Partner Sales Director – IHV Alliances

Canonical is hiring a Partner Sales Director – IHV Alliances to lead independent hardware vendor (IHV) partnerships across the EMEA or APAC regions, growing the reach of Ubuntu and open source across the world's most influential silicon and systems manufacturers.

About the Role

This is a remotely based, full-time leadership position within Canonical's strategic partnerships organisation, reporting to the Head of IHV Alliances. As Partner Sales Director – IHV Alliances, you will own the relationships, revenue, and go-to-market execution that connect Canonical with leading hardware vendors. You will lead a team of Business Development Managers, cultivate executive-level trust with strategic partners, and represent the partner's voice inside Canonical — engaging across every level, from engineers to the C-suite.

Key Responsibilities

• Forge and deepen strategic relationships with IHV partners at every organisational level, broadening their awareness of open source on Ubuntu.
• Build and develop a team of Business Development Managers, helping them surface and win new opportunities that expand revenue and market share.
• Shape and deliver joint go-to-market strategies, while managing alliances day to day — including contract negotiation, performance tracking, and issue resolution.
• Lead partnerships with vendors such as Lenovo, Huawei, Fujitsu, and NEC in APAC; Ericsson, Nokia, and Siemens in EMEA; and Dell, HPE, IBM, and Supermicro in the Americas.
• Collaborate closely with marketing, sales engineering, and product management to grow Canonical's attach rate and evangelise the partnership.
• Run customer workshops, deliver public presentations, host sales events, and drive executive interlocks between IHV and Canonical leadership.
• Travel regularly, including internationally, to build partnerships face to face.

Qualifications

• A track record in alliance or indirect sales management.
• An autonomous, disciplined, hands-on approach with a get-it-done mindset.
• Skill in capturing customer requirements, assessing gaps, and creating opportunities.
• Hands-on familiarity with Linux, virtualization, containers, and cloud technologies, plus a strong grasp of large, complex organisations.
• Outstanding communication and presentation ability, and genuine enthusiasm for Ubuntu and Canonical's mission.
• Comfort thriving in fast-paced, high-pressure environments measured by clear targets.

About Canonical

Canonical is the publisher of Ubuntu, the open-source platform powering AI, IoT, and the cloud. Founder-led, profitable, and growing, the company pioneered global distributed work, with 1,200+ colleagues across 75+ countries who meet in person several times a year. Canonical is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from every background.

How to Apply

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