Regional Sales Lead, UK & Ireland
Country:
United Kingdom
Cities:
Birmingham (UK), Edinburgh, Glasgow, Godalming, London, Manchester, Newcastle
Area of expertise:
Sales
Job Description
At Avanade, we believe in making a genuine human impact in everything we do. We transform businesses and help our clients envision new paths forward; we uncover ways technology can improve the way we work and live; and provide opportunities for our people to leave the world better than we found it.
For more than two decades, we’ve tapped into the power of our people and cutting-edge Microsoft technology to deliver business-critical technology capabilities to thousands of organisations around the world. Our deep expertise and relentless commitment to client success is the reason we are Microsoft’s #1 global partner. We’re also driven by an innovative spirit and a growth mindset, and we value leaders who can bring the best out in our people and nurture their careers while inspiring excellence for our clients and one another.
Role Overview:
The UKI Regional Sales Lead has responsibility for leading our overall sales organisation and targets, including the sales teams and sellers for UKI, with owning the local relationship with the regional Accenture Microsoft Business group Sales Lead and the regional Microsoft executives.
The UKI region is a very important part of Avanade’s European business with annual double digit growth rates for both sales and revenues with favourable market conditions with a high presence in both the private sector as well as in the public sector. As a market leader our ambition is to expand our presence in all sectors, in particular in the Financial sector, Resources, Products and the Public sector.
The position is a member of the UKI Leadership team and European Sales Leadership team and will have the influence and scope to ensure that Avanade is ideally positioned for successful growth over the long term.
This role will provide expert guidance, support and oversight to the regional sales activities and work towards a high level of consistency in the design, execution and efficiency of sales. The role requires a thought leader with a growth mindset, able to transform and develop the existing sales capabilities, positioning Avanade UKI as an innovator for customers and the ability to develop and grow long term, high value customer relationships at Executive level.
Our Regional Sales Lead requires a track record in developing and growing high performance sales teams in UK and Ireland markets whilst working as part of a wider team; demonstrating and role modelling team player behaviours.
A strategic outlook will assist the ideal profile in the navigation of a “new normal”, both for Avanade UKI and its client and partner ecosystem. A strong orientation towards execution will also be required; to lead Sales will be involved with key customers and big deals as Executive Sponsor or Deal strategist. A combination of hands-on strategic deal and client relationship experience, together with gravitas and impact, will drive continuous value for the organisation's top clients. This individual will be entrepreneurial and results oriented and will contribute to the overall business.
Responsibilities:
The UKI Regional Sales Lead creates a high performance culture around the immediate sales team and the wider sales community. The vision to be creative is essential although best practice around core activity is also a given, with a focus on regional planning, pipeline development, complex channel management, strategic & big deals shaping, bid management and on-going sales effectiveness program implementation, as well as evolving and running the various sales reporting cadences.
Balanced Scorecard Metrics for Sales:
- UKI overall Sales & Revenue & Profit targets.
- Specific Solution Area / Industry focused sales targets.
- Diversity & Inclusion goals.
- Employee engagement and Retention.
- Market share and market growth.
- Seller performance and productivity.
- Setting Strategy & Developing a Sales Plan.
- Create and articulate an inspiring vision for your areas of responsibility.
- Developing business growth plans including annual growth plans and sales target/quota plans.
- Set clear and challenging goals while committing Avanade to improved performance.
- Supporting account management and planning best practices.
- People development plan and career path for the sales team.
Executing for Results:
- A balanced risk-taker who seeks data and input from others to foresee possible threats or unintended consequences rom decisions; someone who takes smart risks.
- A leader who is viewed by others as having a high degree of integrity and forethought in your approach to making decisions; the ability to act in a transparent and consistent manner while always considering what is best for Avanade.
- A leader who is comfortable operating as a player/coach – driving personally a set of specific deals but also acting as a coach and mentor to pursuit teams across the region.
- A leader who understands what it means to build and execute on sales capability programs needed today, while also knowing how to position these programs as the building blocks for the capabilities needed tomorrow.
- The role requires a collaborative negotiating style capable of effecting change and driving results and experience working in a matrixed and fast paced, growing organisation.
Leading Teams
- The ability to attract and recruit top talent, motivate the team, delegate effectively, celebrate diversity within the team, and manage performance.
- Managing and coaching teams.
- Creates a sense of purpose/meaning for the team that generates followership and engages others to the greater purpose for Avanade as a whole.
- Lead and drive the sales community and act as the functional lead for sales professionals.
- Understanding of working across cultures and driving and influencing for results in a matrix organisation is important.
Opportunities for the Region
- Activate and Deliver against the FY24 Regional Business Plan in CG and Solution Areas
- Continue coaching, upskilling and recruiting to increase Origination Selling Resources
- Continue to instil a larger deal mentality - Integrated GTM cross-solution selling needed to close larger multi-year opportunities.
