Principal Solutions Advisor - DevOps - Digital Velocity

The Principal Software Solution Advisor (SSA) role focuses on pre-sales solution design. This role is responsible for working with internal and external sales teams to plan and organize sales strategies. The incumbent analyzes the sales environment including customer expectations, competitive environment as well as the customer's technical environment and business drivers and defines actions to be performed in the sales cycle timeframe.

The Principal SSA is a field-based technical pre-sales role. They are expected to spend the majority of their time engaged with CDW customers, sellers & partners in their assigned local markets. The Principal SSA develops and maintains strategic relationships with sales & leadership of the teams they support and is seen as a trusted advisor to grow business. The Principal SSA is expected to be subject matter expert in multiple families of solutions. The incumbent in this role operates independently using standard approaches, existing tools, templates, and resources; shares knowledge and information that may benefit the team.

Main areas of responsibility will be advanced level of experience and understanding of:

• Application Modernization

• Automation

• Security & Management

• AIOs & Observability

The Principal Software SSA will have deep knowledge of Data & Analytics and will focus software pre-sales and design of BI & Analytics technologies such as OpenShift, Tanzu, Rancher, Docker, Ansible, Puppet, HashiCorp, GitHub, GitLab, Prisma, Sysdig, Sonatype, Elastic, Cisco FSO, Dynatrace, Logicmonitor

The Principal Software Solution Advisor (SSA) role focuses on pre-sales solution design for CDW's current and emerging portfolio of modern technologies. This role will have a specific focus on assisting our customers and sellers in qualifying and identifying opportunities with the DevOps stack including initiatives around Orchestration, Infrastructure as Code, Container Security, Application Performance as well as related tools and both internal and external consulting and service delivery partners. This role is seen as a trusted advisor to grow business. As a Principal Software Solution Advisor, you will understand our client's data environment and high level infrastructure. You will own the process of developing scopes of work and contribute to the sale of adjacent service opportunities.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Technology Leadership

• Educates Account Managers by conducting short training classes on technology products - Explains features, benefits, and technical specifications of products and solutions

• Explains conceptually how technologies are installed and implemented for customers

• Designs solutions for primary technology products and services

• Contributes to the team's knowledge base and readily shares knowledge with other Solution Architects and Account Managers

• Attends mandatory trainings

• Attain advanced or delivery level certifications

• Is a passionate learner who demonstrates continuous learning by proactively expanding technical depth in products, solutions, and services.

• Helps design technical solutions using multiple approaches, considering the customer's environment limitations and opportunities; analyzes, interprets, and presents assessment results.

• Determines and defines services that complement and/or round out proposed hardware and software engagements, estimates required engineer effort.

• Conducts technology/solutions training for CDW audiences (e.g., sales, Solution Architects), using developed material.

• Assists customers in understanding their equipment maintenance contracts, upgrade needs, and renewals; analyzes the most cost-effective approach for the customer (e.g., renew the contract or purchase new equipment and contract.)

• Articulates to customers the Practice's value proposition; articulates audience-centric version of the value proposition to customers, account managers, and partners and uses it to generate additional revenue opportunities for CDW.

• Leads business-focused technology solution presentations at CDW, Customer, and Partner events and meetings in your territory.

• Collaborates with Partners, other Solution Advisors or Architects and Account Executives to drive mapped opportunities; fine tunes strategies and approaches to achieve greater sales results.

• Operates in a regular cadence with multiple partners to educate, plan, and execute on joint strategies in collaboration with multiple stakeholders ; understands partner alignment in geography and leads customer opportunity mapping exercises; coordinates on-site partner visits.

• Understands profit margin and how to increase profitability; works cooperatively with field sales to ensure healthy profitability. Leverages and maximizes partner pricing, partner registration programs, incentive programs, and special pricing, to win business and ensure healthy profitability, provides input on pricing to Account Managers, Field sales, SAs, and Partners to increase margin and deal size and position CDW for future opportunities; negotiates pricing with Partners.

Sales Support

• Follows up and responds to questions regarding performance of assigned coverage, and escalation needs

• Researches and reviews customer profile information; applies knowledge of the vertical to develop customer intimacy prior to sales calls and/or strategy sessions.

• Produces quotes and BOMs

• Creates quotes for high priority RFPs and/or assists with RFP content

• Responsible for sales forecasting

• Reviews quotes and orders for accuracy

• Prioritizes time spent on opportunities based on potential return on investment.

• Assists with services opportunities discovery, qualification and contribution

• Produces Bills of Materials, including product maintenance; contributes to Statements of Work (including work estimates), RFPs, RFIs, and proposal content.

• Maintains pre-sales pipeline data, develops plans, and takes actions to move opportunities to closure.

Sales

• Discusses solutions at a conceptual level with customers and potential customers - Explains the solutions features and benefits

• Explores additional sales opportunities through new service opportunities, maintenance contracts and renewals

• Advises Account Managers on pricing

• The Principal SSA is also a solution driver who has a passion for demonstrating continuous learning by proactively expanding technical depth in products, solutions, and services. If pertinent, achieves certifications in advanced technologies for CDW's Partner Certification Requirements.

• Coordinates and collaborates with Partners and Account Managers to map accounts to opportunities and achieve sales goals

• Develops and maintains a basic Territory Plan; adjusts quarterly for past performance and future expectations

• Responds to requests from customers and Account Managers to respond to customers' needs

• Participates in CDW events on business-focused technology solution presentations for customers and prospects delivered via web-based tools (e.g., WebEx, Slack, Teams) and in person

• Is focused in the solutions tools and services space with a specific focus on identifying and qualifying sales and services opportunities into the appropriate sales pursuits, by using team building techniques (internal & external to CDW) standard approaches, considering the customer's infrastructure limitations, investments and opportunities; analyzes, interprets, and presents assessment results

Education and/or Skill-Set Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience

• 7-year minimum experience in advanced technical sales, sales engineering, data engineering, computer Science/Engineering or data science

• 3-year minimum sales experience

Required Qualifications

• Proficient in Microsoft & Google Workspace applications

• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time

• Proven success and experience selling technologies solutions and services

• Knowledge and proven success of engaging and working with sales teams

• Ability to execute on territory goals and metrics

• Ability to adapt and change to the business needs of the practice and team coverage model

• Strong interpersonal and presentation skills, including consulting skills

• Strong oral and written communication skills

• Strong passion for learning and teaching others

• Proven group presentations skills

• Motivated and self-starting

• Ability to think creatively and come up with proactive ideas that will increase sales

• Strong problem solving skills

• Must be able to communicate effectively and in a constructive manner with management, peers and coworkers

• Stay up to date on products, applications, technical service, market conditions, competitive activities, advertising, and promotional trends through the reading of pertinent literature, seminars, and online training

• Proven project management skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven success and experience selling complex technologies, solutions and services to small business, enterprise, public sector or global customers

• Technical Accreditations and/or Certifications: - Active accreditation from leading technology partners as required.

Pay range: $140,000 - $172,000 depending on experience and skill set

Annual bonus target of 25% subject to terms and conditions of plan

Benefits overview: https://cdw.benefit-info.com/

Salary ranges may be subject to geographic differentials