Growth Markets Head of Sales

Avanade is the leading provider of innovative digital, cloud and advisory services, industry solutions and design-led experiences across the Microsoft ecosystem. Every day, our 56,000 professionals in 26 countries make a genuine human impact for our clients, their employees and their customers. We are currently embarking on a multi-year global Sales Transformation as part of a wider CEO-led company-wide business transformation to dramatically grow Avanade across multiple corporate metrics such as sales, revenue, profit, and market share. Transformation includes creating a high performing sales function with a refreshed sales operating model with a clear identity, career model, modern tools, and systems to support a growing sales force to deliver exceptional results in a supportive, inclusive and rewarding work environment. The sales transformation will contribute to the ongoing evolution of Avanade’s GTM models and channel strategy. This role will provide expert guidance, support and oversight to Growth Markets 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. The Head of Sales will lead and drive the Growth Markets sales community and act as the functional lead for sales professionals. 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. CANDIDATE PROFILE - Executive-level experience in growing and leading a large-scale, highly profitable technology services business, preferably with multi-country scope. - Experience and enthusiasm for working in international roles across complex countries and multiple cultures. - 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 specific deals while also acting as a deal coach and mentor to pursuit teams across Growth Markets. - 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 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." Setting Strategy - Able to create and articulate an inspiring vision for the areas of which you are personally responsible. - The inclination to seek and analyze data from a variety of sources to support decisions and to align others with the organization's overall strategy. - An entrepreneurial and creative approach to developing new, innovative ideas that will stretch the organization and push the boundaries within the industry. - Able to effectively balance the desire/need for broad change with an understanding of how much change the organization is capable of handling, and create realistic goals and implementation plans that are measurable, achievable, and successful. Executing for Results - The ability to set clear and challenging goals while committing the organization to improved performance; tenacious and accountable in driving results. - Comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty; able to adapt nimbly and lead others through complex situations. - A risk-taker who seeks data and input from others to foresee possible threats or unintended circumstances from decisions; someone who takes smart risks. - A leader who is viewed by others as having a high degree of integrity and forethought in your approach to making decisions; able to act in a transparent and consistent manner while always considering what is best for the organization. - A leader who is comfortable operating as a player/coach - personally driving a set of specific deals, but also acting as a coach and mentor to pursuit teams across Growth Markets. - A leader who understands what it means to build and execute on the sales ca