Services Partner Program Manager

Purpose of the Role

The Service Partner Program Manager Africa is a strategic individual contributor responsible for establishing, developing, and governing a network of service subcontracting partners (ISPs/ASPs) across all indirect African territories. The role ensures that Vertiv’s field service capabilities commissioning, preventive maintenance, and remedial services are delivered through qualified external partners to the highest Vertiv standards.

Operating within the METCA & Africa Service Organisation under the functionally aligned EMEA model, this role reports to the Africa Field Delivery Manager and serves as the primary interface between Vertiv and its partner ecosystem across Africa. The role is an individual contributor and manages external subcontractors rather than Vertiv employees.

Key Accountabilities

• Establish and manage a network of service subcontracting partners (ASPs/ISPs) across all indirect African territories to deliver commissioning, preventive maintenance, and remedial field services on Vertiv Power Train and Thermal Chain equipment.
• Ensure all partner operations are fully aligned with Vertiv EHS principles, quality standards, and service delivery requirements, maintaining a zero-harm culture across the partner network.
• Drive and govern field KPI performance across the partner network, including First Time Fix (FTF) rate, Emergency Callout response, Spare Parts revenue, and Maintenance revenue generated.
• Collaborate with Project Services Management to identify and deploy partner resources for commissioning and project-related field service activities across Africa.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Partner Identification & Prospecting: Research, evaluate, and identify potential service subcontracting partners across African indirect territories; assess technical capability, geographic coverage, EHS compliance, and alignment with Vertiv requirements.
• Partner Onboarding: Lead the end-to-end onboarding of new partners including qualification, commercial contracting, EHS induction, technical training coordination, system access setup, and formal Vertiv certification programs.
• EHS Governance: Ensure all subcontracting partners operate in full compliance with Vertiv EHS standards and applicable local regulations; conduct regular EHS audits, manage incident reporting, and drive a zero-harm culture throughout the partner ecosystem.
• KPI Governance & Performance Management: Define, track, and govern field KPIs across the partner network including First Time Fix (FTF) rate, Emergency Callout response times, Spare Parts revenue contribution, and Maintenance revenue generated; conduct regular partner performance reviews and drive continuous improvement.
• Resource Deployment Collaboration: Work closely with Project Services Management to identify qualified partner resources for commissioning assignments and project deployments; ensure partner availability and readiness for planned and emergency deployments across Africa.
• Relationship Management: Serve as the primary point of contact for all service subcontracting partners; build and maintain strong, productive working relationships to drive mutual performance, loyalty, and long-term growth.
• Training & Competency Development: Coordinate with the Technical Support & Training function to ensure all partners maintain required certifications and technical competencies across Vertiv Power Train (UPS, batteries, PDUs) and Thermal Chain (precision cooling, chillers) product lines.
• Commercial Contribution: Drive spare parts revenue and maintenance contract revenue generation through the partner network; support commercial teams with partner capability information for new contract opportunities and renewals.
• Reporting & Communication: Prepare and present regular partner performance reports to the Africa Field Delivery Manager and regional leadership; maintain accurate partner records, scorecards, and program documentation.
• Compliance & Contracts: Manage partner contracts and service level agreements; ensure adherence to Vertiv legal, compliance, and International Trade Compliance (ITC) requirements across all indirect territories.

Education, Qualifications and Experience

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS

EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or related field
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office and Windows

Desirable

• MBA or postgraduate business qualification
• Project Management certification (PMP or equivalent)
• EHS-related qualification or training certification

Essential

• 5+ years’ experience in partner/vendor management, service delivery, or business development in a technical/field services environment
• Proven experience managing external service providers or subcontractors
• Experience working across multiple African countries/territories
• Track record of KPI-driven performance management

Desirable

• Knowledge of critical infrastructure: UPS, power distribution, precision cooling, data centers
• Experience in matrix/functionally aligned organization structures
• Contract management and legal compliance experience

Languages

• English - Excellent verbal and written communication (mandatory)
• French - Desirable
• Arabic - Nice to have

Travel Requirements

• 20-30% travel across African territories required
• Occasional international travel to EMEA regional meetings and training

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