Channel Development Manager - Americas

At Robotiq, we free human hands from repetitive tasks. Guided by our Lean Robotics methodology, we develop collaborative robot solutions and components that are easy to deploy, empowering factory teams to boost productivity and adapt quickly. We help manufacturers and robotics innovators deploy automation faster. But it’s not just what we build; it’s how we work. At Robotiq, we CARE for people, putting respect, honesty, and accountability at the heart of everything we do. We INNOVATE with purpose, sharing knowledge and creating meaningful solutions that make a real difference. And we are ONE team, collaborating across roles and regions to help each other and our customers succeed. The Channel Development Manager (CDM) for the Americas reports to the CRO and is a dedicated, high-velocity "hunter" responsible for expanding Robotiq's market breadth by recruiting and activating net-new partners. ROLE OVERVIEW : This role focuses on identifying and securing two highly specific partner profiles: Vertical Equipment Distributors: Partners with deep end-user access (e.g., Food & Beverage, Consumer Goods) capable of selling turnkey, "machine-in-a-box" palletizing solutions. Packaging Line System Integrators: Solutions providers who handle complex, end-of-line integration projects and can leverage our standardized robotic palletizers as reliable, off-the-shelf modules to accelerate their broader line deployments. The ultimate goal is to prospect, rapidly onboard, secure the partner's first sales, and seamlessly hand them off to the regional management team for long-term volume scaling. Success in this role will primarily be measured by: Number of newly recruited and activated partners within the targeted profiles. Revenue and unit volume generated from these new partners in their first 12 months. Time-to-first-revenue (speed of activation) for newly signed partners. Successful and structured handoff of producing partners to Regional/Channel Sales Managers. MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES : 1. Strategic Partner Recruitment (Hunting) Prospect, qualify, and recruit net-new packaging distributors and packaging line system integrators. Tailor the commercial pitch to the partner profile: For Distributors: Emphasize ease of deployment, try-before-you-buy models, and fully assembled turnkey systems. For Packaging SIs: Position our standardized palletizers as a way to eliminate custom engineering risk, allowing them to focus on the broader line integration and win larger projects. Identify coverage gaps across geographies and target industries to build a robust recruitment pipeline. Negotiate and finalize commercial distribution agreements and initial onboarding commitments. 2. Partner Activation & Acceleration Oversee the rapid onboarding of new partners, ensuring they reach commercial readiness within 90 days. Train partner sales teams on how to leverage our automated pre-sales and qualification software to independently identify and quote standard palletizing opportunities. Actively co-sell and support the partner’s early-stage opportunities to secure their critical first and second unit sales. Facilitate the placement of demo units or showroom equipment to accelerate partner independence. 3. Cross-Functional Handoff & Pipeline Management Ensure a structured, frictionless handoff of activated, revenue-generating partners to the Regional / Channel Sales Managers for ongoing account management and volume scaling. Maintain rigorous tracking of the recruitment funnel, conversion rates, and early-stage pipeline in the CRM (HubSpot). Provide field feedback to the Product and Partner Program teams regarding barriers to entry, pricing, or competitive dynamics in the packaging equipment space. REQUIREMENTS : Bachelor's degree in science or business administration; At least 5-8 years of channel development experience with proven success in recruiting and developing new partners, in channel sales, or territory expansion, ideally in a B2B hardware/machinery environ