Client Solutions Executive Job

Cisco is seeking a senior IT professional with an extensive background in positioning, architecting and delivering technology solutions for today’s most complex business issues. The successful candidate will bring a proven track-record in leading cross-functional teams in developing industry-aligned solutions. He/she will have access to an extensive network of business and IT executives and is at ease in a boardroom setting. A background in industry combined with consulting and/or professional services sales and delivery are key requirements for the role. Travel within the US and Canada will be required.

The primary responsibilities of the Client Solutions Director (CSD) are as follows:

* Leading or co-leading a consultative selling approach with Cisco’s most strategic customers
* Collaborating with a cross-functional team to pursue, position and architect integrated solutions, leveraging vertical and systems integration / delivery expertise, as well as industry contacts
* Lead customer workshops to identify new or solidify existing opportunities for Cisco solutions
* Creating best practices and strategies that can be shared amongst the CSD team, as well as the broader account and services team
* Leveraging extensive industry and solution-selling background to serve as a mentor and advisor to others, including Cisco’s customers and partners
* Working with appropriate partner(s) to develop selling and delivery strategies specific to an industry sector and/or customer
* Driving overall solutions sales with a keen focus on the services approach, offers, and proposal
* Participating or leading proposal and customer presentation creation
* Where appropriate, staying abreast of services delivery activities to ensure customer satisfaction and on-going commitment
* Connecting with industry contacts to initiate, progress or enhance new and existing sales pursuits
* Serving as a subject-matter expert across multiple verticals and technology architectures
* Understanding Cisco’s service and support models, resources, programs and partnerships to help drive sustainable service solutions
* Maintaining an intimate understanding of major account strategies and a thorough knowledge of Cisco services capabilities and limitations
* Staying abreast of current and future business trends and strategies, their impact to customer success and crafting possible solutions and responses from Cisco

Technology Expertise

The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of Cisco, including the company, its strategies and the its areas of focus. A sound knowledge of telecommunications and internetworking technologies, as well as a thorough understanding of Enterprise Architecture is required. The ideal candidate will have deep technical expertise with respect to application architectures, as well as working knowledge of middleware and data center technologies that include: datacenter server/applications, network and storage architecture, datacenter infrastructure applications (operating systems, databases, replication/disaster recovery, and data protection), and application integration. Experience with developing business cases and ROI analyses associated with the implementation, operations and management of technology solutions is critical.

Solution Selling / Consulting

Preference will be given to candidates that have held Practice Development or Practice Management roles in addition to serving in a Delivery Principal role. Consulting firm experience as well as experience in these capacities within a product company is preferred. Strong and proven experience in consultative selling approaches and execution is mandatory. The candidate must have a demonstrated ability to extract customer needs and rally a cross-functional team to respond with an approach that is appreciative of the customer’s current operating environment and constraints, as well as the desired business outcome(s). He/she will possess the innate ability to translate business requirements into technology needs. The successful candidate will have a proven track-record in meeting and exceeding services business revenue and profit targets. Experience in designing and developing repeatable services offers is desirable. The ability to sell across customer and partner boundaries, as well as within a highly-matrixed environment within Cisco is critical.

Communication and Collaboration

The successful candidate will participate in cross-functional, cross-organizational partnerships working with Sales, Business Units, WW Technology Practices, Advanced Service Delivery, and Services Marketing to respond to customer needs as well as define go to market plans for new Services growth markets. He/she will collaborate in building and maintaining a repository and in-depth understanding of competitive conditions, industry partners, market opportunities, and customer requirements. The CSD will possess exemplary written and verbal communications skills necessary to develop, maintain and enhance internal and external stakeholder relationships as well as delivering compelling proposals and customer presentations. Coupled with outstanding listening skills, the CSD will have developed and maintained strong CxO relationships and interaction capabilities through their career. The CSD will have the ability to work in a changing environment while dealing with a high degree of ambiguity. He/she will possess the ability to effectively engage with all levels of an organization and a “can do” attitude resulting in the willingness to “roll up their sleeves” to meet internal and customer commitments