Sr. Manager, Strategic Segment Sales Operations

Palo Alto Networks•New York, NY

62d•$145,000 - $213,000

About The Position

We are looking for an outstanding strategic operator to join the North America Sales Strategy & Operations organization. You will be a thought partner to support the sales leadership team for our Strategic accounts in all aspects of the business. You will also work closely with cross-functional stakeholders (Finance, Marketing, HR, Central operations, Ecosystem, IT etc.). This role is a great fit for a self-starter who enjoys driving business impact and operational efficiency, can serve as an internal consultant (e.g., problem solver) and owner and will have the opportunity for significant exposure and visibility across the business. The candidate in this role will provide leadership, advisory & execution support in driving sales productivity, sales planning, sales forecasting, segmentation, and sales analytics.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in an enterprise subscription software sales strategy & operations role supporting large/strategic accounts
Knowledge of SaaS / subscription based business models and associated KPIs (Retention & Renewal Rates, ARR, Expansion & Cross-Sell Rates, etc), sales processes and methodologies
Proficiency with CRM & connected planning systems (e.g., Salesforce, Pigment, Anaplan)
Attention to detail and ability to execute
Strong business acumen and judgment, analytical and problem-solving skills, and ability to structure solutions to complex problems; Proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets, SQL & Tableau
Strong communication & collaboration skills and the ability to effectively partner with all levels of management; Proficiency in PowerPoint/Google Slides
Self-starter, highly motivated with insatiable curiosity to learn about and influence the business
Works well within a matrixed environment, with ability to manage simultaneous projects, and tight deadlines

Responsibilities

Act as key business partner & Chief of Staff to the President of Strategic Accounts and regional sales management team; establish, maintain, refine the rhythm of business
Drive forecasting, deal structuring and participate in a month-end and quarter-end close process
Set up cadences for inspection of quarterly targets and forecasts
Optimize forecast accuracy by driving discipline with pipeline hygiene and forecast management
Facilitate tracking of outstanding purchase orders, ensuring order compliance, bookings reports, etc
Manage compliance of the non-standard transactions process; track quarterly metrics on average discounts, non-standard exceptions and recommend actions to improve these metrics
Drive sales planning, account strategy & quarterly business review meetings with the sales management team
Run data analytics and partner with finance/market intelligence teams to assess TAM, product propensity to buy and optimize territory coverage
Work closely with sales management on GTM segmentation and coverage strategy implementation
Own and drive annual planning exercise for Strategic accounts - quota setting, territory & organization design
Partner with sales leadership to drive account & opportunity planning motion
Manage all aspects of operations, tools, dashboards and reporting
Review and identify areas for improvement leading to operational efficiency
Assist in driving field readiness for new sales hires and ongoing sales processes training; Coordinate activities and priorities of enablement functions to improve alignment to sales strategy
Set up and manage sales programs to drive pipe generation and growth in accounts
Manage sales compensation escalations with the Sales Compensation team
Work closely with Finance, Sales Compensation and Central Analytics teams to develop & maintain scorecards and dashboards that bring transparency into business performance and arms sales leadership with insights needed to drive their business