What does a business partner do?
A business partner is an individual who is involved in a legal business partnership with other individuals to manage a business as co-owners. Business partners invest their money into the business, and each partner benefits from any profits and sustains part of any losses. They must file with the state in which they do business and are governed mostly by state laws. Business partners can also be either liable or not for the actions taken by the company.
Business partner responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real business partner resumes:
- Manage publicity online, in medias such as Facebook and Instagram.
- Negotiate and manage vendor relations using SLA's and metric management.
- Lead the establishment of key ERP, database and java applications environments.
- Implement and manage social media strategies and blog content as well as customer relationships on Salesforce.com.
- Lead all operational, financial and customer relationship aspects of MMI's largest global OEM customer, IBM.
- Plan, manage, supervise and lead the development, QA, UAT and deployment efforts towards on time delivery.
- Seek charitable support to advance healthcare and enhance the community.
- Develop the mobile version of the company's cloud portal.
- Obtain ISO 9002 and UL (quality and product safety) certifications.
- Establish a presence on social-networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, etc.
- Key player on a team which founded a site to help sellers with CRM tools.
- Monitor KPIs, gather market feedback, and initiate actions to drive toward business unit goals.
- Utilize lean sigma, black belt, PMP and CBAP standards, tools & resources for key initiatives ]
- Supervise sales team and provide leadership towards the achievement of maximum profitability and growth in line with company vision and KPIs.
- Leverage SAS and other statistical tools to improve efficiency, accuracy and timeliness of capacity forecasts, reports, and dashboards.
Business partner skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of Business Partners are proficient in Analytics, Project Management, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Creativity, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Business Partners that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Analytics, 8%
Leveraged focused data analytics on call center productivity and team performance to recommend and implement technical and staffing solutions.
- Project Management, 7%
Developed and executed network optimization and quality initiatives providing project management and supporting senior supply chain leadership in achieving business results.
- Customer Service, 6%
Served as a senior CRM/Customer Service/Contact Center functional subject matter expert on selected pursuit and delivery teams in multiple global regions.
- Human Resources, 5%
Provided support to managers as a resource concerning Human Resources questions, performance appraisal programs, and disciplinary procedures and termination.
- Performance Management, 5%
Achieved strong and sustainable revenue, market and profit contributions through expertise in business development, organizational development and performance management.
- Excellent Interpersonal, 4%
Succeeded in bridging communication between technology teams and business leaders by leveraging expertise in SAP HR module and excellent interpersonal skills.
Common skills that a business partner uses to do their job include "analytics," "project management," and "customer service." You can find details on the most important business partner responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a business partner to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to analyze industry trends to determine the most promising strategies for their organization." Additionally, a business partner resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "produced erp master data case study that drove executive level organization, staffing, and budgetary decisions for a centralized service. "
Creativity. Many business partner duties rely on creativity. "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to generate new and imaginative ideas.," so a business partner will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways business partner responsibilities rely on creativity: "designed and executed operational initiatives related to increasing sales, inventory management, payroll and merchandising. "
Interpersonal skills. business partners are also known for interpersonal skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to business partner responsibilities, because "managers must deal with a range of people in different roles, both inside and outside the organization." A business partner resume example shows how interpersonal skills is used in the workplace: "identify new revenue opportunities and utilize excellent interpersonal skills to foster and maintain valuable working relationships with potential and existing accounts. "
Organizational skills. business partner responsibilities often require "organizational skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must manage their time and budget efficiently while directing and motivating staff members." This resume example shows what business partners do with organizational skills on a typical day: "detail oriented photobooth event coordinator with excellent customer service and great organizational skills to ensure success and satisfaction towards our customers. "
Communication skills. Another crucial skill for a business partner to carry out their responsibilities is "communication skills." A big part of what business partners relies on this skill, since "managers must be able to communicate effectively with a broad-based team made up of other managers or staff members during the advertising, promotions, and marketing process." How this skill relates to business partner duties can be seen in an example from a business partner resume snippet: "served as the change, training and communications leader for oracle r12 erp global implementation. "
The three companies that hire the most business partners are:
- Meta440 business partners jobs
- Randstad North America, Inc.141 business partners jobs
- Oracle91 business partners jobs
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Compare different business partners
Business partner vs. Head of business development
A head of business development is responsible for monitoring the company's overall business operations and client transactions. Heads of business development coordinate with clients for their requirements and specifications and develop the team to handle the project management operations. They also handle the budget and resource allocations and ensure that the team meets the deadline and high-quality deliverables on time. Ahead of business development must be regularly updated with the current market trends to identify opportunities that would generate more revenue resources for the business.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a business partner are more likely to require skills like "analytics," "customer service," "human resources," and "performance management." On the other hand, a job as a head of business development requires skills like "cloud," "c++," "c #," and "cloud computing." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Heads of business development really shine in the telecommunication industry with an average salary of $123,447. Comparatively, business partners tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $94,676.On average, heads of business development reach higher levels of education than business partners. Heads of business development are 7.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 2.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Business partner vs. Business to business sales manager
A business to business sales manager is responsible for monitoring the company's business transactions and ensuring that the team meets sales goals and targets. Business to business sales managers review business accounts and perform adjustments to sales plans as needed to adhere to clients' requests and customer demands. They also conduct data and statistical analysis through the evaluation of market trends to identify opportunities that would generate more revenue resources for the business and increase the brand's image in the market.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, business partner responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "analytics," "project management," "human resources," and "performance management." Meanwhile, a business to business sales manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "business sales," "market trends," "sales professionals," and "trade shows." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, business to business sales managers earn a lower salary than business partners. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, business to business sales managers earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $83,440. Whereas business partners have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $94,676.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Business to business sales managers tend to reach lower levels of education than business partners. In fact, they're 8.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Business partner vs. Manager of business services
Business Service Managers are administrative professionals who oversee different service-related functions in the company. They manage the teams involved in serving various functions. They ensure proper coordination between these teams. \They carefully allocate resources to cover their bases and ensure that services are available at all times. Business Service Managers prepare and draft policies and guidelines related to company services. They also ensure that these guidelines are properly cascaded and are followed by their constituents.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a business partner is likely to be skilled in "analytics," "excellent interpersonal," "healthcare," and "business objectives," while a typical manager of business services is skilled in "cpa," "risk management," "business services," and "pre sales."
Managers of business services earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $110,546. Business partners earn the highest pay from the technology industry, with an average salary of $94,676.managers of business services typically earn similar educational levels compared to business partners. Specifically, they're 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Business partner vs. Business development account manager
A business development account manager is in charge of developing strategies to identify new business and client opportunities, ensuring sales growth and customer satisfaction. They typically perform research and analysis to gather data, coordinate with analysts and experts, produce sales and progress reports, and maintain records of all transactions. Furthermore, a business development account manager must build positive relationships with clients and secure sales by reaching out to customers through calls, correspondence, or appointments. They may offer products and services, process payments, and handle inquiries or concerns.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between business partners and business development account managers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a business partner might have more use for skills like "analytics," "project management," "human resources," and "performance management." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of business development account managers require skills like "customer relationships," "account management," "lead generation," and "business relationships. "
In general, business development account managers hold lower degree levels compared to business partners. Business development account managers are 7.3% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 1.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of business partner
Updated January 8, 2025
