VP Technology and Innovation Partners (Partnerships Ecosystem)
Ceridian
About the opportunity
Dayforce is the AI-powered people platform. One platform for HR, Pay, Time, Talent, and Analytics, with AI built into how work gets done. Partners are central to that strategy. The AI capabilities, data, and solutions our partners bring to the platform extend what Dayforce AI can do for customers and accelerate how fast we grow.
That is changing what our technology ecosystem does for the business. Partners are moving from integrations that sit next to the platform to AI-enabled solutions we resell, transact, and build on together. That shift touches revenue, product strategy, and how Dayforce competes.
The VP, Technology and Innovation Partners owns the strategy, performance, and commercial outcomes of Dayforce’s technology partner ecosystem across five areas: ISV partners Dayforce resells, including Go1, Emburse, Docusign, Aquera, etc.; ISV partners with certified connectors on the Dayforce Exchange across Pay and Benefits and HR and Talent; the Microsoft partnership; In Country Payroll partners; and Dayforce Build.
This is a leader-of-leaders role with a number attached. You will be accountable for resell bookings, partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline, marketplace revenue, and the quality of the integrations and solutions partners deliver. You will lead an established team of four senior leaders who own the Microsoft alliance, In Country Payroll, Pay and Benefits ISVs, and HR and Talent ISVs. You will operate as a peer to the leaders of our Services Delivery and Community pillars. We are looking for a leader with the commercial, go-to-market, and technology depth to run all of it as one business.
Work is what you do, not where you go. For this role, we are open to remote work and can hire anywhere in the US or Canada.
What you’ll get to do
Business Ownership and Growth
- Carry the technology partner number. Own resell bookings, partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline, and marketplace revenue, with clear accountability to the CRO organization.
- Scale software resell. Grow attach of resold partner solutions to core Dayforce deals. Set the margins, pricing, packaging, and commercial terms that make resell a material, predictable revenue line.
- Make the Exchange transactable. Share ownership with Product of moving the Dayforce Exchange from referral-only to transactable. Own the partner commercial model, partner onboarding, and partner readiness.
- Make partners a growth engine for Dayforce AI. Build the partner strategy that extends the AI-powered people platform. Bring in the AI partners, agents, and solutions that deepen what Dayforce AI delivers for customers and create new revenue.
- Own the portfolio. Decide which partners we resell, which we integrate and refer, which we co-build with, and which we retire. Close gaps in the Dayforce offering through build, partner, or buy recommendations with Product and Corporate Development.
Microsoft
- Serve as executive sponsor for Microsoft, supporting the alliance lead who owns the day-to-day relationship across partnership, sales, and product teams.
- Grow Dayforce’s position as a strategic HCM and payroll partner in the Microsoft ecosystem, across Azure, Dynamics 365, Copilot, and Teams.
- Build and run a joint HCM, Pay, and ERP go-to-market with Microsoft and the SI partners that deliver it, including marketplace, co-sell programs, and field-to-field engagement.
- Lead AI co-innovation that turns Microsoft technology into differentiated Dayforce AI capability.
Global Payroll and In-Country Partners
- Own the strategy and performance of the In Country Payroll network that delivers and extends Dayforce global payroll.
- Set standards for coverage, service quality, compliance, integration, and customer experience, and hold partners to them.
- Rationalize and expand country coverage based on customer demand and deal pipeline.
- Work with Product and Operations to deliver one consistent global payroll experience, whether Dayforce or a partner runs the payroll.
Dayforce Build
Dayforce Build is the platform customers and partners use to build integrations, extensions, and new capabilities on Dayforce. Partners are already building in it. This role turns that early momentum into a scaled partner ecosystem.
- Own the partner strategy and growth of Dayforce Build, sharing ownership of the platform roadmap with Product and Engineering.
- Move partner builds, including AI-powered extensions and agents, from proof of concept to production, certified, and in market.
- Recruit and grow the ISVs, SIs, and developers building on the platform, including through the Dayforce Developer Community.
- Connect what partners build to the Exchange, the resell program, and field go-to-market so builds turn into revenue.
- Set quality, security, and certification standards for everything partners build on Dayforce.
GTM and Field Execution
- Build repeatable joint go-to-market motions with priority partners: co-sell plays, joint campaigns, enablement, and account mapping.
- Drive field adoption of resell and partner solutions across segments.
- Equip Dayforce sellers with the positioning, pricing, and proof points to attach partner solutions to core deals, so partner attach is a default consideration rather than an exception.
- Partner with Marketing on ecosystem launches, events, and partner showcases.
Leading the Team
You will lead four senior leaders, each running a distinct motion. Your first job is to make them operate as one ecosystem.
- Microsoft Alliance owns the day-to-day Microsoft relationship, co-sell, and joint GTM.
- In Country Payroll owns the global payroll partner network, coverage, and service quality.
- Pay and Benefits ISVs owns the partners that extend Dayforce Pay and Benefits through connectors and resell.
- HR and Talent ISVs owns the partners that extend Dayforce HR and Talent through connectors and resell.
- Coach, develop, and raise the bar across the team. Have a clear point of view on strengths and gaps within your first quarter.
- Establish one scorecard and operating rhythm across all five areas, balancing long-term platform strategy against near-term revenue.
Technology and Product Influence
- Serve as the technical voice of the partner ecosystem inside Dayforce.
- Partner with Product and Engineering on integration architecture, APIs, connector certification, and partner developer experience.
- Partner with Product on the Dayforce AI roadmap, so partner AI capabilities complement and extend what Dayforce builds.
- Scout emerging technology and AI partners that expand the Dayforce platform and create new revenue.
Executive and Cross-Functional Influence
- Operate as a trusted counterpart to executive leadership across Sales, Product, Engineering, Marketing, Legal, and Finance.
- Negotiate complex resell, revenue share, and strategic partner agreements, and hold partners accountable through data, not sentiment.
- Present performance, risk, and opportunity directly to the executive team with clarity and conviction, including in forums with sponsor visibility.
- Executive exposure to the CRO, Product, and Technology organizations, and to Microsoft executive leadership, as a matter of routine, not exception.
Skills and experience we value
- 15+ years in enterprise software, with at least 7 years leading technology partnerships, alliances, or ecosystem businesses, and meaningful time spent carrying a number.
- A track record of growing partner revenue, including resell or OEM models, with specifics: bookings delivered, attach rates moved, marketplace revenue grown.
- Direct experience scaling a SaaS marketplace, app ecosystem, or developer platform program, ideally including the move to a transactable model.
- Deep experience with Microsoft or another hyperscaler: co-sell programs, marketplace, and executive sponsorship.
- Strong commercial judgment. You have structured and negotiated complex resell, revenue share, and strategic partner agreements.
- Enough technical depth to lead conversations on APIs, integration architecture, cloud platforms, and AI with engineering teams on both sides.
- A clear point of view on how AI is reshaping software ecosystems, and experience bringing AI partners and solutions to market.
- Experience leading senior leaders who each run a distinct business and making them operate as one team.
- Familiarity with HCM, payroll, ERP, or an adjacent enterprise platform category.
- Comfort operating in a private equity-backed environment, with the pace, transparency, and accountability that entails.
- Highly analytical and metrics-driven, at ease in complex matrixed environments and in front of an executive audience.
What would make you stand out
- Global payroll experience is a strong advantage.
- Prior PE-backed experience is a strong advantage.