ISV Partner Specialist - Ecosystem

Introduction
As an ISV Partner Specialist (IPS) your mission is to engage prospective ISVs and Build Partners, developing opportunities to co-create and embed IBM AI Software into a Partner’s commercial solution offerings. You understand the Partner’s solution and GTM strategy and develop value propositions which encourage the Partner to embed IBM AI Software into their solution. With a focus on the full lifecycle of Build with IBM activities, you create opportunities to close Embedded Solution Agreements and define a business model which meets the needs of the Partner and IBM. Once established, you’ll introduce the Partner to IBM’s go-to-market benefit program designed to accelerate the Partner’s GTM, generating new revenue sources for IBM and the Partner.

Your Role and Responsibilities

• Naturally skilled in developing and cultivating professional relationships, you'll establish trusted advisor relationship with your Build partners.

  You'll engage their interest by using interactive discussion techniques, use cases, and success stories that relate IBM's software strategy to their business needs. You'll use this as an opportunity to educate them, to uncover their relevant objectives or technical barriers to achieving their goals, and to identify and qualify additional sales opportunities to embed IBM Software.

  Your primary responsibilities will include:

• Constructing Business Cases with Design Thinking: Utilize design thinking, architecture, developer principles and competitive insights to create business cases that illustrate to partners the value of integrating IBM Software into the products or solutions they offer to their clients.

• Enriching Partner Engagements with IBM's Capabilities: Enhance partner engagements with IBM's extensive capabilities to co-create solutions and collaborate with Partner Technical Specialists to develop compelling minimal viable products (MVPs) that result in investments in IBM's software or SaaS solutions.

• Effective Management of Partner Activities: Employ project management, strategic communication, partner and market insights, sales tools and territory planning to effectively manage activities with your partners.

Required Technical and Professional Expertise

• Demonstrable client-facing, deep technical subject matter expertise.
  
• Proven discipline and attention to detail with the usage of sales management and recording systems, and expectation setting/follow up.

• Expertise in Sales Territory Planning: Demonstrate expertise in sales territory planning, attracting and recruiting new partners, and stakeholder management that results in the successful development and delivery of joint business growth plans.

• Excellence in Relationship Building: Exhibit palpable excellence in building and nurturing professional relationships with key stakeholders, both externally and internally within IBM, achieved through effective listening and candid communication.

• Hands-On Sales Experience: Possess hands-on sales experience with a proven track record of forecasting, exceeding sales quotas and effectively managing partnership relationships.

• Ability to Identify Partner Motivations: Show a provable ability to identify and understand what motivates software partners, finding synergies and co-creating value-adding solutions.

Preferred Technical and Professional Expertise

• Experience with IBM Software Products: Possess experience of working with any of IBM's Software products, with a particular emphasis on Watson AI offerings (training across IBM's Software product suite will be provided).

IBM has a global presence, operating in more than 175 countries with a broad-based geographic distribution of revenue. The company’s Global Markets organization is a strategic sales business unit that manages IBM’s global footprint, working closely with dedicated country-based operating units to serve clients locally. These country teams have client relationship managers who lead integrated teams of consultants, solution specialists and delivery professionals to enable clients’ growth and innovation. By complementing local expertise with global experience and digital capabilities, IBM builds deep and broad-based client relationships. This local management focus fosters speed in supporting clients, addressing new markets and making investments in emerging opportunities. Additionally, the Global Markets organization serves clients with expertise in their industry as well as through the products and services that IBM and partners supply. IBM is also expanding its reach to new and existing clients through digital marketplaces.

In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.
Being an IBMer means you’ll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you’ll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.

Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.

Are you ready to be an IBMer?

IBM’s greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.

Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we’re also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 50 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.

At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it’s time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits program. Eligible employees may have access to: - Healthcare benefits including medical & prescription drug coverage, dental, vision, and mental health & well being - Financial programs such as 401(k), the IBM Employee Stock Purchase Plan, financial counseling, life insurance, short & long- term disability coverage, and opportunities for performance based salary incentive programs - Generous paid time off including 12 holidays, minimum 56 hours sick time, 120 hours vacation, 12 weeks parental bonding leave in accordance with IBM Policy, and other Paid Care Leave programs. IBM also offers paid family leave benefits to eligible employees where required by applicable law - Training and educational resources on our personalized, AI-driven learning platform where IBMers can grow skills and obtain industry-recognized certifications to achieve their career goals - Diverse and inclusive employee resource groups, giving & volunteer opportunities, and discounts on retail products, services & experiences The compensation range and benefits for this position are based on a full-time schedule for a full calendar year. The salary will vary depending on your job-related skills, experience and location. Pay increment and frequency of pay will be in accordance with employment classification and applicable laws. For part time roles, your compensation and benefits will be adjusted to reflect your hours. Benefits may be pro-rated for those who start working during the calendar year. This position was posted on the date cited in the key job details section and is anticipated to remain posted for 21 days from this date or less if not needed to fill the role. This position is eligible for participation in an IBM Sales Incentive plan. Actual incentive opportunity will be based on performance and the eligible Target Incentive, as addressed in the applicable plan, all of which is subject to change. The compensation range listed for this position is the IBM Reference Salary that is used when you are not actively participating in a sales plan. Your actual base pay plus incentive opportunity will be determined by the Incentive Plan assigned to you. We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, caste, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.