Channel Director

Who you are

• This is a builder's role for a leader who can stand up partner programs from early stage, run long-cycle capital and program-based pursuits through partners, and grow recurring data and capacity subscriptions at the same time
• 10+ years in enterprise sales with at least 4 years building or leading channel, partner, or indirect programs in geospatial data, earth observation, satellite communications, satellite systems, defense technology, or adjacent data/SaaS markets, with a consistent record of exceeding quota
• Demonstrated success standing up a channel program in an early or emerging market — recruiting partners, defining program economics, and scaling partner-sourced revenue across both recurring data subscriptions and large capital or program-based hardware
• Experience driving partner-led sales into U.S. government, defense, and intelligence customers as well as international markets, including familiarity with procurement vehicles, teaming arrangements, and export controls (ITAR/EAR)
• Command of a structured sales methodology (MEDDICC, Challenger, or similar) plus deal-registration, margin governance, and CRM/PRM forecast rigor
• Ability to engage credibly with partner technical and mission stakeholders on remote sensing, SAR, optical communications and crosslinks, tasking, and data delivery workflows
• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, or a related field; willingness to travel up to 50%, including international travel
• Direct experience building or managing a channel for SAR, optical imagery, or RF sensing data and analytics
• Background in satellite systems, optical communications terminals, ground segment, or space mission integration
• Experience in early market development or category creation for an emerging technology, including partner-led go-to-market
• Active U.S. security clearance, or eligibility to obtain one
• Established relationships across DoD, IC, allied international defense customers, and the global space and geospatial partner ecosystem

What the job involves

• IonQ is hiring a Channel Sales Leader to build and scale the indirect route to market for its space portfolio including Capella Data as a Service (DaaS) and satellite systems, Skyloom optical communications terminals and crosslink solutions, and the broader space solutions offering
• You will recruit, enable, and grow a global ecosystem of resellers, distributors, value-added analytics providers, systems integrators, primes, and in-country partners, and carry a channel-sourced revenue number
• Own an annual channel-sourced and channel-influenced revenue quota spanning Capella DaaS subscriptions and tasking capacity, satellite systems, Skyloom optical communications products, and the wider space solutions portfolio
• Design and execute the global channel strategy: partner segmentation and tiering, coverage model by region and market, and the margin, discount, and deal-registration framework that governs it
• Recruit, onboard, and develop partners — resellers, distributors, value-added analytics and application providers, systems integrators, defense primes, and international in-country representatives
• Own joint business plans with each strategic partner: co-selling motions, joint pipeline generation, marketing development funds, quarterly business reviews, and accountability to committed targets
• Build partner enablement end to end — sales and technical training, certification paths, demo and evaluation assets, and pricing tools — in partnership with solutions engineering and product marketing
• Support partner-led and teamed pursuits: RFIs, RFPs, and government solicitations, prime and subcontractor teaming strategies, and international distribution structures within export-control requirements
• Forecast channel pipeline accurately in CRM and PRM, maintain disciplined pipeline hygiene, and administer clear rules of engagement to manage channel conflict with the direct sales team
• Serve as the voice of the partner ecosystem to product, engineering, and mission solutions teams, and represent IonQ at industry, defense, and geospatial conferences and partner events