Security Partner Business Development Specialist - South Africa at Cisco

Overview

The primary focus of the role is to build credibility & trust with Partner Senior Executives and to inspire investments in Cisco-centric security practices.  There will be two key partner focused objectives: influencing partner sales teams & driving strategic alignment. 

First, influencing partner business transformation in the form of new solution/service offerings, unique value propositions & differentiation, sales & operational processes, and internal consumption of Cisco security solutions.  Another key component is driving Partner Sales Productivity.  This will require the Cyber Security Partner Specialist to grow registered opportunity bookings via Cisco Security Programs (within a specific portfolio of partners) as well as build trust, credibility & relevance with Partners’ sales teams to increase the number of active Partner AM sellers of Cisco security solutions.  Success will require a strong baseline of experience in customer-centric sales of Cisco security solutions & the related ability to coach by example (adopting a “train, teach, position” methodology, which may require joint customer calls).  Key performance indicators will be followed to measure progress on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis.

The Second focus of the position is to drive strategic alignment between our Partners & Cisco’s Sales Teams to maximize our collective success.  This will require working with Cisco Regional Sales Managers (inside & outside of GSSO) as well as the local Manager of Partner Operations to develop, communicate & execute Regional Go-to-Market, Channel Plans which include focus/big bet partner identification, early engagement/inclusion initiatives, and loyalty, recognition, & communication plans. 

What You'll Do

You will tackle the critical responsibility of identifying, engaging, and establishing relationships with resellers selling other solutions. Your goal will be to convert these resellers into partners, promoting and selling Cisco's security portfolio. Your expertise in the cybersecurity landscape and the technical aspects of Cisco's security solutions will be invaluable in positioning and promoting Cisco as the preferred security solution provider. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is passionate about Cisco security and can strategically drive business growth.

Key Responsibilities:

• Understand key industry trends and dynamics that are driving the need for major partner AND customer change in security
• Build capacity, capability, & collaboration within a portfolio of Partners to achieve: Loyalty & Transformation
• Develop a close partnership with the Cisco Technical Solutions Architect in order to lead and execute a technical strategy that is aligned to the Partner’s commercial strategy
• Engage & Coordinate Extended Team resources to provide multiple touchpoints within a Partner’s organization to scale resources, & drive accountability for the achievement of Partner goals & objectives
• Establish a reputation as a SALES leader- capable of articulating how customers achieve business transformation (assist Partners with GTM strategies, planning, & provide sales coaching through customer-facing engagements)
• Demonstrate, quantify, and translate how technology can provide customers (through partners) with sustainable competitive advantage and improve business outcomes
• Leverage financial acumen & sales experience to grow mindshare & wallet share within Partner’s Account Teams
• Continued investment in personal development (including product / solution expertise tied to Cisco’s Security Priorities)

Who You Are

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Business, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Demonstrable experience in technical selling roles within the IT security industry.
• Good communication and presentation skills.
• Outstanding relationship and trust-building abilities.
• Self-motivated with a track record of achieving and exceeding targets.
• Technical knowledge of Cisco's security portfolio and technologies desired.
• Relevant certifications, such as Cisco CCNA Security or CCNP Security, are a plus.