Strategic Success Regional Lead (Services Sales) Full Time

The Strategic Success Regional Lead (SSRL) – is the deal execution arm of IFS supporting the field and regional management in closing IFS strategic business – the primary focus area within this team is on the strategic services offerings, in particular IFS Success. The role of SSRL aids in identification, deal strategy, structuring, negotiation, and closure of large, complex, or highly competitive opportunities. The SSRL leverages both local and global knowledge as well as best practices from across the business. The ideal candidate will have a background in Software/ complex services sales but must have a grounding in professional services.

This role will be responsible for supporting and driving the largest IFS Success deals in the Region. The role will operate at an executive level but still be expected to navigate operational details and be hands-on throughout the sales cycle.

The role will report Regionally with guidance and support from Global Success Sales Leadership.

This role requires a creative person with strong sales and operational background to support the accelerated growth of IFS Success Services as well as Software and Cloud revenues. The role will work with key stakeholders from selected market units, as well as the Services Leadership, Sales Teams, Managing Directors/Presidents, Finance and Deal Desk to drive the closure of competitive opportunities. GSI works collaboratively with the Account Teams and management while leaving account ownership within the field. The candidate must display excellence in crafting deal strategy and aligning this with a diverse team to execute upon that strategy. This individual must be strong in front of customers and is expected to represent IFS well to our clients up to C-suite level.

The SSRL will act as a lynchpin for the most important IFS Success opportunities in the region, key responsibilities will be:

Strategy: The SSRL will work with GCS (Global Customer Services) and the Account Teams on key strategic IFS Success opportunities. This will include ensuring that the opportunity pipeline is maintained and that opportunities are properly qualified so that effort is not expended unnecessarily. This individual will lead or support the execution of the deal by setting objectives and basing decisions on key corporate data and touch points (pipeline, corporate reports, board members, regional execs, eco-system etc). This may require advising the Executive Team if strategic business under agreed threshold requires attention and input from the SSRL.

Deal Structuring: The SSRL will be able to understand the customer business objectives and will lead or support the account team to create a deal structure that maximizes the value of the opportunity whilst achieving IFS’s business objectives. This individual will ensure that proper process is followed in order to achieve compliant deals that are deliverable and to manage the customer expectations appropriately ensuring that opportunities are not oversold. This individual will be able to coordinate, lead or support the various diverse internal IFS stakeholders (technical, account management, portfolio, revenue recognition, pricing, legal) in order to bring opportunities together, structure them appropriately and execute them efficiently.

Negotiations: The SSRL will have experience in coordinating a diverse group of internal stakeholders to support the account teams and where necessary take the lead during customer negotiations, including commercial aspects of the deal structure. The individual understands issues relating to Revenue Recognition, Pricing and Legal, in order to secure optimal results and deal execution.

Pipeline Management: Critically assess and manage the health and quality of the pipeline, taking decisive action in partnership with sales and sales leadership to address opportunities and challenges.

Closure: The SSRL will be able to lead or support final closure of contractual/legal issues in order to achieve a pre-defined budgetary sales targets. This individual will also take the lead in renewing existing opportunities when existing engagements expire.

Coaching: Scaling best practice approaches across key stakeholder groups, with focus on three key audiences: 1) Success Specialists, 2) Account Executives, 3) Client Service Partners. The SSRL will focus on the largest opportunities, the assets, approaches and war stories must be packaged for re-use and enablement for the teams tasked with driving deals of all sizes.

Qualifications

Overall Required Competence

Proven ability as a strategic leader and coach
Accomplished at managing executive and senior relationships
Hands-on commercialdecision-making in an enterprise applications environment
Significant experience in solution delivery or services selling and ideally quota-carrying experience
Deep commercial awareness and respect for financial drivers
Capable operator in both sales and delivery contexts, able to bridge the gap between services delivery and license sales
Able to establish and coordinate multi-disciplinary teams with colleagues from across the business (presales+services+sales+partners)
Particular care for detail and a structured, meticulous approach tomanaging timelines and expectations
Able to take control of challenging situations and execute in support of respective team members
Can positively manage conflict between individuals and departments and prioritize accordingly
Expo sure and particularly the sale of multi-year strategic services contracts is essential for this role
Live the IFS Values
Required Education & Experience

10+ years practical and management experience in the enterprise software industry, ideally in a services context – leading candidates will demonstrate a wide range of experience within a software/ services setting.
Business level English: Fluent
Local language: Fluent, Business Level
Proven track record in supporting complex sales at C-level in a collaborative and impactful manner.
Demonstrated success with large transactions, transformation and lengthy sales campaigns in a fast-paced, consultative and competitive market.
Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal as well as advanced presentation skills
Commercially savvy, identifies ROI for the Customer using Business Value Engineering techniques
Calm under pressure, acts as a problem solver
Strong team worker/player
Strategic/critical thinker
Strong attention to detail/accuracy
Exceptional Influencing skills
Hard worker and flexible in working time (to support different time zone when required)
Good knowledge of Microsoft Office Tools (Excel..)
Able to work effectively in a matrix environment
Live the IFS values
University degree, or equivalent professional qualifications, in a field relevant for the functional area or responsibility.