VP, Channel & Alliances

Coursera was launched in 2012 by Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller with a mission to provide universal access to world-class learning. Today, it is one of the largest online learning platforms in the world, with 191 million registered learners as of September 30, 2025. Coursera partners with over 375 leading universities and industry partners to offer a broad catalogue of content and credentials, including courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, and degrees. Coursera’s platform innovations — including generative AI-powered features like Coach, Role Play, and Course Builder, and role-based solutions like Skills Tracks — enable instructors, partners, and companies to deliver scalable, personalized, and verified learning. Institutions worldwide rely on Coursera to upskill and reskill their employees, students, and citizens in high-demand fields such as GenAI, data science, technology, and business, while learners globally turn to Coursera to master the skills they need to advance their careers. Coursera is a Delaware public benefit corporation and a B Corp.

We’re a global platform aiming to transform lives through learning by offering transformative courses, certificates, and degrees that empower learners worldwide to advance their careers through skill mastery. We’re looking for inventors, innovators, and lifelong learners eager to shape the future of education. If you’re ready to build the global programs and tools that fuel the power of online learning, join Team Coursera.

At Coursera, we are committed to building a globally diverse team and are thrilled to extend employment opportunities to individuals in any country where we have a legal entity. We require candidates to possess eligible working rights and have a compatible timezone overlap with their team to facilitate seamless collaboration. 

Coursera has a commitment to enabling flexibility and workspace choices for employees. Our interviews and onboarding are entirely virtual, providing a smooth and efficient experience for our candidates. As an employee, we enable you to select your main way of working, whether it's from home, one of our offices or hubs, or a co-working space near you.

Job Overview

The VP of Channel & Alliances builds and manages a robust partner ecosystem to expand market reach and accelerate revenue growth through a network of resellers, distributors, and strategic partners. This leader sets the channel's vision, strategy, and sales targets while overseeing all aspects of the partner lifecycle, from recruitment and enablement to performance management and relationship building. The VP of Channel & Alliances works cross-functionally with marketing, product, and direct sales teams to ensure channel efforts align with overall company goals. 

Responsibilities:

• Strategic leadership and planning: Define the company's overall channel sales strategy and develop multi-year growth plans to increase market share and profitability through partners.  Define and execute a cohesive channel strategy that includes solution partners, resellers, regional system integrators, and government distribution partners. 
• Partner recruitment and management: Identify, recruit, and onboard new partners, such as value-added resellers (VARs), managed service providers (MSPs), and system integrators.  Leads international growth through localized partnerships and digital selling motions in key markets such as AMER, LATAM, EMEA, and APAC.  Leads the management of existing partner relationships to ensure high engagement and productivity. 
• Performance management: Set and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for the channel team and partners, and conduct regular business reviews to optimize performance. Develop and manage incentive programs, including commission and bonus structures, to motivate partners and the sales team.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Work closely with marketing to create and implement joint marketing campaigns and enablement resources. Partner with product and engineering teams to provide market feedback and align the product roadmap with partner needs.
• Negotiation and deal support: Maintain executive-level relationships with key partners and assist the sales team in closing complex, strategic deals.
• Establish operational rigor: Set and track KPIs, implement channel incentive programs, and ensure performance visibility across all indirect motions.
• Team leadership: Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing channel sales team, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Financial oversight: Manage the channel budget and partner program finances, including market development funds (MDF), and provide accurate sales forecasts to executive leadership.
• Market analysis: Remains current on industry trends, competitor activities, and market shifts to inform channel strategy and maintain a competitive advantage. 

Basic Qualifications:

• Candidates should have 15+ years of experience in channel sales or partner management, including significant time in a senior leadership role.  Relevant experience within B2B Subscription, SaaS, Technology, or Edtech is essential.
• Leadership: Proven track record of building, scaling, and leading successful channel sales teams globally.
• Strategic thinking: Ability to develop and execute complex, long-term channel strategies that align with broader business goals.
• Communication and negotiation: Exceptional communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Technical proficiency: Expertise in CRM software (e.g., Salesforce) and Partner Relationship Management (PRM) tools.
• Business acumen: Strong financial acumen, including experience with profit and loss (P&L) management and budgeting.
• Data analysis: A data-driven mindset with the ability to analyze performance metrics and make informed decisions. 
• Deep expertise in scaling partner ecosystems and executing global indirect sales motions with measurable revenue impact.
• Experience in B2B SaaS or edtech environments, with a track record of launching self-serve or solution-led growth motions.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams in a matrixed, global organization.
• Strong financial acumen and ability to manage multi-million dollar booking targets and incentive budgets.
• Background in leading transformation initiatives across both high-growth and established organizations.
• Experience negotiating and managing executive-level partnerships with Fortune 500 firms.
• Executive presence, board-level communication, and a passion for Coursera’s mission.

  How you’ll lead:
  Success in this role means you consistently model our Seven Leadership Mindsets:

  • Drive customer value relentlessly: Anchor strategy in learner and customer outcomes, maximizing time-to-value, adoption, and NRR/GRR.
  • Invent the future of learning every day: Pilot new engagement models (including GenAI) to personalize and scale customer experiences.
  • Obsess over metrics that matter: Define the health metrics that predict retention and growth, and operationalize them in daily decisions.
  • Decide, move, and learn – fast: Run structured experiments, shorten feedback loops, and iterate playbooks rapidly.
  • Own it: Take end-to-end accountability for the post‑sale journey—from onboarding through renewal and expansion.
  • Simplify, ruthlessly: Remove process complexity to speed execution; make the customer journey and our operating model crystal clear.
  • One vision, one team: Build tight cross-functional alignment with Sales, Product, Content, and Marketing around shared goals and cadences.

[FOR US ROLES ONLY]

Compensation

Mid-range OTE: $425K

The range(s) listed above is the expected annual OTE salary for this role, subject to change.

Salary is just one component of Coursera’s total rewards package. All regular employees are also eligible for a bonus program and equity in the form of RSU’s.

A number of factors are taken into account when determining pay, which includes: job level, location, training/education, business need, skill set and internal equity.