Principal Solution Consultant at ACI Worldwide

Job Summary: 

• The Principal Solution Consultant plays a key role in augmenting sales opportunities through understanding and addressing customer’s key challenges, and leveraging ACI solutions and technology.  This role ensures that our customers and prospects maximize their long term relationship with ACI, and is critical in conveying the needs and opportunities in the marketplace to the Market Product Managers as we develop our solution product strategies and roadmaps.  
• Working with the Market Product Managers and Product Marketing, the Solution Consultant will help define the key value propositions for the targeted market segments.  This role will work closely with the sales organization and third party partners, and apply the market segment value propositions in the development of account plans, value propositions, and long term solution adoption strategies for ACI’s customers and prospects.  

 
The role requires in-depth industry business insight, an understanding of the strategic and long term approach ACI’s customers should execute when using our solutions, a strong grasp of how ACI’s solutions can add real value for our customers, and an ability to work directly with new customers. 
 
Job Responsibilities: 

• Sales and Solution Scoping
• Deep knowledge of the African market & payments ecosystem.
• Participates as strategic solution representative in end-to-end sales process and contributes to the development of specific opportunities.  
• Defines value propositions and long term solution strategies for specific opportunities to assist Sales in progressing deals in line with strategic sales plans.  
• Successfully defines and obtains agreement regarding customer requirements.  
• Identifies business development opportunities through scoping customer and external industry engagements.  
• Identifies and provides advice and business consultancy to prospects/customers on solution design options, and impacts of modifications on the existing system.    
• Ensures that all client business objectives are met as identified through the sales process and planned for in the implementation process.  
• Builds presentations, proposals, and papers designed to assist in the sales of product solutions.  
• Collaboratively works with other solution consultants, account representatives, customer managers, project managers, and the executive leadership team.  
• Develops value propositions within multiple industry and product families.  
• Works in an independent environment.  
• Works at an expert level for both product and industry in the sales arena.  
• Learning and Development  
• Creates and executes against an individual development plan with management support.  
• Strives for more competency development.  
• Desires and capitalizes on continual development in the workplace within their industry discipline.  
• Communication and Executive Presence  
• Contributes market perspective to development of solution/product roadmap and identifies and produces key value propositions (use cases) in their segment.  
• Clearly indicates expertise through effective communication and strong business acumen.  
• Organizes and expresses business value and overcomes customer objections. 
• Perform other duties as assigned 
• Understand and adhere to all corporate policies to include but not limited to the ACI Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience required for the job:  

• BS/BA degree or equivalent experience   
• 5 years as “Subject Matter Expert” in specific market segment   
• 8-12 years of experience in relevant industry sector   
• 3-5 years consultative sales experience 

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Experience needed for the job:  

• French language proficiency is highly desired.
• Knowledge of multiple industry products and applications preferred  
• Understands how technology impacts business  
• Excellent written and oral communication  
• Strong problem solving and critical thinking skills  
• Ability to perform needs analysis & ROI analysis highly preferred  
• Ability to self-motivate and work independently with little supervision  
• Works effectively in team environment   
• Ability to use a personal computer with proficient skills in business applications such as Microsoft Office 

Work Environment: 

• Standard office environment  and flexible work from home as per ACI's guidelines
• Domestic and/or international travel required up to 50%