Strategic Partner Manager

About the role

Proofpoint is a global leader in human- and agent-centric cybersecurity. We protect how people, data, and AI agents connect across email, cloud, and collaboration tools. Over 80 of the Fortune 100, 10,000 large enterprises, and millions of smaller organizations trust Proofpoint to stop threats, prevent data loss, and build resilience across their people and AI workflows. Our mission is simple: safeguard the digital world and empower people to work securely and confidently. Join us in our pursuit to defend data and protect people. How We Work: At Proofpoint you'll be part of a global team that breaks barriers to redefine cybersecurity guided by our BRAVE core values: Bold in how we dream and innovate Responsive to feedback, challenges and opportunities Accountable for results and best in class outcomes Visionary in future focused problem-solving Exceptional in execution and impact Corporate Overview In today's cyber threat landscape, protection starts with people. At Proofpoint, that simple truth fuels our passion for protecting users, the data they create, and the systems they rely on from a uniquely people-centric perspective. And we're just as passionate about finding the right people to help us in that mission. When you join Proofpoint, you're helping to: - Build and enhance our proven security platform - Blend innovation and speed in a constantly evolving cloud environment - Analyze new threats and offer deep insight through data-driven intel - Collaborate with customers to help solve their toughest security challenges We are singularly devoted to helping our customers protect their greatest assets and biggest security risk: their people. That's why we're a leader in next-generation cybersecurity-and why more than half of the Fortune 100 trust us as a security partner. The Strategic Partner Manager is a senior-level individual contributor responsible for managing and optimizing operational performance across Proofpoint's third-party Technical Customer Support vendor partners. This role ensures that vendor activities are aligned with business priorities, drives operational improvements, and amplifies the effectiveness of our global support ecosystem. #LifeAtProofpoint as a Strategic Partner Manager Acting as a key strategic advisor to the Director, Vendor Management, this role requires strong analytical skills, operational depth, and the ability to influence both internal stakeholders and external vendor leaders-without direct people management. Your day-to-day Vendor Strategy & Relationship Management - Partner closely with vendor leadership to ensure alignment with Proofpoint's goals, support strategy, and customer experience standards. - Serve as a strategic liaison between internal teams and vendor partners to drive transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement. - Monitor contract adherence and identify opportunities to optimize vendor services. Operational Excellence - Evaluate vendor performance across KPIs, SLAs, quality metrics, and productivity benchmarks. - Identify operational gaps, propose structured improvement plans, and track progress through completion. - Support readiness for product changes, workflow modifications, and major program rollouts. Cross-Functional Partnership - Collaborate with Engineering, Product, Customer Success, Support Operations, and internal Support teams to ensure vendor alignment with business needs. - Represent the vendor organization in cross-functional meetings, project discussions, and operational reviews. - Communicate vendor impact, risks, and opportunities clearly to senior leadership. Program & Process Leadership - Lead vendor-related initiatives and process improvement programs-driving structure, documentation, and execution. - Maintain operational playbooks, escalation guides, SOPs, and readiness materials. - Partner with training and quality teams to ensure consistent vendor skill development. Data Analysis & Reporting - Analyze vendor data to identify performance trends, root causes, capacity issues, and customer-impacting concerns. - Build dashboards, scorecards, and executive-level summaries to highlight insights and drive decision-making. - Provide recommendations based on data-focusing on efficiency, quality, and customer experience. Escalation and Issue Management - Support vendor escalations, incident management, and service disruptions. - Partner with stakeholders to drive cross-functional resolution and long-term corrective action. - Track recurring issues and propose systemic solutions. Strategic Support - Support the Director in defining vendor strategy, long-term operational planning, and organizational alignment. - Assess vendor capabilities and recommend changes to staffing models, resourcing, or support coverage What you bring to the team - 10+ years of experience in Technical Support, Vendor Management, Customer Support Operations, or related fields. - Strong background in global support enviro