Channel Sales Manager at Nutanix

Hungry, Humble, Honest, with Heart!

Position Overview

In this role, you will drive Nutanix revenue growth, increase industry awareness, and expand customers' adoption and use of Nutanix solutions through collaboration with key partners.

You will report to the Japan Channel Sales Director and be responsible for business with key partners across Japan. You will formulate and execute go-to-market (GTM) strategies and business plans with partners, aiming to achieve and exceed sales targets. To do so, you will work closely with internal and external teams in Japan and the region.

Channel Sales at Nutanix

The Channel Sales Manager leads the promotion and sale of Nutanix products and solutions through partners. You will also work closely with Japan's High-Touch Sales team and SE leaders.

Key to success is building strategic relationships with existing and new channel partners and maximizing sales of Nutanix products and solutions through those partnerships. Working as one with the Nutanix team in Japan, you will leverage the robust support and tools provided by Engineering, Marketing, Product Development and other departments to achieve and exceed sales targets.

You will work closely with Japanese stakeholders and VP- and Director-level leaders, and this position can have a significant influence on decisions and initiatives across the regional sales team.

Main Responsibilities

Lead and grow the business of key SI partners *Formulate and execute joint go-to-market strategies leveraging the partner ecosystem
Drive revenue and bookings growth through partners
Work with partners and the Nutanix team to review deals such as DR and CR and manage forecasts
Track and manage pipeline build weekly, and conduct quarterly QBRs for territory teams and executives
Formulate and execute customer engagement plans by territory together with partners and the Nutanix team
Identify key deals in assigned accounts and align the relevant teams' direction and priorities toward winning them
Expand coverage through collaboration with priority partners and reach customers that the Nutanix sales organization alone cannot reach
Work with the Nutanix sales team to provide enablement to partner sales organizations
Resolve issues related to deal progression and pricing decisions, and build the best possible relationship for both partners and Nutanix
Work with Nutanix sales representatives to maximize the sales pipeline
Hold regular meetings with executives of key partners to identify growth opportunities for strengthening the relationship
Support partners in responding to strategic RFPs and follow up with prospects
Work with partner and Nutanix sales teams to strengthen relationships with existing customers and develop new customers
Report progress on partner-driven business, including forecasts and pipeline, to your manager
Provide, or support the delivery of, training opportunities for partners and relevant key channels
Share product feedback based on partner needs with Engineering to help improve Nutanix solutions

Qualifications and Experience

5+ years of experience in business development, partner sales, or high-touch sales in the enterprise software industry
Track record in building and managing partner relationships
Able to think strategically and deliver results with strong execution
Existing relationships with key partner executives, and knowledge of partners' technology stacks and organizations
Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, including sales, marketing, Sales Operations, System Engineering, and Product Development at both Nutanix and partners
Communication skills to understand senior managers' business challenges and explain and propose Nutanix data management and storage solutions
Experience using SFDC and other CRM tools
Solid understanding of sales methods and processes, including understanding customer needs, handling concerns and objections, supporting business case development, and driving deals through to closing
Ability to build and maintain good relationships with sales, technical, and marketing personnel at all levels of partner and field organizations (sales engineers, sales reps, etc.)
Conversational English sufficient to communicate internally with the APAC team

About the Team

Hiring Manager: Masayuki Arai

Senior Manager, Channel Sales, Nutanix Japan

Leads partner-led business growth and execution of go-to-market strategy across Japan.

With over 20 years of enterprise IT sales experience, he is well versed in both High-Touch Sales and partner sales. He has extensive achievements working with leading Japanese SI partners such as Fujitsu, NEC, and Hitachi.

Biggest personal win: Being a husband and father of three children.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for someone who is positive and can act on their own initiative. It is important to be able to demonstrate both strategic thinking and the execution to see things through to the end in the field.

You will not only lead the development and execution of GTM plans with partners, but also be directly involved in deal progression and customer touchpoints.

Nutanix is a company that continues to transform the IT industry. Why not join us and help change Japan's IT market?

Hungry, Humble, Honest, with Heart!

The Opportunity

Drive accelerated success measured by revenue growth as Channel Sales Manager, industry mindshare/awareness, and customer adoption of our partners.

Reporting to the Japan Channel Sales Director, you're accountable for delivering the commercial success of our partnerships across Japan. In this role you'll develop and execute go-to-market strategy and business plans to exceed sales performance targets. You'll do so in close collaboration with in- and external regional teams across the theater.

Channel Sales at Nutanix

As a Channel Sales Manager, you are responsible for leading the business and selling Nutanix Products and Solutions through the partners. You will be working closely with the Japan High-Touch sales and SE leaders as well.

Essential to success in this role is the ability to build strategic partnership with existing and new Nutanix channel sales partners and to maximize growth of Nutanix products and solution selling through such partnership. This will be achieved shoulder to shoulder with the native Nutanix team in Japan and corporate providing unrivaled support and tools from the Engineering, Marketing, and Product Development departments for you to leverage to exceed sales performance goals. In this position you would be working very closely with the stakeholders in Japan, VPs and Directors and have a large amount of influence on sales team decisions and initiatives across the region.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop the business of National SI partners
Develop and execute joint go-to-market strategy leveraging partner eco-system
Drive revenue and bookings growth through the partner
Operational Activities – Track/ Manage DR, CR, Review Forecast with Nutanix channel partners & Nutanix Teams, track Pipeline build weekly, Quarterly QBR with Territory Teams & at an Executive Level
Biz Dev Activities – Build & Execute Plans by Territories with Channel Partners & Nutanix team on Customer Engagement (Named Accounts), Identifying Key Deals to Win & ensure teams are aligned, Focused Partners to engage in building coverage, Leverage channel partners sales force to reach out to the customers beyond reach of Nutanix native sales force
Enablement Activities - Channel Partner sales force in collaboration with Nutanix sales teams
Conflict Management & Collaborate – DR Issues, Pricing Decisions, Work in the best interests of the relationship between channel partners & Nutanix, Collaborate with Nutanix reps on maximizing sales Pipeline
Executive Coverage – Periodical Meetings with executives from key channel partners to update & identify the areas to grow the relationship
Help partners to respond to strategic RFP's and follow up with prospects
Build and strengthen the business relationship with current accounts and new prospects together with the partner and the Nutanix sales team
Provide status information to your Manager including forecast/pipeline information for the business through the partner
Provide, or facilitate training opportunities for your partner and relevant key channels
Provide product feedback back to engineering to improve Nutanix solutions for the partner

What You'll Bring

Minimum 5+ years of experience in business development, or Partner sales or High touch sales in the enterprise software business
Track record in partner relationship development and management
Strategic and tactical thinker with a passion for execution and delivering results
Existing executive relationships and knowledge of strategicpartners' technology stack and organization
Ability to work collaboratively with employees within the sales function and across functions including Marketing, Sales Operations, System Engineering, and Product Development of both Nutanix and the alliance partner
Ability to communicate with senior managers about their business challenges and Nutanix data management storage solutions
Experience using SFDC and other CRM software
Thorough understanding of sales engineering techniques and processes including the ability to understand customer needs, overcome objections, assist in the development of business cases, and close deals
Ability to maintain relationships with sales, technical and marketing resources at all levels of thepartner and field organization (Sales Engineers and Sales reps)
Conversational Level of English ability which is able to communicate internally with APAC team

About Your Team

Meet Hiring Manager, Masayuki Arai