Head of Partners, APAC

So, what's the role all about?

This is a senior leadership role for a commercially sharp, relationship-first partnerships executive who is ready to own APAC partner growth for NiCE. You will report directly into the VP Partner Sales, International, and lead a team of 8-10 partner managers across a region spanning India, Middle East, ANZ, Japan and South-East Asia.  

APAC is at an inflection point for NiCE. Partner-led revenue is growing quickly, and this role exists to accelerate that momentum by building deeper strategic relationships, raising the execution quality of the team, and aligning the partner ecosystem to the AI-first CX transformation story that NiCE and Cognigy represent together.  

How will you make an impact?

Partner strategy and ecosystem development

• Own and execute the APAC partner strategy, aligned to NiCE's international commercial objectives and partner-led revenue targets.
• Build and grow a high-performing partner ecosystem across GSIs, hyperscalers, regional system integrators, BPOs, and value-added resellers in India, Middle East, ANZ, Japan, and South-East Asia.
• Establish and deepen executive-level relationships with partner leadership across the region, leveraging your existing APAC network from day one.
• Work with hyperscaler partners AWS and Microsoft to develop co-sell, marketplace, and joint go-to-market motions that accelerate pipeline and deal velocity.
• Identify, qualify, and onboard new strategic partners where gaps exist in current ecosystem coverage.

Revenue and pipeline ownership

• Drive partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline to meet or exceed quarterly and annual revenue targets across APAC.
• Maintain full pipeline visibility through disciplined use of Salesforce and NiCE's partner operating cadence QBRs, MBRs, and weekly deal reviews.
• Build joint business plans with Tier 1 and Platinum partners, including clear revenue commitments, enablement milestones, and executive alignment.
• Work cross-functionally with APAC sales leadership, marketing, and pre-sales to ensure partner opportunities convert and partners are fully equipped to close.

Team leadership and performance

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 8-10 Partner Managers across APAC, setting clear performance standards and a high-execution culture.
• Build a team environment anchored on accountability, coaching, and continuous enablement with a focus on producing partner managers who can operate independently in market.
• Hire, onboard, and retain talent in line with APAC headcount plans as the function scales.
• Bring the energy and operating discipline to run a high-performing regional function, with a consistent rhythm of field engagement, pipeline reviews, and executive stakeholder management.

AI-first partner enablement

• Champion NiCE's AI-first CX narrative CXone and Cognigy across the APAC partner ecosystem, ensuring partners can confidently position agentic AI to their customers.
• Drive structured enablement programmes across the region, including certifications, AI readiness training, and joint presales capability.
• Identify and develop partner-led reference customers and lighthouse accounts across India, ANZ, and Japan that demonstrate the NiCE and Cognigy value proposition.

Executive presence and market representation

• Represent NiCE at major APAC industry events, partner summits, and customer forums across India, Australia, and Japan.
• Build and maintain senior relationships with partner C-suite and alliance leadership, acting as the face of NiCE's partner business in the region.
• Provide regular reporting and insight to the VP Partner Sales International on partner performance, pipeline health, market trends, and competitive intelligence.

Have you got what it takes?

Experience

• 12+ years of experience in partner sales, alliances, channel, or business development within a B2B SaaS or AI/CX business with significant tenure in APAC markets.
• A proven track record of building and scaling partner-led revenue across at least two of the three key markets: India, ANZ, and Japan.
• Hands-on experience leading and growing a team of 8+ partner managers in a complex, multi-country regional role.
• Deep working knowledge of GSI and hyperscaler operating models, with existing C-level and VP-level relationships across the APAC ecosystem.
• Demonstrable success in delivering against partner-sourced revenue targets in a fast-paced, commercially competitive environment.

Skills and capabilities

• Strong commercial instincts you understand how to structure partner programmes, protect deal economics, and align partner incentives to mutual growth.
• Credible AI and CX fluency you can speak with conviction about agentic AI, contact centre transformation, cloud platforms, and the practical outcomes NiCE delivers for enterprise customers.
• Exceptional executive presence and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust at C-suite and senior partner leadership level across diverse APAC cultures.
• High proficiency in pipeline management, sales cadence, and partner governance frameworks you run a clean, disciplined operating model.
• Cross-functional collaboration skills you work naturally with sales, marketing, product, and finance to align on shared outcomes.
• Ability to communicate and influence in English to board level; additional APAC language proficiency (Mandarin, Japanese) is a significant advantage.

Background

• Experience in CCaaS, contact centre AI, unified communications, CX platforms, or enterprise SaaS strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with partner programme design, deal registration, MDF allocation, and partner performance management.
• Experience working within a global matrix organisation, managing upward to international leadership and laterally with regional sales teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Technology, or a related field. MBA or equivalent executive programme is advantageous.