Vice President, Channel Sales & Partner Ecosystem

About Us Sophos is a cybersecurity leader defending 600,000 organizations globally with an AI-driven platform and expert-led services. Sophos meets organizations wherever they are in their security maturity and grows with them to defeat cyberattacks. Its solutions combine machine learning, automation, and real-time threat intelligence with frontline human expertise from Sophos X-Ops to deliver advanced, 24/7 threat monitoring, detection, and response.   Sophos offers industry-leading managed detection and response (MDR) alongside a comprehensive portfolio of cybersecurity technologies — including endpoint, network, email, and cloud security, extended detection and response (XDR), identity threat detection and response (ITDR), and next-gen SIEM. Together with expert advisory services, these capabilities help organizations proactively reduce risk and respond faster, with the visibility and scalability needed to stay ahead of evolving threats.   Sophos goes to market with a global partner ecosystem, including Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), resellers and distributors, marketplace integrations, and cyber risk partners, giving organizations the flexibility to choose trusted relationships when securing their business. Sophos is headquartered in Oxford, U.K. More information is available at www.sophos.com.   当社は、日本を拠点とするグローバル・システム・インテグレーター（GSI）およびマネージド・セキュリティ・サービス・プロバイダー（MSSP）を通じて売上とパイプラインを拡大するとともに、新規GSIおよびMSSPを開拓し、日本におけるパートナーエコシステムを拡充していただく「GSIおよびMSSPチャネル・アカウント・エグゼクティブ（日本）」を募集しています。  グローバルバイスプレジデント(チャネルMSPセールス担当) 直属となるこの日本拠点のポジションは、特定の戦略的パートナーとのパートナーシップ構築、共同事業計画の策定実施を担当し、GSIおよびMSSPの活動を通じて日本全土で測定可能なパイプライン、受注、およびサービス提供の拡大を実現する責任を負います。  この役割には、自発的に行動し、新たな機会を切り開き、経営幹部との関係を構築し、一貫性と責任感を持ってパートナー主導の市場開拓（GTM）を推進できる自発的な人材が求められます。  We are seeking a GSI and MSSP Channel Account Executive – Japan to grow revenue and pipeline through Japanese headquartered Global System Integrators (GSIs) and Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), while recruiting net new GSIs and MSSPs to expand our partner ecosystem in Japan.  Reporting to the Global Vice President, Channel MSP Sales , this Japan-based role is accountable for partner recruitment, joint business planning, and execution with a defined set of strategic partners—ensuring GSI and MSSP activity drives measurable pipeline, bookings, and services attach across Japan.  This role requires a self-starter who can open doors, build executive relationships, and drive partner-led GTM execution with consistency and accountability. 

VertexOne is a cloud-native Customer Information System (CIS) and customer engagement platform serving 460+ utility and deregulated energy clients across North America. With revenue approaching $85M in ARR, 113% Net Revenue Retention, and a deep installed base of clients across electric, gas, water, and retail energy, the commercial foundation is strong. VertexOne is backed by DFW Capital Partners and is building toward a meaningful liquidity event within an 18–36 month horizon. The VP of Marketing joins at the most commercially consequential moment in the company's history — and the work done in 2026 and 2027 directly shapes the exit story. VertexOne is seeking a results-oriented Vice President of Marketing to lead the company's marketing strategy and execution across demand generation, digital campaigns, brand, product marketing, partner marketing, customer advocacy, and market positioning. Reporting directly to the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), the VP of Marketing will own marketing's contribution to pipeline creation and revenue growth. This leader will inherit a talented five-person marketing team that has built a solid 90-day activation plan — and will accelerate its execution while adding strategic direction, analytical rigor, and a genuine Sales partnership that has been missing.   The ideal candidate is a hands-on B2B SaaS marketing executive who has built or rebuilt demand generation programs from an underdeveloped state, owned a pipeline number alongside a Sales team, operated in a PE-backed environment, and can demonstrate specific, attributable outcomes from their work — not activity metrics. Essential job Duties: Demand Generation & Pipeline Ownership — Primary Mandate * Own marketing's pipeline contribution target — a specific dollar figure of marketing-sourced and marketing-influenced pipeline, reported weekly in the CRO pipeline review alongside Sales pipeline. * Rebuild the demand generation engine from event-dependent to channel-diversified: digital, ABM, content, webinars, partner co-marketing, and outbound sequences — with full attribution back to pipeline. * Activate a new logo target-account list in partnership with the sales team (utility accounts scored by AMI deployment signal, mainframe age, and contract renewal proximity) through a structured ABM motion with Sales. * Define the ICP scoring rubric in collaboration with the CRO and the three Sales VPs — the foundational document that drives lead scoring, MQL qualification, and account prioritization. * Launch and manage the MQL-to-SQL process, including the dual-axis (fit + engagement) lead scoring model, the 24-hour Sales SLA, the Salesforce disqualification reason codes, and the feedback loop that recalibrates scoring over time. * Target: grow digital and inbound pipeline contribution from the current 9% baseline to 25%+ within 12 months. Digital Marketing & Marketing Operations * Own the HubSpot instance — CRM hygiene, lead scoring model, nurture workflows, attribution reporting, and HubSpot-Salesforce sync integrity. * Lead website strategy with a conversion-first mandate: product page rebuilds, navigation restructuring, video demo deployment, form optimization, SEO, and AEO (AI engine optimization) for utility-sector search visibility. * Manage paid digital programs — LinkedIn, paid search, and retargeting — with campaign-specific creative per audience segment and full spend-to-pipeline attribution. * Build the always-on drip architecture: behavior-triggered nurture tracks for every lead source (site visitor, event badge scan, content download, webinar registrant), with threshold-based MQL routing to Sales same day. * Oversee HockeyStack or equivalent intent data platform to surface in-market accounts through dark-funnel signals — the primary substitute for a pricing-page intent signal given VertexOne's enterprise pricing model. * Deliver a monthly Marketing Operating Review report to the CRO: pipeline source breakdown, MQL volume, cost per MQL, MQL-to-SQL conversion rate, digital win rate, and ABM account engagement. Marketing Strategy & Leadership * Develop and execute a comprehensive marketing strategy aligned with company growth objectives and the 18–36 month DFW Capital exit horizon. * Build annual marketing plans, budgets, target metrics, and performance reporting frameworks. * Serve as a member of the revenue leadership team, helping shape go-to-market strategy and growth initiatives. * Lead, mentor, and develop the existing five-person marketing organization (demand gen, GTM/sales enablement, events and webinars, content and communications) while identifying and hiring for incremental capability needs.   