North America Head of Sales
Join us at Avanade, where your sales expertise will drive our strategic vision and foster growth.
Come join us
The North America Head of Sales will be a key member of both the Global Sales and the North American Leadership Teams and is part of the Avanade Global Sales Council. This role reports to and works closely with the Global Chief Sales Officer and the President of North America, together with owning the relationship with the Accenture AMBG Sales Lead for North America, the successful candidate will have the influence and scope to ensure that Avanade is ideally positioned for success over the long term.
This role will lead and drive the North America sales community and act as the functional lead for sales professionals. The Avanade North America business is comprised of five regions (Canada, West, Midwest, South and Northeast). Together we do what matters.
What you will do
• The North America Head of Sales will provide expert guidance, support and oversight to North America sales activities and work towards a level of consistency and coordination in the design, execution, and efficiency of Area sales. The role requires a thought leader, able to transform and develop the existing sales capabilities, positioning Avanade as an innovator for customers and partners alike.
• The vision to be creative is essential, although best practice around core activity is also a given, with a focus on territory planning, pipeline development, complex channel management, strategic deal shaping, bid management and on-going sales effectiveness program implementation, as well as evolving and running the various sales reporting cadences.
• A strategic outlook will assist the ideal candidate in the navigation of a “new normal,” both for Avanade and its client and partner ecosystem. A strong orientation towards execution will also be required; the North America Head of Sales will be involved with key customers and deals as the Executive Sponsor or deal strategist. A combination of direct strategic deal and client relationship experience, together with gravitas and impact, will drive continuous value for the organization’s top clients. This individual will be entrepreneurial and results-oriented and will play a significant role in contributing to the overall business.
• The role requires a collaborative negotiating style capable of effecting change and driving results through diplomacy rather than formal authority. Innate leadership attributes with a motivational and energetic style are a must.
• Avanade is a global business with a high-performance culture. A strong understanding of working across cultures and driving and influencing for results in a matrix organization is important. As part of the largest and most successful private joint venture in the tech sector, the Head of Sales must be comfortable with a high degree of ambiguity and constant change within Avanade and our parent organizations.
Skills and experiences
• Degree in Business, Computer Science, Management Information Systems and/or experience in related field.
• Likely has 12 + years’ experience in Sales such as Solutions Sales or Management Consulting, and relevant experience in a sales leadership role, ideally in Global technology consulting/professional services organizations.
• Experience building or scaling a sales organization within a region, hitting financial targets, owning budgets, coaching shaping, developing and leading sales professionals.
• Deep experience in understanding complex matrixed organizations and developing successful collaboration plans across organizations to deliver business growth.
About you
Characteristics that demonstrate success for this role:
• The ideal candidate will have extensive expertise borne of a technology services environment together with large-scale systems integration, consulting, or outsourcing. We are searching for a passionate, enthusiastic professional, and impactful sales leader with technology and solutions depth, accustomed to working in a complex environment with large technology and systems integration partners such as Microsoft and Accenture or similar.
• In particular, the preferred candidate will have strong leadership experience, be outcomes-based and value driven. This includes 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 and leading a large-scale, highly profitable technology services business, preferably with multi-country scope.
• Strong personal record in selling and closing large, complex deals as well as Sales Leadership of senior sales professionals.
• Proven history operating as a player/coach – accountable for driving origination strategies and specific deals while also acting as a deal coach and mentor to pursuit teams across North America and preferably with global account experience beyond North America.
• Strong history of complex channel and partner management.
• Experience in assessing and managing the opportunity and risk associated with large-scale, complex services/consulting engagements.
• CxO impact and the ability to develop and grow long term, high value customer relationships at Executive level.
• Superior communication, presentation, and personal leadership skills in a high-growth, highly demanding ‘best people’ environment.
• Demonstrate a high degree of integrity, credibility, resilience, and character.
• Ready to embrace and innovate in the “new normal.”
• Preferred location: Any major US hub city. Note the role requires weekly attendance on global calls with Europe and Asia.
• Regular travel is expected, primarily within North American continent with some international travel likely once or twice a year.
Enjoy your career
Some of the best things about working at Avanade
• Opportunity to work for Microsoft’s Global Alliance Partner of the Year (14 years in a row), with exceptional development and training (minimum 80 hours per year for training and paid certifications)
• Real-time access to technical and skilled resources globally
• Dedicated career advisor to encourage your growth
• Engaged and helpful coworkers genuinely interested in you
Find out more about some of our benefits [1]
[2] Employee Benefits at Avanade | Avanade.
A great place to work
As you bring your skills and abilities to Avanade, you’ll get distinctive experiences, limitless learning, and ambitious growth in return. As we continue to build our diverse and inclusive culture, we become even more innovative and creative, helping us better serve our clients and communities. You’ll join a community of smart, supportive collaborators to lift, mentor, and guide you, and to lean on your expertise. You get a company purpose-built for business-critical, leading-edge technology solutions, committed to improving the way humans work, interact, and live. It’s all here, so take a closer look!
We work hard to provide an inclusive, diverse culture with a deep sense of belonging for all our employees. Visit our Inclusion & Diversity page.
Create a future for our people that focuses on: • Expanding your thinking • Experimenting courageously • Learning and pivoting
Inspire greatness in our people by: • Empowering every voice • Encouraging boldness • Celebrating progress
Accelerate the impact of our people by: • Amazing the client • Prioritizing what matters • Acting as one
Learn more
To learn more about Avanade check out these links:
[3]
[4] LinkedIn
[5]
[6] Inside Avanade Blog
[7]
[8] Avanade Careers
References
Visible links
1. https://www.avanade.com/en/career/benefits
2. https://www.avanade.com/en/career/benefits
3. https://www.linkedin.com/company/avanade
4. https://www.linkedin.com/company/avanade
5. https://www.avanade.com/en/blogs/inside-avanade
6. https://www.avanade.com/en/blogs/inside-avanade
7. https://www.avanade.com/en/about-avanade/careers
8. https://www.avanade.com/en/about-avanade/careers
