European Presales Director (NFL / Service Assurance)

My client is a fast growing UK headquartered Service Assuance / NFV software solutions vendor.

They are expanding their European team and looking for a Presales Director to manage a small team of technical presales consultants and be hands on themselves with some of the larger deals.

The Role

Job Title

Regional Director - Presale

Location

Slough, England

Main purpose of role

Be part of and lead (coach and player) a regionalized team of technical sales (presales) consultants, while upholding best practices across the team, and delivering a hands-on, agile, and "can-do" work style in a high-pressure / high-impact team towards prospects and internal teams.

Key Role Responsibilities

• Lead by example as an agile, flexible, and problem-solving presales practitioner

• Keep all team members at peak efficiency, with all regionalized team members being certified across all products

• Serve as an expert practitioner of our client's sales processes.

• Understand customer requirements, map them to my clients capabilities, and articulate the value propositions and benefits in order to develop a winning value proposition.

• Presents detailed product solution and benefits to customers.

• Creates pre-sales ROI for customer opportunities.

• Supports sales process by identifying opportunities, assisting in qualification and account / deal planning and creating solicited and unsolicited proposals with the Sales Reps and Operations.

• Undertakes detailed product demonstrations and configures product for personalized demonstrations

• Ensure high-quality development of my client's response to customer RFIs / RFPs acting as bid manager to bring together the resources, expertise and partners as required.

• Maintains close relationship with customer (business & technical), partners

• Provides feedback to the R&D and PLM regarding product issues and customer / market requirements

• Produces product specific configurations for prices in proposals and bids

Adopt best practice techniques in line with sales methodologies and processes

• With the Sales team, develop and maintain account plans for target accounts

• Take ownership for the development of expertise and best practice for specific products

• Complete meeting notes and call plans for all activities

• Participate in deal reviews as required and own the technical qualification process

• Chair regular technical review meetings to pro-actively manage customer satisfaction, to discuss roadmaps and strategy and to resolve outstanding technical issues

Develop and utilize internal and external relationships in order to deliver profitable business

• Collaborate with the Sales Director and Delivery Management to maximize value of customer opportunities

• Supervise/own the technical communication between customers and the product team and assist in the development of products and roadmaps by providing technical and commercial expertise.

• Develop and maintain key working relationships with internal suppliers, for example, R&D, PLM, Marketing, Operations ensuring open communication and timely requests for information and / or support

• Develop and actively grow a network of key technical contacts and sponsors within target accounts and the wider market

• Assist in the development of custom engagement strategies for non-standard opportunities (e.g proof of concepts)

• Provide opportunity information to enable commercial prioritization of roadmap modifications and delivery resource planning.

• Optimize the use of resources to achieve most efficient and effective use to minimize cost of sale

• With regional sales and product management, review technical issues and steps to resolve for at least all focus deals

• Work closely with Global Partners and help develop relationships with third party and partner businesses to extend influence and information gathering opportunities

Commit to being an active member of the team and to ongoing technical, personnel and professional development

• Keep up to date with technological and market developments in the industry

• Act as a coach and mentor to other members of the team as appropriate

• Attend customer and industry events, team meetings, kick off meetings and functions as required

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The Person

Skills, experience (technical and non-technical) & Qualifications

• Extensive experience working in a similar role, directly with customers to understand their specific requirements and develop winning proposals

• Solid foundation in mobile market, latest technology and telecoms network trends, and Carrier-Class software

• In depth technical knowledge and experience of service assurance specific software applications for the telecoms industry

• Experience in a particular field of expertise such as packet networks, radio access networks, mobile core, transport networks, probing systems, customer experience management, or other related fields will be required

• Knowledge of TMF, ETSI, ONAP, OSM processes and methods is required

• Ability to work with customers, partners, and internal personnel at all levels from CxO downwards establishing credibility and building trusted status

• Ability to engage and quickly establish strong working relationships.

• General understanding of project bids including resource estimation, risk analysis, P&L structure and qualification criteria to assess business potential