Partner Sales Director

Kurz zusammengefasst

Kong Inc., the AI Connectivity Company, is seeking a Partner Sales Director to lead its partner ecosystem in the DACH region. Kong builds a unified API and AI platform that helps Fortune 500 firms and AI‑native startups secure, manage, accelerate, govern and monetize data and model traffic across any cloud. The role will own the partner business for the territory, acting as the single point of contact for field sellers, partners and regional leadership, and will be responsible for recruiting, enabling and driving revenue through channel resellers, technology partners, global system integrators and hyperscalers such as AWS, Azure and GCP. On a day‑to‑day basis the Director will manage the partner‑generated revenue target, sell Kong's full portfolio, including products, renewals, professional services and support, through focus partners, and co‑create go‑to‑market plans with the territory sales team. Core activities include identifying and signing new partners, setting and tracking partner‑sourced pipeline, coordinating deal registration and lead sharing, and running co‑selling motions for Kong Gateway, Kong AI Gateway, Kong Mesh and Konnect. The role also involves building joint assets like reference architectures and solution briefs, organising marketing events that generate pipeline, and ensuring partners have the technical readiness needed to sell and deliver Kong solutions alongside Partner Sales Engineers. Regular interaction with Kong's field sales organization, sales leadership, finance, operations and enablement teams is required to keep forecasts, opportunity data and partner information up to date in Salesforce and other partner management systems. The position demands a seasoned professional with at least five years of experience in partner, channel or alliances sales, demonstrating a proven ability to drive go‑to‑market strategies across channel, GSI and hyperscaler partners. Candidates must show a bias toward net‑new, sourced business rather than merely tagging partners onto existing deals, and be comfortable juggling multiple partners and activities simultaneously. Relevant experience includes selling infrastructure, developer platforms, API/AI technology or open‑source solutions to enterprise buyers, as well as hands‑on work with B2B sales processes such as deal registration, partner quoting and co‑selling. Proficiency with Salesforce and partner‑management portals, strong written and verbal communication, solid interpersonal skills and the capacity to stay calm under pressure are essential. An established industry network, a results‑oriented mindset, genuine interest in Kong's open‑source offerings, alignment with Kong's values and willingness to travel up to 50 % complete the core profile. The role offers the chance to run a territory as an independent business, collaborating closely with the local sales leader and a cross‑functional team that includes sales engineers, SDRs, customer success and marketing. The Director will contribute to quarterly business reviews, annual planning and strategic territory mapping, while also having the opportunity to shape Kong's partner strategy in a fast‑growing market. The position is based in the DACH region, with travel required to meet partners and customers across the area. What the role asks for: - 5+ years partner, channel or alliances sales experience - Proven bias toward net‑new sourced business - Ability to manage many partners and activities in parallel - Experience selling infrastructure, developer platforms, API/AI tech - Experience selling open‑source solutions to enterprises - B2B sales experience with deal registration, partner quoting, co‑selling - Proficiency with Salesforce and partner management systems - Effective written and verbal communication skills - Strong interpersonal skills; stay calm under pressure - Established personal network within the industry - Results‑oriented perspective - Interest in Kong and open‑source software - Ability to use Kong Shares and work per Kong's values - Willingness to travel up to 50 % of time.