Summary / Objective The Channel Development Manager is a pivotal hire in the 3-GIS EMEA growth strategy.
This role is responsible for building and scaling a partner ecosystem through the Esri distributor network across the EMEA region, creating a force-multiplying revenue channel that operates alongside the direct sales motion.
The Channel Development Manager will identify, recruit, onboard, and activate Esri distributor partners — developing the commercial relationships, technical enablement foundations, and joint go-to-market plans needed to generate consistent, growing pipeline and revenue.
In addition to the core channel build, this role carries a structured responsibility for utility market intelligence.
Through the Esri distributor network, the Channel Development Manager will systematically gather market data on the appetite for 3-GIS utility products across EMEA, producing a formal market assessment that informs future product and hiring decisions.
This is a founding role in the 3-GIS EMEA channel programme.
Partners recruited in Year 1 will carry preferential commercial terms and the closest access to leadership and technical resources.
The Channel Development Manager has the opportunity to build something significant from the ground up and grow with the programme as it scales.
Essential Functions Partner Recruitment & Activation Map the Esri distributor landscape across EMEA priority geographies and build a qualified pipeline of partner candidates Identify and approach 8-10 high-potential Esri distributors based on existing customer relationships, technical capability, and sales capacity Lead commercial negotiations and onboard 3-5 founding partners in Year 1 with clear joint account plans and activation milestones Develop and maintain a structured partner qualification framework — applying the same rigour to partner selection as to customer qualification Scale to 8-10 active partners by end of Year 2 through systematic recruitment and activation Partner Enablement & Relationship Management Work closely with the EMEA Solution Architect to deliver technical enablement programmes for each partner — integration playbooks, product architecture overviews, and customer-facing technical support Conduct joint account mapping sessions with each active partner to identify named target accounts and assign shared pursuit plans Run quarterly business reviews with all active partners — structured pipeline reviews, blocker identification, and joint planning for the coming quarter Maintain regular cadence with partner contacts (minimum fortnightly) to ensure active engagement, deal progression, and issue resolution Develop and protect a formal deal registration process from day one — partner confidence in opportunity protection is foundational to programme success Revenue Generation & Pipeline Management Drive co-sell activity with active partners — participating in customer meetings, technical presentations, and commercial discussions as required Own and forecast channel pipeline with the same discipline as a direct sales rep — accurate staging, probability weighting, and close date management Identify and surface the highest-value co-sell opportunities across the partner base for prioritisation of Solution Architect and Sales Engineer resource Utility Market Intelligence Embed structured utility market sounding board questions into all Esri distributor onboarding conversations from Month 1 Gather systematic intelligence on electric utility operator relationships, product appetite, and localisation requirements across the distributor network Produce a formal utility market assessment by Month 5 covering named distributors, expressed interest levels, addressable accounts, and localisation requirements Present findings and a clear recommendation to leadership as the basis for the utility product go-to-market business case Cross-Functional Collaboration Work closely with the EMEA Marketing Manager to develop partner-facing collateral, co-marketing programmes, and market development fund (MDF) activity Collaborate with the Solution Architect on partner technical enablement planning and capacity allocation Provide regular pipeline and market intelligence updates to EMEA GM for leadership reporting Assist the marketing function with partner-facing content, case studies, and event representation Competencies Proven track record in channel development, partner management, or business development within enterprise software, GIS, or infrastructure technology Deep understanding of the channel sales motion — the ability to build, enable, and motivate indirect sales partners is fundamentally different from direct selling and requires specific experience Commercially astute — able to structure partner commercial arrangements, negotiate founding partner terms, and manage deal registration with rigour Technically curious — comfortable engaging with geospatial, network management, or infrastructure technology concepts and able to connect product capability to partner and customer value Relationship-oriented — able to build genuine trust with partner contacts at a senior level and maintain those relationships over multi-year horizons Self-directed and patient — channel revenue lags direct revenue and requires discipline and resilience to build through the foundation phase Strong communication skills — able to represent 3-GIS credibly in partner-facing commercial conversations and internally with EMEA leadership Experience with Esri products or the Esri distributor ecosystem is a significant advantage Familiarity with the EMEA telco, dark fiber, data center, or electric utility market landscape Education & Experience Bachelor's degree in Business, Information Technology, GIS, Engineering, or related discipline — or equivalent professional experience 7+ years of relevant professional experience with at least 3-5 years in a channel, partner management, or indirect sales role Demonstrated track record of building and activating channel partnerships that generated measurable revenue — references required Experience working within or alongside the Esri partner ecosystem is highly advantageous Experience selling into or working with telco, utility, infrastructure, or GIS market segments preferred Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills — ability to operate effectively across multiple languages and cultures within the EMEA region is advantageous Powered by JazzHR