Sr. MDF Programs Manager - Remote NAM

Position Overview

The Sr. MDF Programs Manager is responsible for the governance, execution, measurement, and reporting of Extreme Networks’ global Market Development Funds (MDF) program. This role ensures MDF investments are allocated effectively, executed in a compliant manner, and supported by the data and reporting needed to evaluate performance and business impact. The role provides program insights to support strategic planning and investment decisions, while overseeing MDF financial management and Global Partner Marketing Opex planning and management.

Key Responsibilities:

MDF Programs Management

• Own the end-to-end MDF lifecycle, including allocation, approval workflows, compliance oversight, performance measurement, and reporting.

• Manage and evolve the global MDF framework, including program guidelines, eligibility, activity requirements, governance, and best practices.

• Act as the main point of contact for partners and internal stakeholders on MDF processes, escalations, and inquiries.

• Manage MDF funding across distributors and reseller partners in alignment with business objectives and Partner Marketing priorities.

• Support MDF investment planning through program data, performance insights, and recommendations that inform funding and strategic direction.

• Partner with Finance to ensure fiscal discipline, accurate financial reporting, audit readiness, and management of MDF accruals and contra budgets.

• Define MDF business requirements for systems and tools, including workflows, data capture, validation, reporting, and partner experience.

• Partner with Marketing Operations and other stakeholders to establish performance measures and improve tracking and reporting of MDF performance and business impact.

• Develop MDF performance reporting and insights to support leadership visibility, strategic planning, and investment decisions.

• Drive process improvements, automation, and data quality enhancements to improve program scalability, operational efficiency, and partner experience.

Budget Management and Operational Planning

• Oversee partner marketing team OPEX management to ensure spend discipline, forecasting accuracy, and alignment with approved budgets.

• Lead annual AOP (Annual Operating Plan) discussions and planning cycles to define allocation, investment focus areas with Team and Leadership.

Leadership and Collaboration

• Team Management & Mentorship: Manage an MDF compliance contractor and participate in the Partner Marketing leadership team. Provide strategic direction to the team and key stakeholders.

• Functional Alignment: Serve as the connective tissue across Partner Ops, Marketing Ops, Field Marketing, and Channel Sales, ensuring operational efficiency, strategic alignment, and clarity of communication.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Collaborate with Finance, IT, Marketing Ops, and Partner Programs to advance MDF program capabilities, measurement, reporting, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Finance, Business, or a related field

• 4+ years of progressive experience in marketing operations, marketing strategy, finance or related disciplines, in B2B SaaS companies with comparable scale to Extreme Networks ($500M to $5B in revenue) 

• Proven track record managing MDF programs at scale, measuring and reporting on campaigns that optimize ROI and partner growth.

• Exceptional functional leadership skills, with demonstrated ability to influence and lead within cross-functional teams. 

• Expertise in process development and documentation, pipeline management, and cross-functional stakeholder engagement. 

• Advanced analytics capabilities, with proficiency in MDF/PRM tool management (e.g., Channelscaler, Salesforce, 360Insights), budget management (SmartSheet), CRM (Salesforce), and reporting tools (Salesforce, Snowflake/Sigma, Power BI). 

• Outstanding communication, presentation, and project management skills. 

Key Attributes and Competencies

• Collaboration: Skilled at building consensus, navigating complex stakeholder environments, and driving alignment across functions. 

• Adaptability: Comfortable working in fast-paced, evolving environments; flexible in shifting priorities and approaches as needed. 

• Results-Orientation: Focused on delivering measurable outcomes, optimizing performance, and ensuring accountability at every stage. 

• Innovation: Passionate about experimenting with new ideas, tools, and tactics to enhance campaign effectiveness and audience impact. 

Success Metrics

• Improved visibility into MDF performance, business impact, and ROI through consistent measurement and reporting.

• Actionable MDF insights that support strategic planning, investment decisions, and ongoing program optimization.

• Effective MDF governance, compliance, fund utilization, and alignment with business and Partner Marketing priorities.

• Operational efficiency gains through improved processes, systems, data quality, and program scalability.

• Positive stakeholder and partner experience with MDF processes, tools, reporting, and program support.