Career guide
Partner Marketing Manager: What the Job Is, Duties and How to Get Hired
A partner marketing manager plans and runs joint marketing with other companies, such as technology partners, integration partners, resellers, agencies and co-brand partners. The work covers co-marketing campaigns, joint webinars and content, partner launches, partner programs and marketing funds, and reporting on revenue that partners help create.
Key takeaways
- A partner marketing manager runs joint marketing with other companies, such as technology partners, resellers, agencies and co-brand partners.
- Partner marketing work includes co-marketing campaigns, joint content and webinars, partner launches, partner programs, market development funds and partner reporting.
- Partner marketing is broader than channel marketing, which focuses on partners who resell the product; partner marketing also covers alliances and co-marketing with companies that don't resell.
- Partner marketing managers are most common at B2B software, cloud and technology companies with partner ecosystems.
- Field marketing, channel marketing, demand generation, alliances and agency account roles are common routes into partner marketing.
What does a partner marketing manager do?
A partner marketing manager works with other companies to market together, so both reach customers they couldn’t easily reach alone. The partners might be software companies whose products integrate with yours, cloud platforms and marketplaces, resellers, consulting firms and agencies, or consumer brands doing a co-branded launch.
The main responsibilities are:
- Co-marketing campaigns planned and paid for with partners.
- Joint content and events: webinars, guides, case studies, conference sessions and partner days.
- Partner launches when a new integration, listing or partnership goes live.
- Partner programs: the tiers, benefits and marketing resources partners get.
- Market development funds (MDF): budget given to partners for approved marketing, plus tracking what it produced.
- Reporting on partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline and revenue.
What is the difference between partner marketing and channel marketing?
Partner marketing covers all joint marketing with other companies, while channel marketing focuses on the partners who sell your product for you.
| Partner marketing | Channel marketing | |
|---|---|---|
| Partners | Technology and integration partners, alliances, agencies, resellers, co-brands | Resellers, distributors, retailers and other sales partners |
| Main goal | Joint reach, credibility and pipeline | Revenue sold through partners |
| Typical work | Co-marketing, joint launches, alliances content, marketplace listings | Partner enablement, campaigns-in-a-box, MDF, partner portals |
| Measured by | Partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline | Partner-sold revenue |
Many companies use the two titles interchangeably, so read the posting closely. Our guide to the channel marketing manager role covers the reseller side in depth.
Partner marketing manager job description template
Use this as a starting point for a posting, or to check how your experience lines up with one.
Partner Marketing Manager About the role We're looking for a partner marketing manager to grow pipeline and awareness through our partners, including [technology partners, cloud marketplaces, agencies or resellers]. What you'll do - Plan and run co-marketing campaigns with our top partners - Launch new integrations and partnerships with joint content, webinars and announcements - Manage our partner program's marketing benefits and market development funds - Build partner marketing resources and campaign kits - Report on partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline What you'll bring - [Number]+ years in partner, channel, field or demand generation marketing - Experience running joint campaigns with outside companies - Comfort with [CRM] and [marketing automation platform] - Strong project management and relationship skills
What skills does a partner marketing manager need?
A partner marketing manager needs relationship skills, campaign planning and enough patience to coordinate two companies’ teams at once.
| Skill | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Relationship management | Joint campaigns only happen when partner contacts trust you |
| Campaign planning | Co-marketing needs clear goals, roles and timelines for both sides |
| Negotiation | You agree budgets, MDF terms and who does what |
| Project management | Approvals and assets come from two organizations |
| Reporting | Partner-sourced pipeline is how the role proves its value |
| Product knowledge | You explain why the two products are better together |
How do you become a partner marketing manager?
Most partner marketing managers come from field marketing, channel marketing, demand generation, alliances or agency account roles.
- Name the partner work you’ve already done. A joint webinar, a co-branded event or a campaign with an outside company is partner marketing experience. Say so on your resume.
- Learn the ecosystem. Look at which companies your target employer integrates with, sells through or lists on, and which partners appear on its website.
- Show you can coordinate outside your own team. Examples of managing vendors, agencies or clients carry over well.
- Aim at B2B technology. Partner marketing roles are most common at software and cloud companies. Our guides to SaaS marketing jobs and B2B marketing jobs cover those employers.
In interviews, describe a joint project in your own words, including the part where the two sides disagreed and how you got to yes. That moment says more about you as a partner marketer than any list of campaigns.
How much does a partner marketing manager make?
BLS doesn’t publish a separate figure for partner marketing managers; they’re counted with marketing managers. Our marketing manager salary page shows the national median and range by state, from BLS data.
Tailor your resume to the partner marketing role
Partner marketing postings ask for proof of joint campaigns, partner relationships and pipeline results. Recon reads the posting and your resume and suggests rewrites that lead with what this role needs, using only what’s already true on your resume.
FAQ
What is partner marketing?
Partner marketing is marketing done jointly with another company to reach each other’s audiences. It includes co-marketing campaigns, joint content and events, integration launches and partner programs.
What are market development funds (MDF)?
Market development funds are money a company gives its partners to spend on approved marketing, such as events, ads or campaigns, that promotes the company’s products. Partner and channel marketers manage the requests, approvals and results.
Is partner marketing a sales or marketing role?
It’s a marketing role that works closely with partnership and sales teams. Partner managers own the business relationship; partner marketers own the joint campaigns, content and programs.
What is the career path for a partner marketing manager?
Partner marketing managers can grow into senior manager, director or head of partner marketing, or move into alliances, channel leadership, field marketing or broader demand generation roles.
Do you need technical knowledge for partner marketing?
At software companies, you need to understand what the integration or joint offering does and why customers want it. You don’t need to build it, but you do need to explain it clearly.