Applications for this job have closed. This page will redirect to the Xero employer page in 10 seconds.

Director of Ecosystem Partnerships

Xero

Location: Auckland

Job Type: Full time

Posted


Xero is a beautiful, easy-to-use platform that helps small businesses and their accounting and bookkeeping advisors grow and thrive.

At Xero, our purpose is to make life better for people in small business, their advisors, and communities around the world. This purpose sits at the centre of everything we do. We support our people to do the best work of their lives so that they can help small businesses succeed through better tools, information and connections. Because when they succeed they make a difference, and when millions of small businesses are making a difference, the world is a more beautiful place.



How you'll make an impact

The Director of Ecosystem Partnerships will ensure close alignment between the Ecosystem Team and Xero’s Partnerships function.

The operating model for this role is now well established, with an existing team of Partnership Managers and Directors in situ, driving Partnerships alignment with Xero’s key Product and Business domains including Financial Services, Tax, Practice and ‘Operational Adjacencies” (ECommerce, Connected Workplace).

You will agree specific commercial and operational outcomes with the Ecosystem team, and orchestrate the activities of the global Partnerships function to ensure these are met and exceeded. You will also lead - through the global partnerships team - the execution of account management of Premium App Partners.

You will ensure visibility of these objectives - and progress against them - through a range of existing channels and forums (creating new ones as needed).


What you'll do

  • Work with the leadership of Xero’s Ecosystem function to understand and inform strategy objectives, focusing on those that can be influenced or realised through the Partnerships function.
Establish a range of targets and objectives to reflect and support Ecosystem strategy. These will include commercial measures, for example in relation to the on-boarding and activation of Ecosystem partners to the Xero App Store, and securing App Partners support for events such as Xerocon.
Work with the Ecosystem team to support the development and improvement of the App Partner Program, and lead the execution of account management and other key benefits for “premium” App Store partners through the wider app partnerships team, including portfolio and tier management, account planning, KPIs and targets, and co-ordination of global accounts.
Beyond this you will be instrumental in determining (in close collaboration with the Ecosystem team, and regional Partnerships teams) a clear plan for scaling the App Partner Ecosystem, moving from a passive/reactive approach to partner development to a deliberate, considered and active one.
Play a key personal role in leading cycles with Xero’s most strategically important partners globally.
Apply and improve methodologies to qualify and prioritise partner engagements.
Develop a strategy focused on expanding our relationships with app partners in ways that create differentiation and support our overall company objectives.
Work with Product and Business Domain leaders to extend their strategies tangibly into our Ecosystem; leveraging the App Partner Program to support engagement with specific categories of partner, as we have done to date in payments and lending.
Identify, develop and communicate breakthrough opportunities that catapult us to the top of our partners’ agendas.
Establish protocols and processes for cross company engagement with each partner that help ensure all Xero interactions are well considered, deliberate and co-ordinated.
Work to elevate our relationship with each partner to the most influential levels in order to facilitate decision making and action in identified areas of opportunity.
Bring best practice to Xero in the area of relationship management.
Drive collaboration across multiple parts of Xero’s business - harmonising focus and optimising the deployment of resources - always according to a well laid-out plan.


What you'll bring with you

10+ years in a relevant and senior business development or partnerships role servicing large, global companies
Experience “solution” selling, including preparing and presenting ideas and investment propositions to large global companies
Proven track record developing and growing ecosystem partnership relationships
Experience in one or more senior leadership roles with a proven ability to increase sales or investment through the effective development of strategies and high performance teams
Must be comfortable dealing with C-Suite down and identifying areas of shared objectives around which to design and propose solutions
Demonstrated capability to manage complex, multidimensional relationships at the executive and working levels - including the ability to establish collaboration, credibility and confidence
Ability to build relationships and negotiate with various stakeholder groups, at the most senior levels
Ability to build relationships and negotiate with various stakeholder groups, at the most senior levels
Excellent communication skills
Strong commercial acumen Understand how large tech and fin services companies operate and how to motivate and work complex organisations
Proven ability to understand the needs and agenda of P&L leaders in large, global companies and jointly meet objectives through partnerships


Xero is an NZ Immigration Accredited Employer and Rainbow Tick certified too.

Please include a cover letter in your application, telling us why you’re a great fit for this position.
View employee benefits