A new trend is picking up in the tech job market: several technology companies in the U.S. are hiring heavily in their “IT channel” and partner-engineering teams this October 2025. The focus is on roles like infrastructure engineers, DevOps, partner solutions, channel sales—and it signals that even though some parts of tech are cautious, others are still growing. (Reuters)
In this article, we’ll explain what “IT channel” means, which companies are hiring, why they’re doing it now, what this means for job-seekers and the industry, and what to watch next.
What Does “IT Channel Hiring” Mean?
“IT channel” refers to the ecosystem of companies that help sell, support, enable and integrate technology products through partners—like resellers, system integrators, managed service providers (MSPs) and vendor partner networks.
When a tech vendor talks about “channel hiring”, it often means:
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Partner-oriented roles (channel account managers, partner solutions engineers)
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Engineers who help build platforms and tools for partner use
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Sales roles focused on partner networks and indirect revenue
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Support and enablement roles that work with resellers and integrators
For example:
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A “senior partner solutions engineer” might help a reseller understand how to deploy a cloud vendor’s technology and work with that reseller to close deals.
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A “channel account manager” might manage relationships with resellers, help train them, and ensure they meet targets through the vendor’s technology.
Which Companies are Hiring?
The report for October 2025 highlights that companies such as Cloudflare and MongoDB are actively recruiting in their channel/partner divisions. (Reuters)
Key examples include:
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Cloudflare: Listing a senior partner solutions engineer role in the U.S. Midwest (with base plus partner quota) working with the partner ecosystem. (CRN)
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MongoDB: Hiring for a principal partner specialist role in Denver to help go-to-market with Google Cloud and other hyperscalers. (CRN)
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Other firms mentioned: AVI‑SPL, DXC Technology, and smaller security or infrastructure vendors like Rhombus, each looking for channel development or partner-sales talent. (CRN)
This is not a small niche—they say the demand for these roles is a signal of where tech infrastructure work is strong right now. (Reuters)
Why Are Companies Hiring Now?
Several reasons explain why we’re seeing this spike in channel hiring:
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Infrastructure & Partner-Ecosystem Growth
With cloud, edge computing, AI infrastructure and platform services expanding, vendors need partner networks to scale. They can’t serve all customers alone—they rely on resellers, integrators and MSPs. By hiring for channel roles, vendors strengthen their partner strategy and go-to-market. -
DevOps, Platform Engineering & Reliability Focus
Many open listings emphasise “platform engineering”, “DevOps”, “automation”, “partner enablement” and “channel architecture”. Employers are seeking engineers who can build the systems that other teams rely on—so the partner-channel roles are more technical than they used to be. (Reuters) -
Talent Competition Beyond Silicon Valley
Recruiters note that the same engineers are being sought by cloud vendors, fintech firms, iGaming platforms, security companies—essentially the pipeline is tight and roles are spreading. (CRN) -
Shift in Job Market Narrative
While many parts of tech have gone into slowdown or hiring freezes, channel/partner engineering roles seem more resilient. They reflect the ongoing need to maintain and grow infrastructure and partner revenue—even when consumer or product growth is uneven.
What This Means for Job-Seekers
If you’re looking for a job in tech, especially in the U.S., here's what you should know:
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Skills in demand: Partner/account management (with channel experience), solutions engineering (partner-facing), DevOps or platform engineering, cloud architecture, automation, go-to-market (GTM) with partners.
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Geographic flexibility: Many roles are U.S-based (Midwest, Denver, etc). With remote work possibilities, this opens chances even outside major coastal hubs.
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Career path: Channel roles often offer exposure to both technical and business sides (sales, partner enablement, technical strategy). This could be a strong path if you like hybrid work.
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Competition & negotiation: Since talent is limited, employers are offering strong salary bands (some listings mention high USD amounts) and expect high skills/experience.
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Future-proofing: If you build skills in partner ecosystems and channel engineering, you’re positioning yourself in an area that seems less exposed to layoffs than purely consumer-product roles right now.
What This Means for the Tech Industry
This hiring trend offers several insights about where the technology industry stands:
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Infrastructure-first is still happening: Even if product launches slow or consumer demand wobbles, the backbone of tech (cloud, platform, partner networks) keeps growing.
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Ecosystem matters: Big vendors rely more on ecosystems of partners rather than just direct sales. The health of those ecosystems matters for scale and margin.
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Hiring patterns are evolving: It’s not just “engineer” or “developer” roles — it’s partner-engineering, channel enablement, go-to-market strategy. That means the tech skill set expected is broader (technical + partner/business).
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Market segmentation: The tech job market is not uniform. Some sectors (consumer apps, smaller startups) may be cautious; others (cloud infrastructure, partner networks) are still expanding.
What Should You Watch For Next?
Here are some items to keep an eye on if you’re following this trend:
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Will new job postings in the channel continue to open up through late 2025 or will the pace slow?
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Which partner ecosystems (cloud, security, data-platform) are growing fastest?
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Are salaries and compensation for channel/partner roles increasing compared to previous years?
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How many of these new hires are remote vs. onsite? What geographic patterns emerge?
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Will companies invest in training/upskilling for channel engineers given the partner-ecosystem demands?
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Are there any notable layoffs or freezes in adjacent hiring that contrast with this growth?
Final Thoughts
The tech job market headline may suggest “hiring slow” or “layoffs continue,” but the story in the “channel and partner/architecture” space is different. Roles in partner networks, DevOps/platform engineering, and channel-facing technical work are seeing renewed growth.
If you’re a job-hunter, developer, engineer, or even a business looking to grow your tech partner ecosystem—this is a space worth watching. The keywords to focus on: “partner,” “channel,” “platform engineer,” “DevOps/infrastructure,” and “go-to-market with partners.”