The VP of Sales will be responsible for all company topline new revenue that includes that’s includes new client sales and existing client upsell by developing and implementing a cohesive GTM plan. The selected candidate will maintain daily revenue reports and share with the executive and sales teams providing a clear picture of actuals and forecasts against targets. The role requires a thorough understanding of information technology in the higher education industry.
Key Responsibilities
- Provides Executive leadership and day to day management of all Global Sales Operations, deal desk/support, proposals, reseller administration, sales enablement and sales leadership meetings and communication
- Uses Forecast, Pipeline, Win/Loss and other analytics to develop specific actions to improve forecast predictability, long term pipeline visibility & coverage, deal velocity and win rates
- Liaisons with Leadership to transform the Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy, both with direct sales and indirect sales, and maximize vertical market space
- Implements cross functional opportunity management actions that will directly and positively influence the achievement of the bookings budget by line of business and region
- Monitors, drives and coaches the sales team on adhering to the operating rhythm
- Drives the transformation of the sales process & sales capability to be more closely aligned with current industry trends
- Fosters an organization of continuous productivity improvement in partnership with senior leadership to identify opportunities to simplify & enhance the sales process through optimization and automation
- Streamlines, automates and optimizes the proposal, bid management, and deal desk processes resulting in fewer touches and increased speed
- Owns all sales support, providing support in pricing, deal analysis, deal structuring, negotiation, closure and fulfilment in support of the Company’s revenue and margin objectives
- Drives Sales productivity & effectiveness through developing and optimizing processes and systems
- Supports the annual planning process across the Sales organization by providing factual insights into structural, segmentation, people, operational and enablement opportunities and risk
- Ensures Sales teams are fluent in the complete breadth of our products and services, not just within their specific domain or product focus-area(s)
- Partners with Leadership to develop enablement plans tailored to regional goals and objectives
- Owns Sales communication & leadership meetings, ensuring that communications & meetings are effective, timely and provide the correct balance between internally focused activities and customer facing activities
- Drives operational processes to disseminate information to business stakeholders
- Participates in marketing events such as seminars, trade shows, and telemarketing events
Required Experience
- 15 – 20 years of experience
Desired Qualifications
- A four-year degree from an accredited institution, equivalent qualification or experience
- Professional sales experience in the higher education domain
- At least 15 years of direct, well-rounded sales and business development experience
- 10 years of leadership experience with the ability to motivate and provide professional development
- A hands-on collaborative style of working is a must
Desired Skills
- Proven relationship builder; internally and externally
- Previous field sales experience
- 5+ years as a Sales Operations leader supporting global Sales teams in an IT services company
- Passionate about field success/enablement and has proven track record driving revenue growth through optimizing Sales Operations
- Seasoned Executive Leader with proven track record of developing talent and inspiring/motivating teams to drive high performance results and business outcomes
- Proven ability to lead and scale Global Sales Operations of significant scope through growth periods
- Demonstrated expertise and success in the analysis, design, and automation of business processes
- Data driven with a deep experience leveraging business analytics to drive actionable results
- Strong influencer with a proven ability to develop strong working relationships in a matrixed, global environment and establishing a high level of credibility across functional lines of business (i.e.: Sales, Marketing, Client Services, Business Operations)
- Excellent track record in cross-functional leadership roles, earning the respect and trust of colleagues, subordinates, and managers alike
- Ability to juggle multiple initiatives simultaneously as well as effectively collaborate across teams and to work in a diverse, fast paced environment
- Demonstration of excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, communicating effectively with customers, executives, leaders, program/initiative owners, stakeholders, and other audiences as well as delivering presentations before large audiences
- Results orientated with strong decision-making skills and the ability to prioritize multiple objectives while meeting aggressive deadlines