Partner Marketing Director at Canonical

Partner Marketing Director

Location: Home Based - Americas (remote; candidate must be located in the AMER region)

The role entails

Canonical is hiring a Partner Marketing Director to lead Go-To-Market strategy across our partner ecosystem — from silicon vendors to public cloud, channel partners and hardware manufacturers. As the publisher of Ubuntu and a leading provider of open source solutions to major technology firms globally, Canonical plays a strategic role across Public Cloud, Cybersecurity, AI, and IoT value chains.

Reporting to the VP of Marketing, you will lead a team of marketing managers running partner programs and be responsible for maximising ROI across partner motions including sell-to, sell-through and sell-with. You will shape partner strategy, execute partner campaigns across the funnel, and align partner activity with product, field and growth marketing.

Key responsibilities

• Build and execute partner marketing strategy that drives pipeline growth and revenue through partners (Silicon, IHV, ODM, channel, GSIs, etc.).
• Align partner programs with growth, field and product marketing to ensure integrated campaigns and consistent messaging.
• Own the execution of partner campaigns across the funnel, from partner recruitment to demand generation.
• Create and elevate partner-facing content and assets in collaboration with communications, product and alliances teams.
• Design programmatic approaches to multiply partner impact and scale partner initiatives.
• Craft bespoke joint value propositions and go-to-market plans to differentiate in the marketplace.
• Champion partner collaboration internally and externally, fostering alignment and advocacy.
• Manage Marketing Development Funds (MDF) — whether received or distributed — to maximise partner outcomes.
• Drive adoption of advanced analytics and reporting tools to continually improve partner marketing ROI.
• Mentor and develop a diverse team of partner marketers working across partner types and time zones.
• Foster a culture of continuous testing, optimisation and measurable results.

What we are looking for in you

We seek an experienced marketing leader with deep knowledge of partner ecosystems and a proven track record of building and scaling partner programs in technology markets.

• Strong understanding of the technology ecosystem including silicon vendors, IHV, ISV, ODM/OEMs, cloud service providers and channel partners.
• Demonstrated leadership aligning diverse partners around Go-To-Market strategies and executing successful co-marketing programs.
• Proven experience reporting on complex partner marketing activities and multi-touch partner journeys.
• Ability to create a high-performance culture with excellence, agility and self-drive across distributed teams and time zones.
• Curiosity and a habit of continuous learning.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Exceptional academic results at high school and university.
• Willingness to travel internationally up to four times a year for company events (up to two weeks each).
• Familiarity with industry verticals (e.g., Telco, Finance, Industrial, Automotive) is advantageous.
• Experience leading distributed teams across different time zones.

What we offer colleagues

Canonical shapes compensation based on geography, experience and performance and offers base pay plus a performance-driven annual bonus or commission. We provide a global set of benefits that we balance to meet local needs and ensure fairness.

• Distributed work environment with twice-yearly in-person team sprints.
• Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year.
• Annual compensation review and recognition rewards.
• Annual holiday leave, maternity and paternity leave.
• Team Member Assistance Program & Wellness Platform.
• Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues; Priority Pass and travel upgrades for long-haul company events.

About Canonical

Canonical publishes Ubuntu, a leading open-source platform used across cloud, AI, IoT and engineering initiatives. The company is founder-led, profitable and globally distributed with 1,200+ colleagues in 75+ countries. Canonical’s partner marketing teams help make Canonical a trusted commercial and technical partner for customers and partners worldwide.

We recruit globally and set high standards for people joining the company. Most colleagues work from home; teams convene periodically for in-person alignment and strategy sessions.

#LI-remote

Requisition ID: 1078

Canonical is an equal opportunity employer

We foster a workplace free from discrimination and provide fair consideration regardless of identity. If you require any accommodation for travel that relates to a physical disability, please let us know during the hiring process and we will be happy to discuss your requirements further.

Application notes & privacy

When applying, indicate your university grading result (or expected result) and the grading system used. For work history, focus on the last ten years since leaving undergraduate studies; count companies accordingly and exclude university jobs or internships. If you ran a company or did private contracting alongside employment, count that as one company. Please select your current location when applying.

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How to apply

Apply via Canonical's careers site for this role: https://canonical.com/careers/6827653