Enterprise Account Manager

Enterprise Account Manager

This role has been designed as 'Hybrid' with an expectation that you will work on average 2 days per week from an HPE office.

Manages one or several larger accounts or acts as the account lead for a substantial part of a top account. Understands the customer's IT and business objectives, priorities, requirements and challenges, and adds value by implementing HPE's strategy. Drives business performance for all HPE BUs and manages the portfolio mix to optimize profitability of the account. Accountable for pipeline building; accountable for and supportive in deal closing and orchestrating the deal team. Builds and develops relevant customer relationship networks with key influencers and decision makers in IT and business. Develops and engages with the extended partner ecosystem to maximize HPE's presence in the account. Constantly develops information technology industry knowledge to position HPE's portfolio in the account. Orchestrates, engages, guides and provides feedback to the extended account team members. Acts as customer's advocate inside HPE. Plans for accounts to deliver results through the financial year and beyond.

Applies advanced subject matter knowledge to solve complex business issues and is regarded as a subject matter expert. Frequently contributes to the development of new ideas and methods. Works on complex problems where analysis of situations or data requires an in-depth evaluation of multiple factors. Leads and/or provides expertise to functional project teams and may participate in cross-functional initiatives. Acts as an expert providing direction and guidance to process improvements and establishing policies. Frequently represents the organization to external customers/clients. Exercises significant independent judgment to determine best method for accomplishing work and achieving objectives. May provide mentoring and guidance to lower level employees.

Responsibilities:

• Articulates a two-way connection between the customer's core KPIs, business priorities and initiatives, and the plan to support the customer with IT solutions. Influences the decision-making of customer executives through describing the value of HPE's solutions and their relevance to the customer's priorities. Positions HPE strategy and solutions in such a way that the customer sees that HPE is critically important to their business. When appropriate, understands the innovation agenda and digital journey of the customer, and provides input into them. Builds a business value framework for the customer.
• Builds and executes a plan to drive growth and profitability across HPE's portfolio, in a structured and recurring way. Drives growth in HPE's strategic value portfolio through positioning these solutions with the customer. Formulates and presents technology choices for the customer that will expand HPE's presence and margin in the account. Leverages HPE programs and tools (e.g. Executive Sponsors, BU deal support, and supply chain programs) to improve business performance. Contributes to internal reviews connected to deals and sales planning.
• Engages with the customer to identify opportunities. Translates customers' business challenges and goals into IT opportunities. Ensures a strong and rightsized pipeline funnel from the account team. Leads pipeline building activities for the account, involving account team members as appropriate. Identifies and develops opportunities for short and mid-term success. Proactively leads early engagements. Accountable for deal closure. Ensures ownership throughout the team for the deals in the pipeline. Drives deals to closure through a multi-disciplinary team, including partners.
• Develops and maintains a professional relationship network within the customer to maximize efficiency and effectiveness for HPE. Understands and leverages the underlying principles for the customer organization's functioning. Builds influential relationships with executives. Defines an effective engagement model with the customer's key influencers and decision makers.
• Develops and maintains a view of the partner landscape in the account. Develops partner relationships. Runs an active governance process for the partner network for the account. Works with the Partner Business Manager to assess and update the partner strategy for the account.
• Develops and updates expertise in IT technology. Engages as appropriate with the customer's CTO/CIO. Articulates relevant modern trends in IT and presents them to executives within the customer when appropriate. Describes HPE's portfolio and references its use in other customers.
• Builds, develops and leads the extended account team. Runs a governance with the extended team and empowers account team to engage on different levels within the account. Establishes a recurring process to provide feedback to the account team members and the relevant managers.
• Provides feedback into other HPE organizations and coordinates with other customer facing HPE organizations to improve the customer experience. Utilizes HPE tools and processes for customer advocacy. Leverages the existing tools, processes and resources to assure customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Develops and executes a comprehensive account business plan for defined accounts. Manages the collective effort to build and maintain both strategic and tactical elements of the plan. Shares and aligns the plan with relevant stakeholders of the account.

Education and Experience:

• University or bachelor's degree preferred, or equivalent experience. Engineering or technology education, advanced degree or MBA desired.
• Typically, 6 years and above account management experience.
• Experience in Education & Public Sector ideal.
• Experience selling Infrastructure, Networking solutions.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Drives Results: Shows strong will to win, is persistent in face of obstacles and has a clear results orientation.
• Strategic Planning: Able to skillfully articulate a vision for the future and a path to achieve it in an account business plan, aligned with the HPE strategy, direct leadership, and the HPE business units.
• Sales Execution: Able to efficiently deliver on short term sales engagements and objectives.
• Continuous Learning: Continuously and actively pursues own learning.
• IT Industry Acumen: Builds and maintains thorough knowledge of cutting edge IT industry developments and technology trends with potential impacts to our customers.
• HPE Portfolio Knowledge: Builds and continually updates a thorough understanding of HPE products, solutions, and service offerings - their value propositions, competitive differentiators, and benefits to our customers and our customers' customers.
• Team Leadership: Skilled at leading teams (including dispersed and indirect team members) successfully through sales engagements in a complex matrix organization.
• Network/Relationship Building: Skilled at creating strong professional relationships; understands and leverages the value of networks and collaboration.
• Two-way communication: Able to listen actively to understand the perspectives of others, and to articulate value propositions, plans, and proposals in language relevant to the customer, partner or internal stakeholder.
• Influencing and Negotiating: Understands and proficiently leverages influencing and negotiation techniques.
• Business Acumen: Understands how different parts of a business interoperate to produce business outcomes and how actions impact company results. Has a thorough understanding of general business concepts and the economy. Able to understand financial reports and make relevant conclusions for planning. Similar principles apply to public sector organizations.
• Operational Excellence: Able to show predictability and operational excellence both internally and externally.
• Integrity: Acts with integrity throughout complex situations even if under pressure.
• Vertical/Industry Knowledge Preferred: Understands the customer's industry landscape, enterprise architecture, and partner and influencer ecosystem, and is able to use this knowledge to build and advise the customer on its digital journey plan.
• Consulting: Can synthesize a number of skills and relevant knowledge to guide the customer through a process of achieving business outcomes leveraging HPE's portfolio.

Impact/Scope:

• Typically manages 1 to many accounts representing moderate revenue for HPE. One or more accounts may be a large multi-national or global account. May manage a portion of a large Top Account, usually within an assigned geography.
• Typically qualifies and closes large deals of moderate to high complexity and cross-BU scope.
• Works with all levels of decision-makers in the customer organization.
• Orchestrates regional pursuit resources for the account.
• Participates in account investment decisions about pricing and resources.

Complexity:

• Leads complex sales engagements, project management and coordination to meet deadlines.
• Typically oversees engagements with cross-BU portfolio solutions.

Additional Skills:

• Accountability, Accountability, Active Learning, Active Listening, Assertiveness, Bias, Building Rapport, Buyer Personas, Coaching, Complex Sales, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Cross-Functional Teamwork, Customer Experience Strategy, Customer Interactions, Design Thinking, Empathy, Financial Acumen, Follow-Through, Growth Mindset, Identifying Sales Opportunities,