- Develop repeatable Industry Solutions with Microsoft with a >10% Market Share ambition across all Solution Areas by leveraging our status as UK Partner of the Year 2023.
- To simplify the sales process to take the burden off the Sales Team and improve market / client responsiveness and agility.
- Build Industry differentiation in propositions and be seen by Microsoft as the default industry and horizontal partner – Maximise Account/Specialist Team Unit relationships.
- Our focus will be on expanding origination capability in BD/ACAL teams driving the Big 5 and regional campaigns to ensure we capitalise on the Direct success in FY23, particularly in the Majors.
- We will continue to focus on our Microsoft relationship and implement a more structured relationship management model for Microsoft and all key partners.
Challenges in Region
- Economic Headwinds in macro business environment will continue into FY24.
- Competition: continued pressure from our traditional competitors and a long tail of smaller niche providers.
- Improve Indirect Accenture/CF relationship and penetration into Accenture client base and simplify Sales and solutioning into Indirect channel to ensure we are seamless to do business with
- Increase Enterprise Architect and overall Solution capability to support Sales.
Preferred Skills, Behaviours and Qualifications:
The ideal candidate will have expertise in working at CxO level on selling and influencing large-scale systems integration, consulting, or outsourcing decisions. We are searching for a passionate, professional, and impactful sales leader with technology; solutions and Industries depth, accustomed to working in a complex environment with large partners such as Microsoft and Accenture.
In particular, the preferred profile will have leadership experience, be outcome based and value driven. This will include developing the right team, achieving the envisioned cultural evolution, and bringing the transformational sponsorship needed to embed new ways of delivering value to clients across a complex landscape.
- Executive level experience in growing large scale, profitable technology services business.
- CxO impact and the ability to develop and grow long term, high value customer relationships.
- Personal track record in selling and closing large complex deals.
- Sales Leadership of senior sales professionals.
- Sales coaching: can support sellers and deals and mentor to pursuit teams
- Experience in complex channel and partner management.
- Deep Knowledge on the different Industries: H&PS; Telco & Media; Financial & Insurance; Products and Resources.
- Experience in assessing and managing the opportunity and risk associated with large scale complex services/consulting engagements.
- Visibility as an influencer on business relevant social media and in the regional business press.
- Superior written and verbal communication skills
- High degree of integrity, credibility, resilience and character.
- Experience in an international working environment.
- Ready to embrace and innovate in the “new normal”.
Additional experience preferred:
- Extensive experience with the UKI market and in managing teams across multiple locations.
- The ability to persevere in the face of challenges.
- Passion for Technology and Innovation through Technology.
- Relentless commitment to higher standards.
- Self-reflective, with an attitude of continuous improvement and seeking input.
- Inclination to seek and analyse data from a variety of sources to support decisions.
- Entrepreneurial approach to developing innovative ideas to stretch the organisation.
- Encourages others to share the spotlight and visibly celebrates the success of the team.
- Degree in Business, Computer Science, Management Information Systems or related field.
- Proven industry experience in Sales such as Solutions Sales or Management Consulting background.
Critical Skills Needed to Complement the Team
- Ability to influence and create strong relationships with the highest levels.
- Ability to operate and think beyond organisational siloes.
- Ability to effectively leading regional teams to perform during times of change.
- Growth mindset, effective communicator, thought leader, brand builder.
- Strong empathetic leader with the ability to build community.
- Experience growing technology business through strategy and sales contribution.
- Experience establishing a presence in the target market and in the minds of key clients through client interactions and executive presence.
- Experience with sales principles and practices, including business development, marketing, and complex channel management.
- Ability to effectively team with peers in a large, matrixed organisations.
- Ability to drive complex processes, implementation and stakeholder management at speed and possess ability to handle ambiguous and escalated situations.
- Ability to build partnerships with organisations of a scale, complexity, and sophistication like Accenture and Microsoft.
Top Behavioral Competencies
- Strategic Mindset - Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies.
- Drives results - Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances.
- Customer focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
- Drives engagement - Creating a climate where people are motivated to do their best to help the organisation achieve its objectives.
- Manages ambiguity - Operating effectively, even when things are not certain, or the way forward is not clear.
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About Avanade
Avanade is the leading provider of innovative digital, cloud and advisory services, industry solutions and design-led experiences across the Microsoft ecosystem. Every day, our 59,000 professionals in 26 countries make a genuine human impact for our clients, their employees and their customers.
We have been recognized as Microsoft’s Global SI Partner of the Year more than any other company. With the most Microsoft certifications (60,000+) and 18 (out of 18) Gold-level Microsoft competencies, we are uniquely positioned to help businesses grow and solve their toughest challenges.
We are a people first company, committed to providing an inclusive workplace where employees feel comfortable being their authentic selves. As a responsible business, we are building a sustainable world and helping people from underrepresented communities fulfil their potential.
Majority owned by Accenture, Avanade was founded in 2000 by Accenture LLP and Microsoft Corporation. Learn more at www.avanade.com.
