Global Head of Cloud Alliances

Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is very widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation and IoT. Our customers include the world's leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. The company is a pioneer of global distributed collaboration, with 1200+ colleagues in more than 80 countries and very few office based roles. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person, in interesting locations around the world, to align on strategy and execution.

The company is founder led, profitable and growing.

We are hiring a Head of Cloud Alliances to lead business development and partnerships with the global public clouds. As the publisher of Ubuntu, Canonical is already a trusted partner with the leading guest OS and select services for the major hyperscalers. We have a large portfolio of open source software on the cloud marketplace for enterprise customers, and are looking to expand our global cloud partnerships.

Reporting to the VP of Global Alliances, the Global Head of Cloud Alliances will lead teams that bring innovation to the public cloud platforms, joint go-to-market with public cloud sales communities and marketplaces, and our global customer and partner contracts. They will work closely with cloud partners, from engineering to product management and marketing, to deliver open source solutions at scale for their cloud customers.

Our Cloud Alliance team builds trusted relationships with partners at all levels, from joint technical work to executive strategy. Their goal is to increase Canonical market share in the cloud ISV ecosystem, develop cloud channel sales, evangelize the partnership and lead all business interactions. The Global Head of Cloud Alliances will own the strategy, sell-to, sell-through and sell-with motions with all cloud partners, as well as promotion of our cloud related activities - from campaigns, to strategic opportunities and cloud related events.

Our company is largely distributed, this role can be based anywhere in the Americas or EMEA.

The role entails

• Taking ownership of Canonical's global cloud partner strategy, leading efforts to forecast, driving bookings, and growing revenue worldwide

• Building strong, cross-functional relationships across teams to ensure a unified approach to technology and market execution

• Inspiring and guiding teams to achieve accelerated revenue growth with Cloud partners, continually refining and evolving strategies for success

• Establishing and nurturing executive-level relationships with key partners, laying the foundation for long-term success and mutual growth

• Steering our offering from concept to execution, aligning product management and marketing strategies while scaling success through our global sales organization

What we are looking for in you:

• Exceptional academic track record from both high school and university

• Undergraduate degree in a technical subject

• Confidence to respectfully speak up, exchange feedback, and share ideas without hesitation

• Track record of going above-and-beyond expectations to achieve outstanding results

• Leadership and commitment to skills development and mentorship

• Passion for technology evidenced by personal projects and initiatives

• The work ethic and confidence to shine alongside motivated colleagues

• Exceptional leadership and presentation skills, capable of energizing teams and stakeholders while delivering compelling data-driven narratives

• Excellent interpersonal skills, curiosity, flexibility, and accountability

• Appreciative of diversity, polite, and effective in a multi-cultural, multi-national organization

• Thoughtfulness and self-motivation

• Result-oriented, with a personal drive to meet commitments

• Ability to travel internationally twice a year for company events up to two weeks long

• An in-depth understanding of open source technologies, Ubuntu, and the competitive ecosystem, with an eye for identifying opportunities that others might miss.

• Autonomous, disciplined, and proactive—take ownership, and deliver exceptional results

Nice to have

• A track record in alliance and indirect sales management, with an ability to build partnerships that drive success

• Solid experience in the Public Cloud sector, coupled with an understanding of the evolving landscape of technology and innovation.

• Experience with Linux (Debian or Ubuntu preferred) 

What we offer colleagues

We consider geographical location, experience, and performance in shaping compensation worldwide. We revisit compensation annually (and more often for graduates and associates) to ensure we recognise outstanding performance. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus or commission. We provide all team members with additional benefits, which reflect our values and ideals. We balance our programs to meet local needs and ensure fairness globally.

• Distributed work environment with twice-yearly team sprints in person

• Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year

• Annual compensation review

• Recognition rewards

• Annual holiday leave

• Maternity and paternity leave

• Employee Assistance Programme

• Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues

• Priority Pass, and travel upgrades for long haul company events

About Canonical

Canonical is a pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open source projects and the platform for AI, IoT and the cloud, we are changing the world of software. We recruit on a global basis and set a very high standard for people joining the company. We expect excellence - in order to succeed, we need to be the best at what we do. Most colleagues at Canonical have worked from home since its inception in 2004.​ Working here is a step into the future, and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game.

Canonical is an equal opportunity employer

We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background create a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration.

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