Strategic Regional Director

Job Summary

Director – NetApp Auto, Energy, Media & Named Strategics Business Unit
As the Director – NetApp Autos, Energy, Media & Entertainment Business Unit Leader, you will lead NetApp’s cross-company efforts to increase NetApp’s focus on the exploding data management business related specifically to the company's largest High-Tech Customers that are considered premiere Named Strategic Accounts.  For NetApp, these customers sit within some of the companies' largest customers measured by historical bookings, market/wallet share and growth potential.  Through direct and indirect reports, the Strategic RD will coach and drive customer success and revenue growth into some of NetApp’s most valued & prestigious customers who themselves are leading the globe in digital transformation, automation and overall advanced technology innovation.

Job Requirements

The Intangibles:

Leading with a Growth Mindset.
Leader who looks after his/her people and customers.
Maniacally focused on driving their team to success through over performance against plan and customer success and satisfaction.
Able to work with other in NetApp cross functionally.
Able to operate at a “C” level both within NetApp and within the customer portfolio.
Compassionate about fostering a strong culture and “carrying the torch” of the strong established NetApp Culture that exists.

Core to the role and responsibilities will include:

Embodying the strong NetApp culture and standards – of which is at a heightened level with this business unit!
Setting a vision and directive that is rooted in account planning, partner alignment, relationship management and market/wallet expansion.
Business planning with a “finger on the pulse” of market trends and competitive landscape awareness.
monthly forecasting.

Essential Functions:

• Deep expertise working closely and strategically with customers while creating a culture of success and partnering on world-class solutions.
• Innovation and creativity to change the rules of the game, drive innovation, and create a paradigm shift in driving the “NetApp agenda”.

• Partner closely with your Solutions Engineering Counterparts to get Strategics Customers product enhancement requests prioritized and delivered into product roadmaps through active engagement with executive product management.
• Drive impactful outcomes based on changing how customers take advantage of the innovation curve through digitizing infrastructure, operations, and processes to take advantage of NetApp offerings.
• Drive Global and corporate best practices.
• Drive new solutions for the Life Sciences & Healthcare Sector.
• Collaborate with Finance to re-position software into a portfolio offer under Enterprise License Agreements.
• Lead a global team both directly and indirectly covering this important set of customers and the related ecosystem.
• Collaborate and influence the major Global System Integrators to include NetApp technology in their go-to-market programs – through the p[portfolio of accounts being managed.
• In conjunction with the NetApp International “Downstream” Team who manages these customers in partnership with the Life Sciences & Healthcare Business Unit Leader, drive global/national growth within these accounts (these accounts are owned and managed 100% within the NetApp Strategic Business Unit – which this role falls under).

• Manage to financial targets; and manage business within the targeted expense goals.
• Develop and implement a proactive strategic operating plan as it relates to data driven sales programs and other areas. 
• Drive improved customer and client satisfaction by developing and tracking operational practices and procedures based on data to include consumable analytics. 
• Drive process improvement for the entire go-to-market process from engineered systems through post-sales customer support.
• Support initiatives across Sales and across the company with a focus on Life Science & Healthcare, and large scale / high performance data management solutions.
• Understanding of the ROI thought process to inform the NetApp line of business owners and exec leadership on how to apply an overall decision-making process that determines how funds will be allocated.

Additional Desired Abilities

• Knowledge of the industry and transformation related initiatives underway, and the business requirements and expected outcomes driving these transformational changes.
• Awareness of the technology partner ecosystem critical to the successful execution of the above transformations; and ideally relationships with some of the main players.
• Ability to connect the dots between technology and the role technology plays in delivering business outcomes.
• Solid understanding of engineering/technical, financial, sales, and marketing processes and objectives, as related to product sales and support.
• Excellent process analysis, mapping skills, and system knowledge.
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills.
• Experience in developing programs and processes that directly create customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• A clear understanding of the product development cycle, technical requirements and project management.
• A strong understanding of concepts related to computer architecture through implementation.
• Experience with developing budgets and predicting project costs.
• A demonstrated ability to directly manage employees.
• A demonstrated ability to influence manage cross-functional employees.

Additional Responsibilities:
• This position is responsible for directing and controlling activities at the most senior level within the function and global geographic area.
• The focus of this role is on translating functional strategies into operational plans and priorities.  May develop functional strategies.
• The potential impact of decisions made by this individual has significant operational or financial impact on the performance standards of the function and may impact the company’s success.
• This individual will use in-depth knowledge to solve abstract issues and assess intangible variables; and establish long-range plans.
• This individual is accountable for managing to budget.

Interaction:
• This individual must demonstrate strong leadership skills by establishing clear goals, objectives and priorities that communicate the organization’s vision.
• Works with Senior Management and Vice President level employees addressing issues across companies and functions.
• The position reports to a Vice President – Global Strategic Accounts

Education
• A minimum of 12+ years of experience is required.  A minimum of 6+ years as a people manager is required.
• A Bachelor of Science Degree or equivalent experience is required.  Advanced Degree is beneficial but not required.