Product Marketing & Sales Enablement * Define and refine VertexOne's market positioning, messaging, and value propositions across VXconnect, VXcis, VXretail, VXsmart, VXengage, MyMeter, and the three VXconnect packaging tiers (Influence, Empower, Empower+). * Partner with Product Management and Sales Leadership to develop go-to-market strategies for new solutions, feature releases, and the ongoing VXconnect commercial expansion motion targeting the 400+ installed-base clients. * Deliver competitive intelligence and market insights that strengthen Sales effectiveness and win rates. * Develop and maintain sales enablement materials — battle cards, 1-pagers, demo talk tracks, persona-specific messaging, case studies, and event briefing packets — keeping all assets current with each product release cycle. Event ROI & Budget Optimization * Own the conference and event portfolio with a mandatory ROI accountability framework: pre-event lead goals, post-event attribution, and deal-level ROI reporting for every Tier 1 conference. * Rebalance the existing budget allocation away from broad event spending toward digital, ABM, and content programs based on evidence — with the data to defend the reallocation to the CRO and board. * Distinguish between Lead Generation events (measured by pipeline sourced) and Partner Nurturing events (measured by defined relationship metrics) — and apply different success criteria to each. * Prioritize conferences with proven historical ROI (IUCX, SAP for Utilities, Smart Water Summit, EMC) and make data-driven decisions on all others.   Brand & Market Awareness * Strengthen brand recognition and thought leadership within the utility, energy technology, and deregulated energy markets. * Oversee public relations, earned media placements (target: 2 per quarter), executive thought leadership bylines, and industry communications. * Ensure consistency across all corporate messaging and branding initiatives including the VXconnect Partner Guide and prospect-facing product documentation. Customer & Partner Marketing * Develop customer advocacy programs — case studies, co-presenter webinars, reference programs — that feed both the Sales enablement library and the demand generation content engine. * Build a co-marketing motion with VertexOne's partner ecosystem (system integrators, payment partners, AMI/MDM vendors) to source pipeline that neither team can reach independently. * Work closely with Customer Success and the Partner team to identify expansion and cross-sell signals that Marketing can amplify through targeted campaigns. Sales-Marketing Alignment * Partner closely with the CRO and sales leadership to align on pipeline targets, MQL-to-SQL SLA, campaign priorities, and shared success metrics — with a standing weekly sync cadence. * Participate in the weekly pipeline review, presenting pipeline source breakdown and Marketing contribution metrics alongside the Sales forecast. * Ensure Sales always knows what campaigns are in market, what prospects have been exposed to, and what follow-up sequence is active — with CRM visibility into campaign activity before every Sales call. Required Job Qualifications: * Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or related field. * 10+ years of progressive marketing leadership experience in B2B SaaS or enterprise software. * 5+ years in a senior marketing leadership role with direct pipeline accountability. * Demonstrated track record of building or rebuilding demand generation programs from an event-heavy or underdeveloped state — with specific, quantified pipeline outcomes you personally drove. * Deep hands-on HubSpot expertise: you have owned the instance, built the lead scoring model, built nurture workflows, and managed the HubSpot-Salesforce sync and attribution reporting. * Proven ABM program experience: account selection, ICP definition, persona mapping, multi-touch content sequencing, and Sales handoff coordination. * Experience owning a shared pipeline contribution metric with a Sales team — you have reported into a pipeline number alongside Sales, not beside it. * Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making capabilities with experience building and presenting campaign attribution and ROI frameworks to senior leadership. * Exceptional leadership, communication, and executive presentation skills. Preferred Qualifications * Experience in a PE-backed or high-growth technology organization with an active exit horizon — you understand what exit-readiness means commercially and build accordingly. * Utility, energy technology, customer information systems (CIS), customer engagement, or infrastructure SaaS industry experience — or direct experience selling to a similarly conservative, committee-driven, long-cycle enterprise buyer. * Familiarity with intent data platforms (HockeyStack, 6sense, Bombora, or similar) for dark-funnel account identification, especially in the absence of a public pricing page. * Experience building or scaling a small demand generation team — this role will identify and hire incremental resources in Year 1. * Familiarity with Salesforce, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Apollo.io, Gong, and AI-powered marketing tools. * Background in product marketing for a multi-product SaaS portfolio with distinct buyer personas by product line. * Webinar program ownership — from program design through quarterly execution and MQL nurture integration. * is accountable to the same commercial number as Sales, reported in the same weekly review. VertexOne offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience, including: * Base salary competitive with market benchmarks for VP of Marketing in PE-backed B2B SaaS companies at this ARR scale. * Performance-based variable compensation tied to pipeline contribution, MQL targets, and digital win rate. * Remote work with required travel approximately 20% for events, offsites, and Sales team engagement.