Job Description
Cloud Solutions Lead – PS
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Job Category: Sales
Location: South Africa, Johannesburg
Job ID: 755832 41111
Division: Sales
Career Stage Profile: Sales Manager
Location: Any MEA HQ Location
Role Purpose
The Solutions / Cloud Lead role adds value to Microsoft by delivering growth through solution sales and Government Private Cloud leadership. Success is measured by an all-up workload/category solution revenue and individual workload/category revenue that meet or exceed year-end growth projections (+/-5%); x% increase in win rates/competitive wins in both workload and category solutions; an appropriately 90-day weighted pipeline by workload/category solution, with +/-5% forecast accuracy.
The Solutions / Cloud Lead role adds value to customers and partners by providing solution vision and leadership. Success is measured by improved customer and partner perceptions of Microsoft as a Solutions Innovator, and year-over-year increases in customer and partner satisfaction as measured by NSAT scores and anecdotal feedback. In order to meet these objectives, you will need to:
Define and support field execution of MEA’s Government Private Cloud strategy.
Provide solutions support to the field in a consistent and predictable manner where field sales team members are enabled to effectively drive government and cloud solutions.
Primarily responsible for planning and capacity building in the field sales teams and partner eco-system on solution capacity.
Provide solution / cloud vision and leadership to customers and partners. Being a trusted advisor on utilization and benefits of Microsoft technology.
Develop solution priority plans by subsidiary business and contribute to sub partner business planning.
Contribute to overall integration and orchestration within the Leadership team.
The primary objectives of the Solutions / Cloud Lead is to drive adoption of Microsoft solutions including Private Cloud across Governments, and to support a team of high performing individuals to help customers understand and realize the full potential of the Microsoft platform.
Be the customer-facing Technical and Sales Director responsible for representing the technical and solutions sales strategy across all Microsoft solutions areas including Cloud to customers and all government entities. As such, the Solutions / Cloud Lead will be personally involved with strategic conversations with senior executives internally and externally.
Provide guidance on the allocation of Specialist resources to opportunities focusing on optimizing for greater efficiency, revenue and strategic impact. He/she will develop a sales resource sourcing process that will help in allocating the appropriate resources at the right time, on the right activities, to deliver maximum impact to the business.
Coordinate and align with MEA Regional/WW readiness programs to build deep technical expertise within the MEA HQ SSP and field sales teams.
As part of the Public Sector Technology Leadership team - coordinate with the regional leaders of the DPE, MTC, Security, Cloud and MCS organizations to provide a “One Microsoft” experience to customers and build a strong unified technical community.
Develop and evolve a coherent solution sales strategy for all government entities within MEA that ties to key government drivers, including: virtualization, Cloud services, IT consolidation, collaboration, and other government specific initiatives.
Public Sector Mission
The Public Sector mission is to ensure Public Sector customers realize the most business value from their IT investments through their and their Partners’, relationships with Microsoft.
The Solution / Cloud Lead’s role within Public Sector is to ensure that the Solution Sales Professionals and Technology Solutions Professionals, each with their own specialization, are equipped and responsible for developing opportunities and demonstrating both the business value and technology value that Microsoft solutions provide. The Solution / Cloud Lead is responsible for ensuring the MEA HQ, and field technical resources drive growth for Microsoft through the following activities:
Monitor and measure the all-up pipeline with team members
Regularly review, prioritize and orchestrate opportunities.
Analyze data related to sales effectiveness.
Ensure the adherence to processes and tools as business demands dictate.
Mentor and coach technical team members.
Communicate Microsoft’s position on trends and vision to customers and partners.
Engage in highly competitive or high impact opportunities.
Attend or speak at local engagements and events.
Take part in all-up pipeline and opportunity/deal reviews with Leadership team members.
Meet regularly (formally and informally) with ATU, PTU, Services, BMO/BG and DPE Leads to ensure orchestration and optimization goals are being met.
Ensure win/loss reviews are conducted and participate as needed.
Help define the overall solutions strategy for the fiscal year and beyond.
Conduct joint planning sessions with BGs & WWPS for each workload/category solution.
Work with the BGs/Product Group Managers on specific initiative and campaign requirements.
Develop a subsidiary Private Cloud alignment plan.
Conduct joint planning sessions with ATU, PTU, STU and Services Leads.
Work in close collaboration with PTU Lead on partner recruitment and selection.
Key Success Criteria
All-up workload/category solution revenue and individual workload/category solution revenue meet or exceed year-end growth projections (+/-5%).
The area achieves x% increase in win rates/competitive wins in both workloads and category solutions.
There is an appropriately 90-day weighted pipeline by workload/category, with +/-5% forecast accuracy.
The Solutions / Cloud Lead is a change agent/role model for the Microsoft value proposition.
The Solutions / Cloud Lead owns and solves issues related to integration/orchestration to improve overall implementation of Government Cloud strategy..
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Essential Experience - excellent verbal and written communication skills with equally good listening, virtual team leadership and excellence in execution skills. A minimum of 8 to 10 years of proven solution sales and sales management experience in Enterprise accounts and a track record of working with a wide range of business partners. Extensive experience leading virtual sales teams who had to rely on a range of internal individuals - account managers, partner account managers, services, and marketing - to achieve their goals. Preference will be given to candidates who can demonstrate knowledge of the business drivers within the lines of business of enterprise government customer organizations.
Technical /Functional Skills - an understanding of Microsoft technologies and our license programs would be a distinct advantage. An overall passion for sales within a technology environment and for the business value it drives.
Personal Attributes - highly motivated leader with a mature and positive attitude, a passion for managing sales teams and working with partners on driving the sales of Microsoft technologies, and strong business and financial acumen.
Qualifications - Degree qualified (bachelor’s degree typically required, Master’s/MBA preferred), with 8 to 10 years of proven solution sales experience. Additional sales or marketing qualifications centered on driving business value through the use of technology in multiple industry vertical markets would be beneficial. (Local Hiring Manager to include specific requirements as needed.)
Special Requirements/Additional Information (Proficiency in Arabic and/or French a plus)
