Senior Director Sales - European Defence and Public Sector

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Job Description

Role Overview

The Senior Director Sales will build and lead a group of seasoned sales professionals driving significant strategic growth and market share within the European Defence and Public Sector for SUSE. This pivotal role is responsible for guiding and mentoring Sales Leaders and their Account Executive teams to achieve revenue targets cultivate robust customer relationships and deliver bespoke solutions that resonate with the unique challenges and objectives of this sector aligning with SUSEs value proposition. Success in this role demands a blend of strategic foresight deep sales expertise and exceptional team leadership with a focus on exceeding revenue goals fostering a highperforming sales culture and ensuring customer success across key strategic accounts in the European Defence and Public Sector.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and Lead a high performing team focused on Government and Defense. While a core team responsible for most strategic accounts will report directly to the sales leader the Leader will also be responsible as an overlay for dedicated Government and Defense Sales in EMEA. The Sales leader will be responsible to establish and achieve quarterly and annual sales targets ensuring alignment with SUSEs overarching growth strategy and capitalizing on the specific opportunities within the European Defence and Public Sector.

• Cultivate a highperformance sales culture emphasizing skill enhancement strategic account planning and continuous coaching to empower each team member to excel.

• Oversee and guide Sales Leaders in developing customercentric strategies that align SUSEs offerings with the distinct needs and priorities of Defence and Public Sector clients employing consultativeselling methodologies.

• Ensure teams consistently identify and capitalize on upselling and crossselling opportunities that deliver longterm value to both SUSE and its Defence and Public Sector customers.

• Manage and maintain sales pipeline and forecasting accuracy across all teams utilizing CRM tools to monitor performance identify trends and adapt strategies to the evolving landscape of the European Defence and Public Sector. Ensure CRM hygiene and data integrity to support executive decisionmaking and accurate performance tracking against targets.

• Support Sales Leaders and Account Executives in building and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders including Csuite executives government officials and influential figures within Defence and Public Sector accounts. Act as an escalation point and strategic advisor enabling teams to navigate complex account dynamics and foster deep strategic engagements.

• Collaborate closely with crossfunctional teams including PreSales Inside Sales Partner Ecosystem and Specialist Sales to orchestrate comprehensive account strategies tailored to the Defence and Public Sector. Facilitate seamless collaboration across teams to ensure the delivery of tailored solutions that address the intricate requirements of clients and enhance customer satisfaction.

• Monitor and analyse market trends competitor activities and industry shifts within the European Defence and Public Sector including regulatory changes funding priorities and emerging technological needs. Lead the teams in refining sales strategies to maintain competitiveness and expand SUSEs market share in highpotential accounts with a focus on key solution areas such as secure cloud solutions data sovereignty and missioncritical infrastructure.

• Promote a growth mindset within the teams by fostering continuous learning and professional development with an emphasis on the specific requirements and compliance standards of the Defence and Public Sector. Provide guidance on best practices in enterprise sales methodologies (e.g. MEDDPICC Challenger) and support team members in deepening their knowledge of SUSEs solutions and their applicability to the unique challenges of this sector.

• Proactively engage in talent acquisition emphasizing the recruitment of diverse and highcaliber individuals who understand the nuances of selling to the European Defence and Public Sector. Collaborate with Talent Acquisition to define hiring needs cultivate diverse candidate pools and ensure an unbiased selection process that values varied perspectives and fosters inclusion.

• Cultivate an inclusive team culture where all voices are heard and team members feel valued particularly given the diverse nature of the European landscape. Encourage open communication celebrate diverse perspectives and champion practices that drive collaboration and innovation. Advocate for inclusion and diversity as critical factors that enhance team performance and customer engagement within the European context.

Skills & Experience

• Extensive experience leading highperforming sales or account management teams within the enterprise software industry with a proven track record of driving strategic growth and ensuring customer satisfaction ideally within the Defence and Public Sector.

• Exceptional ability to analyse and interpret data on market trends customer needs and team performance using these insights to refine sales strategies and adapt to the dynamic conditions of the European Defence and Public Sector.

• Demonstrated expertise in building and nurturing relationships with Csuite executives and senior government stakeholders. Proven ability to navigate complex sales cycles address unique procurement processes and advocate for both customer and company objectives to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

• Deep understanding of enterprise sales methodologies including MEDDPICC or Challenger with a history of effectively guiding teams through highvalue multistakeholder deals ideally within the Defence and Public Sector.

• Proficiency in collaborating with crossfunctional teams and orchestrating diverse resources to deliver valuedriven comprehensive solutions tailored to the specific needs of Defence and Public Sector clients. Proven ability to develop cohesive sales strategies that effectively leverage the Partner Ecosystem and other internal resources.

• Exceptional ability to articulate SUSEs value proposition translating complex technical solutions into compelling business cases and addressing the specific requirements and concerns of senior stakeholders in the Defence and Public Sector. Strong focus on delivering innovative customercentric solutions that overcome the unique challenges faced by clients in this sector.

• Indepth understanding of relevant industry solutions including secure Linux Infrastructure Hybrid Cloud Container Management Edge Computing and Security with specific emphasis on solutions tailored for the Defence and Public Sector. Familiarity with opensource transformation and its application within this sector is highly desirable.

• Demonstrated experience in recruiting diverse talent and fostering inclusive team environments. Skilled in cultivating a sense of belonging and valuing diverse perspectives with a focus on enhancing innovation collaboration and overall team performance particularly within the context of the European Union.

Job

What We Offer

We empower you to be bold driving your career to create the future you want. We celebrate and reward your achievements.

SUSE is a dynamic environment that is evolving rapidly thus requiring agility strong entrepreneurship and an open mind.

This is a compelling opportunity for the right person to join us as we continue to scale and prosper.

If youre a big thinker obsessed by and thrive in a dynamic environment in which you can tangibly create a lasting legacy then please apply now!

We give you the freedom to be yourself. You will work in a global community of unique individuals like you with different backgrounds talents skills and perspectives. A truly open community where everyone is welcome has a voice and is encouraged to reach their full potential regardless of age gender race nationality disability sexual orientation religion or any other characteristics.

Sounds like the right fit for you Click Apply to submit your resume. A recruiter will contact you if your skills match our current or any future positions. In the meantime stay updated on the latest SUSE news and job vacancies by joining our Talent Community.

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