activation calendar. Partner-rep activation toolkit and weekly funnel review cadence.

Days 61–90: Optimize, Prove Impact, and Scale

Goal: Use early results to improve conversion, focus investment, and create a repeatable partner growth engine.

Performance optimization: Analyze pilot engagement and movement across MQLs, SALs, opportunities, pipeline, and revenue. Test and improve audience quality, messaging, offers, landing pages, routing, and follow-up. Portfolio decisions: Determine which partner, vertical, market-activation, and partner-rep activation plays should scale. Recommend what to pause, stop, or redesign when it is not supporting priority outcomes. Playbook development: Document the repeatable partner campaign model, including intake, tiering, briefing, launch, partner enablement, lead management, reporting, MDF, and post-campaign review. Forward planning: Build the next-quarter roadmap with clear capacity assumptions, partner priorities, funnel targets, campaign milestones, dependencies, and investment recommendations. Executive readout: Present early impact, conversion insights, risks, and recommended next steps to Marketing and Partners teams leadership.

Key deliverables:

Pilot performance and optimization readout showing early funnel impact. Repeatable partner marketing playbook and shared funnel scorecard. Leadership-approved next-quarter plan focused on the plays most likely to create SALs, opportunities, and revenue.

You might notice we don’t have the typical list of requirements and buzzwords here. That’s intentional.

We’re looking for proven examples from your career that show you can do this job, that you’ve built systems, driven alignment, and created impact at scale. When you look back a year from now, you’ll know you’ve made OpenSesame better, faster, and stronger because of your leadership.

Although it should go without saying (but it doesn’t), OpenSesame is an equal opportunity employer and we strive to create a welcoming, inclusive environment that celebrates diversity.

We use AI. For real. Every team at OpenSesame works with AI tools daily, not as a buzzword, but as practice. You'll build fluency that most companies are still talking about adopting, with hands-on training and clear guardrails to experiment responsibly. AI amplifies your creativity and judgment. It doesn't replace them. The skills you build here travel with you.

Location: This position can be based anywhere in the US. We operate as a remote-first company, and invest in mandatory all-company meetings several times a year in addition to required team travel of up to 15 days per year as necessary.

Performance Driven: We're looking for self-starters with a track record of delivering excellent results, but we're highly selective about who we hire. We don't focus on typical job requirements, instead, we're interested in specific examples from your past experiences.

Compensation: The pay range for this position is generally between $115,000 – $145,000, depending on experience. We carefully consider a wide range of compensation factors, relying on market data to determine compensation and consider your specific job family, background, skills, and experience. We prioritize pay transparency, fairness, and equity to create a positive and inclusive work environment, regularly reviewing our compensation practices to align with our values and goals.

Benefits: Benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, flexible PTO, 401(k) matching, incentive stock options, volunteer time off, Employee Resource Groups, and a generous professional development program with dedicated annual time off for learning and growth.

Equal Employment Opportunity: OpenSesame is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer that values and welcomes diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of various legally protected characteristics, including criminal history, and strive to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. We prioritize safety and security and may use your information accordingly, and you can contact us for assistance or accommodations during the job application process.

Pay Transparency: At OpenSesame, we prioritize pay transparency, fairness, and equity to create a positive and inclusive work environment, regularly reviewing our compensation practices to align with our values and goals. We provide competitive and fair compensation to our employees based on their skills, experience, and performance.

CPRA (California Candidates): When you submit your application, OpenSesame may collect and use your personal information in accordance with our privacy policy and the CPRA. This may include personal details and employment history, and will only be used for employment-related purposes. We may share this information with third-party service providers, but we will not sell it to third parties. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us, and for more information on your rights under the CPRA, refer to our privacy policy or the California Attorney General's website.

We Care About Your Security: We’ve been made aware of a phishing scam involving individuals impersonating OpenSesame recruiters. All legitimate communication from our team will come from @opensesame.com email addresses. If you receive a suspicious message, please contact us directly at careers@opensesame.com. Your security matters to us, thank you for staying vigilant.