- Base
- $155K–$182K
- OTE
- Not disclosed
- Posted
- 6d ago
Still open · checked 14h agoon Kong's careers page
The job
- What you'd do
- Sell Kong's products and services through resellers and IT consulting firms across the Americas. You'll build joint business plans with them, sign new partners, and hunt for new business.
- What you'd sell
Helps companies connect and secure their apps and AI tools
When a big company links its apps to AI tools, it usually wires each connection up by hand. The problem is, every hand-wired link has to be checked and locked down, and one weak link lets strangers in. Kong routes all that traffic through one checkpoint, so the company can secure it without fixing each link alone.
In plain English, from their own job posts. Something wrong? Tell me · More Developer & IT tools companies →
- Who you'd sell to
- Resellers, systems integrators and consultancies at big companiesIn their words: “You own Kong's partner business in your territory across resellers, systems integrators (SIs), and consultancies in AMER.”
- Where deals come from
- A mix. Some leads come to you, some you find yourself.
The Braun Read
Worth a lookSolid on the basics. Use the first call to fill in the gaps.
- Pay
- Base is listed but not OTE. Ask what the variable is and how many people hit it.
- Transparency
- Shares 1 of 5. Mentions territory. Ask about quota, attainment, deal size and sales cycle.
- Time on market
- Open 6 days.
- Company hiring
- Ramping up: posted 19 sales roles in the last 30 days. That many open roles can also mean churn. Ask how many reps are still there from last year.
Based only on what the posting says. Lights are a starting point for your first call, not a final judgment.
Questions to ask on the first call
Built from what this posting leaves out. How they answer tells you as much as what they say.
- 1.
What percentage of fully ramped reps hit quota last year?
OTE is what you could earn. This is how likely you are to earn it.
- 2.
What's the OTE, and what did the median rep earn last year?
Base is what you're guaranteed. OTE and the median show the upside.
- 3.
What's the annual quota, and how was it set?
A quota built from real data is a target. Otherwise it's a hope.
- 4.
How long is ramp, and what's the quota during it?
Full quota on day one means you start behind.
- 5.
What's a typical deal size and sales cycle?
Together they tell you how many deals it takes to hit your number.
Before You Apply
Find out where you fit, and where you don't, before you hit submit.
Why I built it this way ↓
Most résumé tools try to make you look like a match. I'd rather help you find out if you are one.
Nothing made up.
Nothing goes on your résumé that you didn't do. If a line would need a number you didn't give me, I ask. I don't guess. On Braun Board it's checked in code, not just promised.
Curiosity before conclusions.
If the job wants something your résumé doesn't show, I ask before I assume. Plenty of sellers have done the thing and just never wrote it down.
Sorting, not selling.
Some jobs won't line up with what you've done. Finding that out before you apply isn't a loss. It's an hour back, spent on a job that fits.
No score.
A match score tells you how well you copied their words. It doesn't tell you whether you'd be good at the job, or happy there.
It's the same way I teach selling. We don't control who says yes. We do control where we spend our time, and whether everything we say is true.
Josh
More on this1 Is the job worth it?
Worth a look. Solid on the basics. Use the first call to fill in the gaps.
No red lights. If it fits what you want, the tools below help you get ready.
See the full Braun Read2 Where you fit
Upload once, see where you fit on any job.
Sign in and add your résumé. I'll show you where you line up, ask before I assume, and never add anything you didn't do.
Sign in →What people say about working at Kong ↓
Got an offer from Kong? Not sure about it?Ask me. I read every message myself. · JoshAsk Josh
Rather talk it through? Call or text me: 954-695-0844 (text)
Full posting
Are you ready to unlock intelligence?
If you don’t think you meet all of the criteria below but are still interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box - we’re looking for candidates that are particularly strong in a few areas, and have some interest and capabilities in others.
Are you ready to unlock intelligence?
If you don't think you meet all of the criteria below but are still interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box. We're looking for candidates who are particularly strong in a few areas, and have some interest and capabilities in others.
Partner sales is one of Kong's biggest growth engines. The Partner Sales Manager drives revenue through partners: you build joint business plans, grow partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline, and close business alongside Kong's Account Executives. You own Kong's partner business in your territory across resellers, systems integrators (SIs), and consultancies in AMER. This is a quota-carrying, senior individual contributor role, and you run your territory as your own business with your territory's sales leader.
PARTNER SALES MANAGER RESPONSIBILITIES
- Be a business advisor to the partners in your territory, and own the number. Drive a joint business plan with each focus partner that sets shared goals for pipeline and revenue, and sell Kong's full portfolio — products, renewals, professional services, and support — through and with them.
- Partner with Kong Account Executives to increase partner attach. Bring the right partner into live deals, align on target accounts, and make it easy for AEs to win with partners.
- Orchestrate co-sell, co-marketing, and co-solutioning with each focus partner. You drive the outcomes across all three and coordinate the Kong team — sales engineers, marketing, enablement, and operations — who help you deliver.
- Sign new partners where there's room to grow, and map your territory to spot new joint opportunities.
- Drive partner-sourced pipeline. Set targets, run a steady cadence with each partner, and focus on net-new business.
- Coordinate deal registration, lead sharing, and co-sell for Kong Gateway, Kong AI Gateway, Kong Mesh, and Konnect, and resolve route conflicts fairly.
- Create joint assets with focus partners, such as reference architectures, blueprints, and solution briefs that field teams on both sides can pick up and use.
- Run joint marketing events and campaigns that build pipeline.
- Learn how your partners make money, where Kong fits, and what it takes to win together.
- Work with Partner Sales Engineers so partners have the technical readiness to sell and deliver Kong.
- Build strong relationships with Kong Account Sales Managers and geo leadership, and involve sales leadership and support as needed to hit shared targets.
- Contribute to quarterly business reviews and annual planning for the Partner organization.
- Share a weekly forecast, and keep partner and opportunity data current in Salesforce and the partner portal.
- Raise critical business issues early with Partner Sales leadership.
- Collaborate with Finance, Partner Operations, and Sales Operations, and prepare territory plans, presentations, and reports as needed.
PARTNER SALES MANAGER REQUIREMENTS
- 5+ years in partner, channel, or alliances sales, with a track record of driving go-to-market through resellers and SIs or consultancies
- A drive to source net-new business and grow it with partners
- The organization to run many partners and activities in parallel
- Experience selling infrastructure, developer platforms, or API and AI technology to enterprise buyers
- Experience selling open source solutions
- Experience with B2B sales, deal registration, partner quoting, and co-selling
- Experience with Salesforce and partner management systems, such as a partner portal
- Clear written and verbal communication, strong interpersonal skills, and a steady presence under pressure
- An established network in the industry
- A results-oriented approach
- Interest in Kong and open source software, and the ability to use Kong
- Shares Kong's values and works in accordance with them
- Ability to travel up to 50% and comply with the company's travel policy
Nice to have:
- Prior Partner Sales Manager or partner leadership experience at an API, integration, or open-source-led company
- Hyperscaler co-sell experience, such as AWS ISV Accelerate, Azure IP Co-sell, or GCP Partner Advantage
- Existing relationships with AMER SIs, regional consultancies, or value-added resellers
- Sales methodology training, such as MEDDPICC or Command of the Message
#LI-JS2
About Kong:
Kong Inc., the AI Connectivity Company, is building the connectivity layer of AI. Trusted by the Fortune 500® and AI-native startups alike, Kong’s unified API and AI platform enables organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize the flow of intelligence across APIs and AI traffic — on any model, any cloud. For more information, visit www.konghq.com http://www.konghq.com.