Position Overview

We are seeking a strategic and results-driven Affiliate Program Manager to lead and scale our affiliate marketing initiatives for LivePlan, our business planning and financial forecasting software. This role will be responsible for building, managing, and optimizing our affiliate program from the ground up, driving SaaS revenue growth through strategic partnerships with business coaches, entrepreneurship influencers, small business content creators, and traditional affiliate partners who serve the small business and creator economy.

Key Responsibilities

Program Development & Management

• Establish affiliate marketing platform, select management platform, develop recruitment guidelines, and implement scalable processes for managing collaborations including platform usage, content consistency, and contract management
• Monitor affiliate partner activity to ensure compliance with brand guidelines, legal requirements, and partnership terms.
• Implement comprehensive fraud detection tools and processes to prevent click fraud, cookie stuffing, trademark violations, and ensure commissions only for retained customers
• Manage and develop affiliate creative asset library and oversee brand compliance for all promotional materials
• Coordinate API integrations between affiliate platforms and internal systems to ensure seamless data flow and tracking
• Ensure GDPR/CCPA compliance in all affiliate data handling and customer information sharing

Strategic Planning & KPI Management

• Collaborate with Acquisition Manager to establish program KPIs and success metrics
• Track and report performance on weekly and monthly basis with actionable insights
• Own forecasting and goal-setting for the affiliate channel
• Plan partnership placements at least one full quarter in advance
• Analyze performance data to identify optimization opportunities and drive continuous improvement
• Design tiered commission structures and seasonal bonus programs to incentivize top performer retention

Partnership Management & Development

• Lead partner recruitment and contract negotiations including commission structures and performance incentives tailored to SaaS metrics
• Manage the full partnership lifecycle from initial outreach through onboarding, training on LivePlan features, and ongoing relationship management
• Build and maintain a diverse roster of high-performing partners including business consultants, accountants, entrepreneurship educators, and creator economy influencers
• Develop creative briefs for affiliate promotional materials and coordinate with internal teams for partner-specific assets
• Monitor competitor programs, commission structures, and partner networks to maintain competitive positioning and identify new opportunities

• Develop tiered outreach strategies and provide LivePlan product training for different partner types (business coaches, creators, traditional affiliates)
• Coordinate regular communication with affiliate partners including quarterly business reviews, product updates, and seasonal campaign planning
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product marketing, sales, customer success, and inbound teams to create partner-specific resources and promotional materials.
• Facilitate co-marketing opportunities such as webinars, guest content, and business planning workshops with high-value partners. 

Performance Analysis & Optimization

• Deliver comprehensive reporting on traffic, revenue, and partner performance with clear insights and recommendations
• Monitor industry trends in affiliate marketing, social commerce, and creator content
• Identify new tools, platforms, and opportunities to keep the program competitive and innovative
• Conduct regular program audits and implement optimizations to improve ROI and partner satisfaction
• Coordinate with finance team on commission processing, budget management, and affiliate payment reconciliation

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years in affiliate/partner marketing (preferably SaaS) with proven track record of scaling programs that drive measurable revenue growth
• Familiarity with incentive program design including tiered commission structures and bonus programs
• Technical proficiency with affiliate platforms, tracking implementation, and SaaS metrics (CAC, LTV, conversion optimization)
• Experience with SaaS affiliate platforms (ex: PartnerStack, Impact, Rewardful etc.), CRM systems (Hubspot), and analytics tools (Amplitude/GA4)
• Strong understanding of the small business and entrepreneurship ecosystem including key influencers, content creators, consultants, and industry publications
• Excellent negotiation and contract management experience, particularly with recurring revenue models and SaaS partnership structures
• Deep familiarity with business planning, financial forecasting, or small business tools and the ability to effectively communicate software benefits to partners
• Project management expertise with ability to coordinate complex campaigns across multiple partner types and channels in collaboration with acquisition marketing manager

Preferred Qualifications

• Background working with business coaches, consultants, or entrepreneurship educators
• Familiarity with small business and creator economy trends, platforms, and key influencers
• Experience in financial software, business planning tools, or professional services marketing
• Knowledge of business planning methodologies, financial forecasting, and small business operations
• Experience with API integrations and technical aspects of affiliate platform management
• Background in competitive intelligence and market research within the SaaS or affiliate marketing space
• Understanding of educational content marketing and thought leadership in the business space

Key Success Metrics

• Growth metrics: LTV revenue, CAC, and net new accounts from affiliate channel
• Program expansion: Partner acquisition, engagement scores, and retention across all segments
• Performance optimization: Conversion rates, revenue attribution, and program ROI

Reporting Structure

This role reports directly to the Acquisition Marketing Manager and will work closely with inbound, product, sales and operations teams to ensure program success and alignment with overall business objectives.

This role offers the opportunity to build and own a critical revenue channel while working at the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship. The ideal candidate will be passionate about empowering small businesses, understand the creator economy landscape, and have experience building partnerships that drive sustainable SaaS growth. Join Palo Alto Software in helping entrepreneurs and small business owners succeed through better business planning with LivePlan.

Salary

Salary ranges from $65k - $95k depending on experience and qualifications.

Employment Details

This position is flexible and could be a contract position for out of state applicants, or a hybrid remote position for Oregon applicants.