Country Manager at Symantec

Role Overview

This is a key leadership role which will have day to day focus on providing sales leadership and management, with responsibility for building consistent and sustainable revenue growth across whole Africa Region, developing and managing customer and partner relationships and ensuring that the country delivers profitable growth against agreed targets.

The successful candidate will excel at evaluating the bigger picture, balancing long term business needs against short term quarterly driven gains. A true sales leader they will be accountable for driving sales performance and take the lead in shaping the culture, behaviors, passion and energy of the regional sales teams.

Additionally as the Country Manager you will also be the prime contact/spokesperson for the press, for key partners and for customers.

He/she Will Have The Following Responsibilities

Business Management:

• Create, implement, measure and review a strategic or operational plan that drives achievement of business goals aligned to overall Symantec strategy
• Uses mechanisms such as territory planning, account plans, opportunity inspection, pipeline management, account reviews, forecast calls etc.
• Advises and coaches the sales force around how to position Symantec´s value proposition at Enterprise customers
• Advises the sales force how to position Symantec as a strategic vendor to corporations and by doing, that increases average deal size
• Identifies and pursues opportunities to expand business activities within areas of responsibility
• Plan and control the expense associated with area of responsibility even if notresponsible for overall cost center
• Establish working relationships with external parties which supports the achievement of business goals
• Is conversant with Symantec systems and procedures and ensures effective use of and conformance to standard business practices and tools (i.e. SFDC – SalesForce.com)

People Management

• Communicates Symantec vision and aligns team and individual goals to achieve business results
• Drives employee loyalty through the delivery of and commitment to Symantec people and enablement programs
• Recruits, builds and develops the team to deliver business results
• Identifies, develops and promotes high potential employees
• Identifies performance issues and deals with them in a timely and professional manner
• Recommends and/or approves people related decisions – hiring, promotions, merit increases, rewards & recognition, training initiatives etc.
• Drives performance review and development planning process with annual and quarterly review meetings
• Coaches/mentors individuals and the team

Resource Management

• Ensures appropriate balance of skills is maintained in team to deliver against expected results
• Identifies and allocates appropriate resources to business requirements
• Works collaboratively with other leaders to acquire additional/specialist resources as required
• Drives cross functional engagement and provides leadership to virtual teams

Customer Management

• Has established contacts in large corporations in South Africa
• Has established contacts and relationships within the channel/partner community
• Builds relationships with customers (internal or external) as necessary – executive engagement is essential
• Provides customer escalation management as necessary for problem resolution
• Provides support for customer relationship management as necessary
• Drives initiatives which result in improvement in customer satisfaction

Qualifications

The successful candidate will exhibit true sales leadership ability supported by a track record of overachievement in their own right and as an Enterprise Sales Manager.

• Educated to degree level
• Business/professional related qualification desirable
• Management/Leadership certification desirable

• Experience of leading a senior management team across a pan-European geography
• Experience of working in a US global matrixed organization ideally of similar size and revenue to Symantec
• International experience is desirable

Professional Knowledge Specific To Functional Leadership Role Such As

• Industry/Vertical market knowledge
• Competitor knowledge
• Symantec technology
• Partner knowledge
• Professional best practices

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Presence and credibility with the ability to influence and make sound decisions
• Demonstrates passion and enthusiasm
• Enjoys the challenges encountered in the IT industry in a competitive environment
• Self-confidence which translates well for customers, partners and colleagues
• Strives for continual self-development
• Ability to learn quickly
• Innovative and quick thinker
• Deals with conflict and is not afraid of saying no!

Key Competencies for this role

• Customer Drive
• Change Management
• Collaboration and Team Leadership
• Communication for managers
• Decision Making
• Interpersonal Effectiveness
• Performance Management
• Strategic Management