Director Strategic Partner Execution Management

The Role

The Director Strategic Partner Execution Management is a strategic leadership role responsible for leading the team that supports assigned partner portfolios across Distribution Partners and partners with direct agreements with Lumen. This leader is accountable for defining and evolving the operating model, team priorities, and performance framework that enable partner performance at scale. The role oversees a team of Strategic Partner Execution Managers who own the operational strategy for assigned partner portfolios, while working in close alignment with Partner Management organization and leadership, which maintains primary ownership of the partner relationship, sales strategy, and growth objectives. The Director Strategic Partner Execution Management is responsible for building a high-performing organization that drives operational excellence, revenue retention, partner effectiveness, and scalable execution across a complex partner ecosystem. This roles performance is measured against aggregate partner outcomes, team results, and business impact. The ideal candidate brings strong people leadership, partner acumen, operational strategy expertise, and cross-functional influence, with the ability to turn business priorities into measurable execution plans and sustained performance improvements.

The Main Responsibilities

•    Team Leadership and Organizational Development: Lead, coach, and develop a team of Strategic Partner Execution Managers, establishing clear expectations, performance standards, and development plans that build a high-performing organization.
•    Partner Performance Strategy: Define the strategic direction, operating priorities, and performance framework for the team’s assigned partner portfolios, ensuring alignment to billed revenue objectives, partner needs, and business goals.
•    Operational Model Ownership: Design, implement, and continuously improve the operating model used to support partner portfolios, including workflows, governance, escalation paths, business review cadence, and cross-functional engagement.
•    Revenue and Business Outcome Accountability: Drive team execution against business outcomes tied to billed revenue retention, growth, partner effectiveness, and operational health across the supported partner base.
•    Cross-Functional Executive Leadership: Partner closely with Sales, Finance, Legal, Sales Operations, IT, and other internal stakeholders to remove systemic barriers, align priorities, and improve operational execution in support of partner and revenue objectives.
•    Partnership Alignment: Work in close alignment with Partner Management organization and leadership and engage C- and VP-level operational leaders at partner companies to ensure strong coordination between relationship strategy, sales priorities, and operational execution.
•    Insights and Performance Management: Establish reporting, dashboards, and performance reviews that provide visibility into portfolio trends, operational risks, team effectiveness, and opportunities for revenue improvement.
•    Continuous Improvement and Scale: Identify, prioritize, and lead initiatives that improve partner experience, increase internal efficiency, and create more scalable and consistent support models across partner portfolios.

What We Look For in a Candidate

•    Strong people leadership skills, with experience leading high-performing teams in complex, matrixed environments.
•    Strategic and operational mindset, with the ability to translate broad business goals into clear team priorities and execution plans.
•    Strong executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders, including C- and VP-level operational leaders at partner companies, and drive alignment across functions.
•    Demonstrated ability to use data, reporting, and business insights to manage performance and improve outcomes.
•    Strong organizational discipline, sound judgment, and the ability to manage multiple priorities across a large and complex partner ecosystem.
•    Commitment to partner experience, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.

Preferred Qualifications
•    Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in business, sales operations, partner management, or a related field.
•    7-10 years of experience in partner-facing leadership, business operations, sales operations, partner performance, or related roles—preferably within telecom or technology.
•    Experience leading teams that support high-value partner portfolios, indirect channels, distribution partners, or direct-agreement business models.
•    Strong understanding of revenue drivers, partner business models, and performance-based operating frameworks.
•    Proficiency with Salesforce, Excel, and business intelligence/reporting tools such as Power BI or Tableau.
•    Experience driving cross-functional change, process improvement, and scalable operating models in a large enterprise environment.

Compensation

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