Director, Partner Management

About Gelato

Gelato has built the world's largest and most global network for on-demand production of customized items e.g. t-shirts, wall art, mugs, books, hoodies, and cards. We support a new wave of e-commerce entrepreneurs and the global shift towards local and more sustainable production.

We own no assets - we build the software that connects world-class production facilities all across the world. We have more than 140 production partners in 32 countries. We can reach more than 5 billion people with customized products in a smarter, faster, and greener way.

Gelato is changing the way that customized products can be produced on-demand. We are already empowering thousands of e-commerce entrepreneurs to grow and scale their businesses. With local production, and exact matching of supply and demand, there is no waste and carbon emissions are reduced.

What you will be doing

You will have a chance to take on a lead role in managing and improving our world class partner network, designed to stretch your leadership and analytical capabilities.

As a Senior Manager, Partner Management you will be responsible for establishing partnerships with production hubs and onboarding these partners to Gelato’s platform. You will present the opportunities for working with Gelato, help generate excitement for a collaboration and manage the commercial discussions associated with the partnership which support Gelato’s expansion (product, geographic) targets. You will also manage an area of the partner network whilst being responsible for operational metrics and improvements. You will be the face of Gelato and own the senior level relationships with partners, working closely with them and spending time with them to help grow their business with Gelato and help them to deliver best in class products for Gelato’s customers.

Some key responsibilities of the role include:

• Map the landscape to identify opportunities for partner expansion. Build a pipeline of relevant leads and build relationships with these leads to assess which would be a strong fit for Gelato.
• Lead RFQ process and evaluations; provide partner evaluation framework; and make recommendations on partner selection.
• Identify opportunities for mutual growth and establish commercial partnerships to deliver.
• Negotiate and finalize agreements with partners to ensure value for money, quality standards and delivery terms with technical and operational input from stakeholders and colleagues.
• Review and negotiate existing agreements to optimize commercial terms.
• Support with onboarding to Gelato’s platform and systems to ensure a mutually successful partnership.
• Give feedback to partners to measure effective performance, quality and compliance and measure against KPI criteria.
• Effectively contribute tactical and functional insight, as well as a longer-term strategic points of view to help drive key cross-functional/company-wide decisions and direction.

Who you are

You have a start-up mentality, with experience in business development, as a buyer or within account management. The ideal candidate is a hands-on problem solver, with a project management skill set, who wants to exceed expectations, is eager to learn and improve. You are comfortable presenting to external stakeholders and using data to make commercial recommendations to further Gelato’s goals. You have experience challenging the status quo and are able to manage in ambiguity, guiding towards a clear recommendation and influencing within the organization.

More than that we would like to see evidence of the following in your profile:

• University degree, MBA preferred
• 5+ years of business development or operations work in a high growth market place or network company. Experience with marketplace models preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proven persuasion and influencing skills, deal negotiation experience preferred
• External vendor or account management experience
• Proven experience leading cross-functional projects and working as part of a high-performing cross functional team
• Proactive attitude and willingness to roll up sleeves and dig deep to achieve goals and drive complex projects
• Strong analytical experience, and comfortable operating with large data sets and business intelligence tools to generate insight and actionable conclusions
• Senior external stakeholder engagement experience
• Thrives in a high growth, entrepreneurial, and ambiguous environment.

What it’s like to work at Gelato

We are a customer-obsessed team with the ambition to change the world by connecting technology to production on demand and making it much more sustainable. Everyone who joins our team must feel genuinely intrigued and motivated by our mission. We expect a lot. We are a driven team with big goals, so we seek individuals who are genuinely passionate about their work and possess an entrepreneurial spirit.

At Gelato, we pride ourselves on our global presence with 14 offices worldwide, fostering a dynamic and diverse work environment. Rooted in a culture that values collaboration, creativity, and camaraderie, we actively cultivate a company culture that thrives on shared experiences. We encourage team members to embrace this culture by working from our inspiring office spaces at least three days a week, allowing for meaningful connections and collective growth.