Partner Development Manager

Apollo.io is the leading go-to-market solution for revenue teams, trusted by over 500,000 companies and millions of users globally, from rapidly growing startups to some of the world's largest enterprises. Founded in 2015, the company is one of the fastest growing companies in SaaS, raising approximately $250 million to date and valued at $1.6 billion. Apollo.io provides sales and marketing teams with easy access to verified contact data for over 210 million B2B contacts and 35 million companies worldwide, along with tools to engage and convert these contacts in one unified platform. By helping revenue professionals find the most accurate contact information and automating the outreach process, Apollo.io turns prospects into customers. Apollo raised a series D in 2023 and is backed by top-tier investors, including Sequoia Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, and more, and counts the former President and COO of Hubspot, JD Sherman, among its board members.

Apollo's partner ecosystem already spans thousands of agencies, consultancies, and solution providers who've raised their hand — but most of that potential goes untapped without a dedicated motion to find, qualify, and activate the right ones. As Partner Development Manager (PDM), you'll own that motion end to end: identifying high-potential partners across every segment, driving them through certification and enablement, and pushing each one to their first real activation — a managed customer or a qualified referral.

That's what makes this such an exciting moment to join: you're not stepping into an established program, you're helping build the one that gets to define how Apollo turns partner interest into partner value. We're looking for someone with a genuine builder mentality who wants a real hand in shaping what this program becomes.

Apollo's ambition goes beyond any single integration or referral channel — we want our partner program to be at the heart of the revolution GTM AI is bringing to outbound sales. Agencies of every kind are core to that, and you're the one turning it into real partners, activated and growing in whatever way fits their business.

You'll run a structured, self-paced activation pathway across a book of 40–60 partners at a time, and you'll make the call on whether each one is ready to graduate into Apollo's high-touch named-partner program, move into scaled/automated nurture, or step back. This is a builder's role: the acquisition-to-activation playbook is still being defined, and how you run it will shape how Apollo's partner organization scales.

Key Responsibilities

Target and Recruit

• Source high-potential partners across all segments — inbound applications, customer referrals, ecosystem research, and partner nominations
• Score and prioritize every candidate against Apollo's Ideal Partner Profile (IPP) before investing further time
• Build and maintain a live cultivation list of 40–60 active partners

Qualify and Segment

• Determine each partner's segment (e.g., RevOps, lead-gen, sales training, AI-native/headless GTM, or generalist marketing agency), specialization, ICP, and delivery model
• Separate partners with a genuine, Apollo-centered motion from generic interest

Certify and Enable

• Drive partners through Apollo's certification curriculum and onboarding
• Help each partner package a concrete Apollo offer, referral motion, or delivery service
• Prepare partners for their first live customer conversation

Create the First Activation

• Push every partner toward a first measurable activation event: a qualified referral, a registered opportunity, or a managed customer
• Track progress against a shared, partner-visible activation plan with clear gates and goals

Develop Toward Graduation

• Run a consistent cadence with each partner across the activation pathway, and keep them accountable to it
• Recommend next steps for every partner: promotion into Apollo's named-partner (PAM) program, a move to scaled/automated nurture, or deprioritization
• Partner cross-functionally with Partner Operations on data quality and reporting, and with Partner Marketing on segment-specific enablement and recruitment campaigns

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in partner development, channel sales, business development, or a related partnerships role, ideally in B2B SaaS
• Track record building relationships with agencies, consultancies, or solution-provider partners from first contact through onboarding
• Comfortable running a structured, multi-stage pipeline across a high-volume book of accounts (40+)
• Strong qualification instincts — able to separate a partner's real potential from surface-level interest
• Excellent program-management skills; you'll be building the playbook as you run it, not just following one
• Clear, confident communicator who can enable and certify both non-technical and technical partners

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working within the HubSpot or Salesforce agency/partner ecosystems
• Experience with partner/channel scoring or qualification frameworks (e.g., an Ideal Partner Profile or lead-scoring model)
• Familiarity with partner-management or PRM tooling (PartnerStack, Crossbeam, or similar)
• Background operating in a GTM/RevOps ecosystem, or with agencies that build on top of sales-engagement or data platforms
• Experience designing or running a partner certification/enablement curriculum

The listed Pay Range reflects the total cash compensation inclusive of annual base salary and annual bonus as applicable. For sales roles, the range provided is the role’s On Target Earnings ("OTE") range, meaning that the range includes both the sales commissions/sales bonus target and annual base salary for the role. This salary range may be inclusive of several career levels at Apollo and will be narrowed during the interview process based on a number of factors, including the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and location. Applicants interested in this role who are not located in the US may request the annual salary range for their location during the interview process.

Additional benefits for this role may include: equity; company bonus or sales commissions/bonuses; 401(k) plan; at least 10 paid holidays per year, flex PTO, and parental leave; employee assistance program and wellbeing benefits; global travel coverage; life/AD&D/STD/LTD insurance; FSA/HSA and medical, dental, and vision benefits.

We are AI Native

Apollo.io is an AI-native company built on a culture of continuous improvement. We’re on the front lines of driving productivity for our customers—and we expect the same mindset from our team. If you're energized by finding smarter, faster ways to get things done using AI and automation, you'll thrive here.

Why You’ll Love Working at Apollo

At Apollo, we’re driven by a shared mission: to help our customers unlock their full revenue potential. That’s why we take extreme ownership of our work, move with focus and urgency, and learn voraciously to stay ahead.

We invest deeply in your growth, ensuring you have the resources, support, and autonomy to own your role and make a real impact. Collaboration is at our core—we’re all for one, meaning you’ll have a team across departments ready to help you succeed. We encourage bold ideas and courageous action, giving you the freedom to experiment, take smart risks, and drive big wins.

If you’re looking for a place where your work matters, where you can push boundaries, and where your career can thrive—Apollo is the place for you. 

Learn more here!