Manager, Partner Relations

Manager, Partner Relations

Follett Content Solutions is a trusted partner for educators since 1873, supporting educators who touch more than 45 million students worldwide. We are hiring a full‑time exempt Manager, Partner Relations located in McHenry, IL. The pay range is $71,000
–$85,000 per year, with a hybrid work schedule (3 days in office: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday; 2 remote days: Wednesday & Friday). We consider remote work for the right candidate and offer a comprehensive benefits package (details available by clicking the benefits link).

The Partner Relations Manager is responsible for the day‑to‑day management and growth of business relationships with several of our largest publisher partners, with sales exceeding $110 million annually. This role requires cross‑functional collaboration with curation, merchandising, inventory, IT, finance, and operations teams to ensure business efficiencies, productivity, and success.

• Identify and review potential opportunities, conduct bi‑annual business reviews, and reserve marketing based on upcoming titles.
• Negotiate growth incentives, increased discounts, volume discounts, and specialty line participation to improve profitability.
• Act as the Partner Management lead on strategic business initiatives, collaborating across departments.
• Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with partners and serve as a trusted advisor.
• Manage contract negotiations and agreements, working closely with internal stakeholders and the legal team.
• Analyze partner performance using data and reporting, track KPIs, marketing spend, and provide actionable insights.
• Resolve conflicts and escalations that arise during the partnership cycle.
• Collaborate with the Director to negotiate terms to meet gross margin targets and analyze compliance with trade terms.
• Pursue special product opportunities, analyze cross‑sell potential, and participate in strategic teams to address channel needs.
• Communicate marketing opportunities related to initiatives, reserve placements for key partners, and facilitate chargeback reporting.
• Participate in ONIX onboarding meetings as the Partner Management liaison to represent partner and team needs.
• Oversee publisher updates and manage changes in the vendor file, maintaining accurate records.
• Support non‑Key Vendor requests and manage research requests within Salesforce, distinguishing data‑related requests.

• 7–10 years of experience coordinating with external vendors, partners, or clients; familiarity with scheduling, resource intake, or data submission processes.
• Experience handling metadata and working with data protocols such as ONIX.
• Proficiency in Microsoft products and ability to learn new technology.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in Salesforce or similar CRM systems.
• Background in managing contracts and agreements.
• Basic marketing experience to support vendor marketing campaigns.
• Experience vetting, onboarding new vendors or partners with attention to detail.
• Proven ability to work effectively with internal teams to ensure smooth workflows.
• Experience generating workflow reports or tracking operational efficiency metrics.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or other protected characteristics. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance with the application process, please contact us at or by phone at x45130
.