The RoleWe're looking for a Director of Channels & Alliances to build Scanner's partner ecosystem from the ground up. You'll own strategy and execution across VARs, MSSPs, MDR providers, technology partners, cloud partners, and other strategic alliances from recruiting partners and designing commercial models to enablement, joint GTM, agreements, and pipeline generation.
This is a builder role, not stewardship of an established channel. You'll need deep credibility in cybersecurity, strong relationships across the security ecosystem, and the ability to personally turn partnerships into customer introductions, strategic opportunities, and revenue. You'll work directly with Sales, Marketing, Product, Sales Engineering, Operations, and our founders to make partnerships a core part of Scanner's GTM motion.
What you'll ownBuild the Partner Strategy
- Define Scanner's channel and alliance strategy, including which partner types, firms, and relationships can have the greatest impact on enterprise growth.
- Build the partner program from scratch, including segmentation, incentives, referral and resale models, deal registration, rules of engagement, and operating processes.
- Personally recruit and develop high-value VARs, MSSPs, MDRs, systems integrators, technology vendors, and other strategic partners.
Build Strategic Alliances
- Develop technology and ecosystem partnerships that strengthen Scanner's position within the security stack and create customer or GTM leverage.
- Work with Product and Engineering on integrations and with partner leadership on joint positioning, co-selling, and GTM plans.
- Build executive relationships across complementary security vendors, cloud providers, data platforms, and infrastructure companies.
Drive Partner Pipeline
- Make partnerships a measurable source of sourced and influenced enterprise pipeline.
- Work directly with Sales on account mapping, co-selling, partner introductions, active opportunities, and joint outbound or field programs.
- Build clear processes for partner-sourced leads, attribution, opportunity management, forecasting, and partner performance.
Enable & Activate Partners
- Build onboarding, training, messaging, sales tools, and technical enablement that help partners confidently position and sell Scanner.
- Develop joint marketing programs, executive dinners, events, campaigns, and account-based initiatives with strategic partners.
- Create compelling reasons for priority partners to invest in Scanner and continuously focus resources on relationships producing real commercial value.
Commercial Operations
- Own partner commercial models and work with Legal and Operations on referral, reseller, MSSP, technology, and other partnership agreements.
- Define the KPIs and operating rhythms used to evaluate partner activation, pipeline, revenue, deal velocity, and productivity.
Must have- 8-12+ years of channels, alliances, business development, or partner GTM experience within cybersecurity.
- Deep experience in SIEM or the security operations ecosystem, including strong knowledge of the market, buying process, and competitive landscape.
- Proven experience building a channel or partner program from the ground up, not simply managing an established ecosystem.
- Significant experience with VARs, MSSPs, MDR providers, systems integrators, and strategic technology partners.
- Strong existing relationships across the cybersecurity channel ecosystem as well as CISOs, security executives, and enterprise security buyers.
- Track record recruiting and activating strategic partners that generated measurable enterprise pipeline and revenue.
- Experience building partner commercial models, negotiating agreements, and managing referral, resale, incentive, and deal-registration structures.
- Strong experience with partner enablement, joint GTM, co-selling, marketing programs, and executive events.
- Executive presence and a hands-on builder mentality: you're equally comfortable developing strategy, opening relationships, negotiating agreements, enabling sellers, and joining live deals.
Nice to have- Experience scaling a cybersecurity partner ecosystem through significant company growth.
- Direct experience working for or closely with a leading VAR, MSSP, MDR provider, or systems integrator.
- Experience building strategic alliances with cloud, data, observability, or security platform companies, including AWS or cloud marketplace ecosystems.
- Experience with security data lakes, SIEM, detection engineering, SOC tooling, observability, or adjacent infrastructure.
Why you'll love working here- Build the ecosystem from zero. Decide which partners matter, how we work with them, and what a world-class Scanner partner ecosystem looks like.
- Real strategic importance. Work directly with founders and GTM leadership to make channels and alliances a meaningful driver of company growth.
- Turn relationships into revenue. You'll have the autonomy and leadership access to build major cybersecurity partnerships and turn them into durable strategic and commercial advantages.
- Build, don't administer. Create the partner program, commercial model, enablement, alliances, events, and GTM motions rather than maintaining someone else's playbook.
- Stay close to the market. Spend your time with CISOs, security teams, customers, partners, and influential players across the ecosystem while shaping Scanner's broader market strategy.
Compensation & BenefitsCompetitive salary, meaningful equity, and comprehensive benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k, commuter). Hybrid/remote-friendly with regular in-person collaboration in San Francisco, Mountain View, and Seattle.
