Director - Channel and Alliances Leader

Director, Area Partner Leader

Job Summary

The Director – Channel & Alliances for the India/SAARC region is responsible for driving NetApp’s Channel strategy, partner ecosystem development, and partner-led revenue generation. The role focuses on strengthening existing partnerships, onboarding new partners, expanding market coverage, and executing strategic initiatives to achieve business targets. This leader collaborates cross‑functionally with Sales, Marketing, and functional teams to build high-value partner propositions and accelerate growth across the region. 

Job Responsibilities

•  Develop and manage a high-performing Channel ecosystem aligned to business goals in India/SAARC. 
• Expand Channel footprint by identifying, contracting, and enabling new partners. 
• Create and execute strategic partner business plans for market penetration and growth. 
• Work closely with Sales leadership to define and implement Channel sales strategies. 
• Drive joint business development initiatives with selected partners to accelerate revenue. 
• Ensure consistent GTM execution, pipeline visibility, and account mapping between Channel and sales teams. 
• Meet and exceed monthly, quarterly, and annual revenue targets. 
• Build strong, trusted relationships with Channel partners to enable recurring revenue streams. 
• Position NetApp as a strategic and valued partner within the ecosystem. 
• Oversee partner recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing performance management. 
• Partner with Field Marketing to design and execute impactful partner communication and demand-generation campaigns. 
• Work with marketing teams to utilize existing sales tools and co-develop new solutions. 
• Ensure best practices are shared and implemented across sales and marketing teams. 
• Represent NetApp at Channel events, industry forums, and partner marketing programs. 

• Stay aligned with emerging technology trends and competitive landscape across data center and storage markets.

Job Requirement

•  Strong understanding of Channel Sales, partner ecosystem dynamics, and enterprise sales cycles. 
• Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and negotiation skills. 
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and manage complex partner relationships. 
• High energy, ability to multi-task, and thrive in a fast-paced environment. 
• Solid understanding of go-to-market strategies, account segmentation, and partner programs. 
• Exposure to large-scale distributed technologies and enterprise IT environments.

• Minimum 20 years of relevant experience in Channel Leadership or related functions. 
• Bachelor’s degree required; Engineering + MBA preferred. 
• Strong understanding of data center technologies and the data storage market landscape. 
• Ability to travel extensively within India/SAARC and occasionally to international locations (e.g., USA, Singapore). 

Experience Level

Senior Level