Head of Partnerships

Smile is the largest & most-trusted provider of loyalty programs in the world. We power the loyalty programs for over 100,000 eCommerce & omnichannel merchants, collectively rewarding hundreds of millions of shoppers people. Above all, we strive to make people happy - from our merchants, to their consumers, to our own team. The Smile team is globally distributed with employees in Canada, the USA, South America, EMEA, and APAC. We’ve been recognized as a “Best Place to Work” in Canada and look forward to continue expanding this on a global scale. As a business, we are in constant evolution and the same is true of our people - we’re here to support each other in our growth.

About the Role:

The Head of Partnerships will be responsible for driving sales to expand our business by leveraging agency partnerships. This is a senior-level, individual contributor role and is ideal for someone who is eager to utilize their existing skills and experience to establish a successful partner (channel sales) program from the ground up. We are looking for a team member who excels in day-to-day activities such as building and maintaining agency partnerships, while also possessing the ability to strategize for the future. If you are passionate about partner management and have the knack for identifying and capitalizing on new business opportunities through partnership collaborations, then this role is perfect for you. 

The ideal candidate will have experience in the ecommerce industries, specifically Shopify and/or BigCommerce as well as experience in SaaS. This role will be very hands-on in developing and supporting our agency partners, so a strong existing network is required. Smile.io is a fully remote company looking to hire within Canada for this remote role. Overlap with core EST working hours is required.

Our Values:

Be Humble - think of the team before thinking of yourself. Find the solution that creates the most competitive advantage for our merchants, regardless of their source. Celebrate everyone’s wins as if they were our own and go out of our way to give others recognition.

Be Hungry - set hard goals, ask lots of questions and learn every day. Our drive to help others keeps us committed to infinite learning and taking initiative when no one is watching. We welcome ambiguity as it is an opportunity to leave our mark and understand autonomy and accountability go hand in hand.

Be Human - show empathy towards others, consider the impact of your decisions on others. We know that Smile.io as a business is in constant evolution - the same is true of our people. We’re here to support each other in our growth, so we talk openly about our career & personal goals. With such a diverse team of people, we know we can offer you the mentorship, tools, and encouragement you need to grow.

What You'll Help Us Acheive

• New Business Development: Stay informed about industry trends, competitive landscape, and potential opportunities to ensure Smile.io remains at the forefront of the loyalty program industry. Identify, negotiate, and close new partnership opportunities with agencies to drive revenue and enhance Smile's market position. Specifically, we want quality, not quantity, so establishing strong partnership relationships with select agencies over the next 12 months is critical.

• Agency Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with key agency partners, ensuring mutual growth and success. We view a great Head of Partnerships as someone who will jump in without hesitation to get a partner question answered quickly over Slack, represent Smile at industry events, hop on a call to demo a merchant, or really just roll up their sleeves to pitch in.

• Driving Sales: Work closely with agency partners to drive sales by ensuring that all partners are up to date on Smile's latest offerings and that partner teams are trained or provided with all necessary marketing or sales enablement collateral. Set targets and forecast the expected revenue to be generated through the partner program, monitor performance, and report on the effectiveness.

Requirements & Skills

• Experience in partnership development & management, channel sales, with a strong focus on agency partnerships in the eCommerce industry. 

• Proven ability to develop and execute successful partnerships with agencies.

• Successful sales experience with eCommerce and/or SaaS products.

• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams at Smile & at agencies.

• Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret data and make data-driven decisions.

• Strong negotiation and relationship-building skills.

• Strategic thinker with a proactive approach to identifying and leveraging opportunities.

• Self-motivated and results-oriented.

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

• Strong network within the SaaS or tech industry, with existing agency relationships preferred.

• Experience in partnership management, with a strong focus on agency partnerships within the SaaS and/or eCommerce industry.

Our Commitment to Candidates:

At Smile, we understand that finding a new role is challenging and that self-doubt or imposter syndrome can prevent you from applying to a role, don’t let it! You have a ton to offer and we want you to feel encouraged to apply, even if you don’t check all of the boxes. If you are passionate about eCommerce and helping merchants grow through loyalty and reward, connect with us. 

At Smile, we rely on a range of backgrounds, experiences, and ideas. We value diversity, and we’re proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunity workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Smile welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

AI Disclaimer: At Smile, we’re strong advocates for using AI to help speed up iteration, increase productivity, and save our human brainpower for the really challenging problems. While we’re happy for AI to help you generate or tailor your resume, we’d ask that you please refrain from using AI to answer any of the questions on this application form, or to answer questions during the interview process itself.