SAP Concur- Director, Strategic Alliances & Partner Ecosystem

Job Description

We help the world run better
At SAP, we keep it simple: you bring your best to us, and we'll bring out the best in you. We're builders touching over 20 industries and 80% of global commerce, and we need your unique talents to help shape what's next. The work is challenging – but it matters. You'll find a place where you can be yourself, prioritize your wellbeing, and truly belong. What's in it for you? Constant learning, skill growth, great benefits, and a team that wants you to grow and succeed.

Job Overview: Join the Worldwide Leader in Corporate Travel & Expense Management Services as a Director, Strategic Alliances & Partner Ecosystem for our new strategic alliance with American Express GBT. SAP Concur is the world's leading provider of business services that automate Corporate Expense Management. Established in 1993, Concur's solutions are used in over 90 countries around the world and are trusted by more organizations than any other provider of Expense Management solutions.

SAP Concur has established a transformative strategic alliance with American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT), creating an industry-leading integrated solution for travel and expense management. This partnership combines SAP Concur's best-in-class spend management platform with Amex GBT's world-class travel management services to deliver exceptional value, savings, and control to Enterprise and SMB customers.

This role serves as the strategic leader responsible for designing, managing, and optimizing partner programs that support SAP Concur’s alliance with Amex GBT. The position will champion program excellence by ensuring high quality product and service delivery for customers, generating new revenue opportunities through aggressive partner recruitment, and maintaining an industry-leading partnership model that stays relevant, competitive, and aligned with evolving market and customer needs.

1. Program Design

• Lead the design, implementation, and ongoing enhancement of the alliance program framework.
• Define clear program parameters that align with SAP PartnerEdge, support new revenue growth (e.g., supplier revenue, partner recruitment), and reflect the goals of Amex GBT, Global Partner Solutions (GPS), and the Travel Partner Network (TPN) within the broader strategic alliance.
• Drive cross-functional governance for program design and operations, collaborating closely with legal, brand, OEC, competition, product, marketing, sales, training, solutions support, and finance teams.

2. Program(s) Management

• Lead cross-functional initiatives to design and implement pre-PartnerEdge platform capabilities that track TMC member progress, requirement attainment, and benefit consumption, including the development of internal and external dashboards and integrated data sources.
• Leverage SAP tools and resources to design, launch, and maintain a Partner Portal (e.g., SAP WorkZone) that strengthens collaboration, enables partner self-service, and supports ongoing partner success.
• Serve as the primary owner and leadership point of contact for alliance partner program(s), jointly managing relationships across all Travel Partner Network (TPN) members.
• Deliver executive-level insights by creating and maintaining dashboards, scorecards, and performance reporting that translate complex data into clear, actionable strategic guidance.
• Maximize partner performance by developing standardized templates and initiatives, conducting regular business reviews, and identifying obstacles that hinder partners’ go-to-market effectiveness, sales motions, and revenue attainment.

3. Strategic Partner Recruitment & Co-Selling

• Drive a robust recruitment strategy to bring new TMC partners into the joint affiliate program, working in lockstep with Amex GBT to co-sell the value of the program to prospective members.
• Drive Sales Performance: Utilize a strategic mix of incentives ("carrots") and contractual accountability measures ("sticks") to motivate partners, ensuring they not only join the ecosystem but actively meet sales targets and program requirements.
• Act as the primary evangelist for the alliance, conducting joint pitches with Amex GBT leadership to expand the ecosystem and strengthen strategic alignment.
• Develop and own all partner recruitment materials and campaigns, including the Partner Prospectus, digital assets, and a dedicated TMC partner page on concur.com.
• Establish, maintain, and regularly review partner qualification criteria to ensure high-quality recruitment that aligns with program goals and alliance strategy.
• Represent the program at industry events, conferences, and public forums to identify, engage, and recruit prospective partners.
• Continuously assess Amex GBT’s Travel Partner Network (TPN) members to determine eligibility and strategic fit for potential resell partnership opportunities.

4. Product Roadmap Influence & Partner Experience

• Serve as the voice of the partner and customer by identifying product roadmap needs through direct collaboration with Amex GBT and partner feedback loops.
• Influence Product Development teams to prioritize features and integrations that drive program success and address critical market gaps.
• Champion initiatives designed specifically to improve Partner Net Promoter Score (NPS), ensuring the program delivers tangible value and operational ease for members.
• Translate partner ecosystem feedback into actionable product requirements that enhance the integrated solution for end-users.

