Head of Partnerships: Hire a Proven Leader Matched to Your Stage
The right Head of Partnerships can define your next phase of growth. Vendux matches you with a proven leader ready to own the partner program - channel, alliances, and referrals. Every candidate is evaluated through PerfectMatch™ for fit with your stage, model, and industry - not just a resume.
Hire a Head of Partnerships
Find a permanent Head of Partnerships matched to your model and stage - PerfectMatch™ surfaces proven operators, not just resumes.
Why companies hire a Head of Partnerships
Proven leaders, matched - not just sourced
PerfectMatch™ connects you with Head of Partnerships candidates who have owned the partner program - channel, alliances, and referrals. You evaluate operators with a real track record - across SaaS, tech, manufacturing, professional services, and PE-backed and family businesses - not a stack of applications.
Built for your stage
The right Head of Partnerships for a $1M-$500M SMB is different from an enterprise hire. Vendux matches for stage, model, and motion - a leader sized to build what you need now and scale it as you grow.
A network, not a job board
Vendux is a curated network of vetted sales and customer leaders. Instead of screening a pile of resumes, you meet a short list of proven operators - and can bridge with a fractional or interim leader first if that fits better.
What a Head of Partnerships does
A full-time Head of Partnerships is the permanent owner of the partner program - channel, alliances, and referrals. The right hire sets strategy, builds and leads the team, installs the operating cadence and metrics, and is accountable for results over the long term. In a growing SMB, they often build the function as much as run it. Vendux helps you define the profile, then matches you with proven candidates through PerfectMatch™. Check out our Client Success Stories.
What the role owns
- Partner strategy: the right model (referral, reseller, tech, alliance) for your business.
- Partner recruiting: a filter that finds partners who will actually transact.
- Enablement: training, tools, and joint pitches that make partners productive.
- Incentives and economics: margins, MDF, and terms that motivate the right behavior.
- Deal registration and conflict: rules that keep partners and direct aligned.
- Operating cadence: QBRs, forecasts, and pipeline reviews with key partners.
- Co-marketing and launch: joint go-to-market that drives partner-sourced pipeline.
How Vendux compares
Against a generalist recruiter, Vendux brings a curated network of vetted sales and customer leaders and a PerfectMatch™ process built around fit, not keyword search. Against hiring a first-time Head of Partnerships under pressure, you get proven operators who have already owned the partner program - channel, alliances, and referrals. And if a permanent hire isn't the right first step, Vendux can start you with a fractional or interim leader to build the function and define the permanent profile before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
What types of partnerships does this cover?
Referral, reseller and channel, technology and integration, and strategic alliances - the role selects and builds the models that fit your business.
Why do most partner programs underperform?
Usually under-qualified partners, weak enablement, and misaligned incentives. A fractional Head of Partnerships fixes the recruiting filter, enablement, and economics so partners actually produce.
How is this different from a VP of Strategic Partnerships?
They overlap; a Head of Partnerships often owns the full program including channel and referral, while a VP of Strategic Partnerships may focus on high-value alliances. Vendux matches to your priority.
Do you place full-time, permanent leaders?
Yes. While Vendux is best known for fractional and interim leadership, PerfectMatch™ also connects companies with proven leaders for permanent roles - and can bridge with a fractional or interim leader first if that fits better.
How does Vendux find the right candidate?
PerfectMatch™ matches on stage, model, industry, and motion from a curated network of leaders - so you evaluate a short list of proven Head of Partnerships operators, not a pile of resumes.
Should we hire full-time or start fractional?
If the function exists and needs a permanent owner, hire. If you're still building it or proving the model, a fractional or interim Head of Partnerships can stand it up first. Vendux can advise and match either way.
What does a permanent placement cost?
Permanent placement is priced differently from fractional or interim engagements - based on a permanent placement fee. Vendux will walk you through the model for your role.
Related services
- Fractional Head of Partnerships
- Interim Head of Partnerships
- VP of Strategic Partnerships
- VP of Business Development
- Chief Business Officer (CBO)
Hire the leader your next phase needs
Grow your sales leadership capital. PerfectMatch™ will connect you with a Head of Partnerships matched to your stage - and can bridge with a fractional or interim leader until the permanent hire is right.