Strategic Alliances Director

Driving Strategic Growth Through Key Partnerships

This role is central to expanding Redwood's influence and reach within the critical SAP and AWS ecosystems. You will be instrumental in fostering and deepening these vital alliances, ensuring they align with Redwood's overarching business objectives and established partner frameworks. The position demands a strategic thinker with a proven ability to cultivate and sustain strong, executive-level relationships, both within Redwood and with key leaders at SAP and AWS. Your efforts will directly contribute to accelerating pipeline growth and acquiring new clients by designing and executing effective joint go-to-market strategies.

Key Responsibilities and Collaboration

Your day-to-day will involve orchestrating the expansion and strategic development of Redwood's partnerships with SAP and AWS. This includes managing alliance engagements at all levels, both internally and externally. A significant part of your mandate will be to build and maintain relationships with executive leadership at SAP and AWS, alongside Redwood stakeholders. You will be tasked with developing and implementing joint go-to-market plans, working collaboratively with sales, marketing, and Professional Services teams. The goal is to maximise joint business opportunities and drive tangible results.

Furthermore, you will act as a crucial liaison between Redwood's Product Management and Engineering teams and their counterparts at SAP and AWS. This involves facilitating access to key product owners and experts to help shape a cohesive joint product roadmap. Performance will be measured against key performance indicators, including partner-specific metrics for SAP and AWS, as well as Redwood's own targets. You will also represent Redwood at significant partner events, executive forums, and industry conferences, thereby enhancing brand visibility and stakeholder engagement. Operational aspects will include coordinating with operations teams to manage deal registrations, ensure alliance compliance, and deliver insightful business reviews. A proactive approach to tracking developments within the SAP and AWS ecosystems and broader market trends will be essential for identifying new growth avenues and shaping strategic direction.

Essential Skills and Experience

To excel in this position, you should possess a minimum of seven years of experience within enterprise technology ecosystems, with a focus on partnerships or channel management. A substantial portion of this experience, at least five years, should be dedicated to cloud partnerships, alliances, or business development, demonstrating a solid understanding of both SAP and AWS. The ability to navigate and achieve results within complex organisational structures and cross-functional environments is paramount.

An established professional network and prior experience engaging with SAP and/or AWS stakeholders are highly desirable. You will need advanced business development and relationship management skills, with a proven track record in executing strategies for pipeline and partnership growth. Exceptional communication, presentation, and executive influencing abilities are critical for success. The ideal candidate will be highly organised, self-driven, and capable of working independently in a fast-paced setting. Professional fluency in English, both written and spoken, is a requirement. Hands-on experience within the SAP or AWS partner ecosystems, or directly within these organisations, would be a significant advantage. Familiarity with emerging technologies and best practices in cloud transformation will also be beneficial.

This type of strategic alliance role is crucial for technology companies looking to scale within the South African market. While specific remuneration is not mentioned, such positions typically command competitive salaries reflecting the seniority and impact on business growth. Common employers in this space include major cloud providers, enterprise software vendors, and system integrators. Career progression often leads to broader regional or global partnership leadership roles.

• 7+ years of experience in enterprise technology ecosystems, partnerships or channel management
• 5+ years of experience in cloud partnerships, alliances or business development with proven SAP and/or AWS expertise
• Strong ability to operate within complex organizations and deliver results in cross-functional environments
• Established network and prior experience engaging SAP and/or AWS stakeholders
• Advanced business development and relationship management skills, including pipeline and partnership growth execution
• Excellent communication, presentation and executive influencing skills
• Highly organized, self-driven, and capable of working with minimal supervision in a fast-paced setting
• Professional fluency in English (written and spoken)
• Hands-on experience working within SAP or AWS or their partner ecosystems
• Familiarity with emerging technologies and cloud transformation best practices