5. Contract Management & Compliance

• Design and manage any Program Guide Supplements and formal membership acknowledgements for the program(s).
• Ensure Compliance: Act as the primary liaison with Legal, Security, and Data; engage Privacy teams to ensure all contractual obligations and regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) are met.
• Manage Lifecycle: Develop and maintain a contract management system, including a repository of all agreements, and proactively manage amendments.

Education, Experience & Training required:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in business development, strategic alliances, program management, or sales/business operations within the enterprise software, SaaS, or travel technology industry.
• A minimum of 4 years of direct experience leading the operational aspects of a large-scale, complex strategic partnership.
• Demonstrated experience in negotiating and managing significant commercial agreements.
• Strong track record in partner recruitment and co-selling complex programs alongside strategic alliance partners.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Law, or a related field is required.

Job Specific Specialized Knowledge & Skills:

• Alliance Programs: Expert-level knowledge in designing and running partner programs for complex, multi-layered strategic partnerships.
• Recruitment Strategy: Proven ability to identify, pitch, and close new partners, specifically in a co-sell motion with a primary alliance stakeholder.
• Incentive Management: Skilled in designing performance frameworks that balance rewards with strict accountability to drive sales behavior.
• Product Influence: Experience bridging the gap between business development and product management; ability to translate market needs into product prioritization.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Mastery in leading and influencing cross-functional teams (Sales, Product, Legal, Finance, Marketing) without direct reporting authority.
• Executive Communication: Effective storytelling and presentation skills; ability to influence at the executive level.
• Analytics & Data Fluency: Ability to translate data into strategic guidance; experience building and interpreting dashboards and performance reports. Proficiency with financial models, ROI analyses, and KPI-driven decision making.
• Travel & Expense Ecosystem: Strong understanding of the corporate travel landscape, the role of TMCs, and the interplay between travel booking and expense management platforms.

Critical Performance Competencies:

• Strategic & Operational Alignment: Ability to balance long-term strategic objectives with rigorous day-to-day execution.
• Executive Presence & Influence: Comfort communicating with and influencing senior leaders and negotiating with key partners.
• Accountability & Results Orientation: Strong focus on delivering measurable business outcomes and driving performance against KPIs.
• Adaptability & Resilience: Ability to navigate ambiguity, manage change, and maintain momentum under pressure.
• Partner-Centric Mindset: Dedicated focus on improving Partner NPS and driving mutual success.

Bring out your best
SAP innovations help more than four hundred thousand customers worldwide work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively. Originally known for leadership in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, SAP has evolved to become a market leader in end-to-end business application software and related services for database, analytics, intelligent technologies, and experience management. As a cloud company with two hundred million users and more than one hundred thousand employees worldwide, we are purpose-driven and future-focused, with a highly collaborative team ethic and commitment to personal development. Whether connecting global industries, people, or platforms, we help ensure every challenge gets the solution it deserves. At SAP, you can bring out your best.

We win with inclusion
SAP’s culture of inclusion, focus on health and well-being, and flexible working models help ensure that everyone – regardless of background – feels included and can run at their best. At SAP, we believe we are made stronger by the unique capabilities and qualities that each person brings to our company, and we invest in our employees to inspire confidence and help everyone realize their full potential. We ultimately believe in unleashing all talent and creating a better world.

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For SAP employees: Only permanent roles are eligible for the SAP Employee Referral Program, according to the eligibility rules set in the SAP Referral Policy. Specific conditions may apply for roles in Vocational Training.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, et al), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, or disability.

Compensation Range Transparency: SAP believes the value of pay transparency contributes towards an honest and supportive culture and is a significant step toward demonstrating SAP’s commitment to pay equity. SAP provides the annualized compensation range inclusive of base salary and variable incentive target for the career level applicable to the posted role. The targeted annual combined range for this position is $194,100-$411,600(USD). The actual amount to be offered to the successful candidate will be within that range, dependent upon the key aspects of each case which may include education, skills, experience, scope of the role, location, etc. as determined through the selection process. Any SAP variable incentive includes a targeted dollar amount and any actual payout amount is dependent on company and personal performance. Please reference this link for a summary of SAP benefits and eligibility requirements: SAP North America Benefits.

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Requisition ID: 452229 | Work Area: Sales | Expected Travel: 0 - 10% | Career Status: Professional | Employment Type: Regular Full Time | Additional Locations: #LI-Hybrid