Cloud Alliances Director, EMEA

The Cloud Alliances Director, EMEA is accountable for shaping and executing strategic partnerships with cloud providers across the region. This role focuses on accelerating revenue, strengthening joint go-to-market efforts, and increasing Kong’s footprint across EMEA.

Responsibilities

Design and drive a cohesive cloud alliances strategy for EMEA, aligned with Kong’s broader business priorities; Build and sustain executive-level relationships across partner organizations spanning leadership, product, and sales teams; Help progress and manage complex partnership dynamics, ensuring balanced and high-impact outcomes against our strategic agreements; Partner cross-functionally with sales, marketing, product, and engineering teams to deliver joint solutions and go-to-market activities; Execute co-sell "excellence" and co-marketing motions to help generate pipeline and accelerate deal velocity; Track partner performance, using data to identify optimization opportunities and drive continuous improvement; Own business planning and forecasting for cloud alliance initiatives; Proactively address and resolve partner-related challenges or conflicts; Develop high-impact narratives and presentations that clearly communicate Kong’s value to our partners and customers; Identify potential risks within partnerships and implement mitigation strategies; Leverage playbooks and or AI to improve operational efficiencies - do more with less

Requirements

Demonstrated experience in business development and partner management within the cloud ecosystem at a scaled software company; Track record of driving measurable revenue through strategic alliances; Strong capabilities in strategic planning and consultative selling; Existing relationships with cloud service partners at all levels; Proven ability to operate effectively in cross-functional environments; Strong relationship-building and stakeholder management skills; Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling abilities; Solid understanding of product management concepts; Sound judgment in identifying and managing partnership risks

Nice to have

Experience leading or supporting sales efforts is advantageous