Business Development Manager - Education
Avanade is looking for Business Development Managers who are deal hunters, deal makers, originators and self-starters who can develop and win new business in a complex consulting environment with sophisticated technology solutions.

Business Development role is accountable for originating, solutioning, qualifying, negotiating, and closing deals for all Avanade products, capabilities, services, and solutions. This role focuses on activating sales strategy in chosen Accounts or Territories to grow the market. This will include coordinating with the right teams, achieving the envisioned sales and revenue impact, and bringing necessary support through the business, tools and other requirements to the teams needed to embed new ways of delivering value to clients across a complex landscape.

The Business Development Manager operates within a region. This role is aligned to an Industry Group and works closely with other Business Development professionals, Regional Sales Leadership, Avanade Client Account Lead (ACAL), Regional Integrated Go-to Market, Regional Marketing teams, Finance, Legal, Sales Operations, Alliance teams and counterparts in Accenture and Microsoft.

Industry Group: This role will fall within Education sector.
Within this role you will be selling digital transformation services (e.g. Microsoft Dynamics or Azure Cloud implementation/integration) to clients within the industry. Hence, we require you to have experience selling these types of services in the industry.

Come join us
There is one in every group - the person who dreams big and has the motivation to bring their ideas to life, even as others might roll their eyes and prefer to play it safe. Are you that person?

Are you the one who isn’t afraid to break the mold and who gets passionate about the power of digital to transform organizations and ways of working? Because we are building teams of people like that to help our clients unlock the power they need now and own what is next.

Together we do what matters.
What you’ll do

• Business Growth

• Create a business development plan to assess, qualify, develop, and shape key opportunities in client accounts, territories, sectors and ensure continued financial health and maximum value creation for both our clients and Avanade

• Work closely with partners and alliances (Microsoft, Accenture, and ecosystem partners etc.) to grow the book of business

• Build and maintain strong long-term relationships with key decision-makers and influencers within client organizations in support of business development objectives

• Develop and implement a relationship management plan for potential client accounts (whether in an existing client account or building new "white space" territory within an industry sector) to identify and build relationships

• Manage key client relationships (in chosen Accounts); collaborating with the Avanade Client Account Leads (ACALs), where appropriate, to drive business growth

• Understanding client's buying processes and stakeholder decision chains

• Engage with clients to clarify client needs and translate them into potential Avanade solution opportunities

• Lead/support a cross-functional internal team (e.g. technical, commercial, legal) to configure bespoke solution that meet the client’ mid- to long-term needs

• In collaboration with various internal stakeholders negotiate client agreements, ensuring that client requirements are met through a compelling and differentiated value proposition

• Collaborate internally and work as the client champion in cross-functional teams to build strong external client relationships and meet client needs

• Act as a player-coach, delivering outcomes as an individual contributor

• Market Strategy

• Develop a personal network of senior executives (e.g., via social media techniques or in-person events) within the business sector and at relevant advisory and regulatory bodies. Represent the organization at major business sector events.

• Develop a personal network of senior managers (e.g., via social media techniques or in-person events) within the business sector and represent the organization at business sector events.

• Contribute to the account strategies across Avanade’s portfolio of complex accounts.

• Leverage market intelligence to optimize and broaden Avanade's business positioning and enhance its reputation

• Craft and deliver value-oriented proposals to the client that clearly articulate the business benefits from adopting Microsoft-based solutions from Avanade

• Provide thought leadership and sales collaboration with our channel partners and become a trusted advisor for the channel in chosen Accounts, where appropriate

• Key Performance Indicators

• Booked Sales Target

• Pipeline Target

• Forecast Accuracy
  

Skills and experiences
Client Focused
Business Insights

Action-oriented

Ensures accountability

Communicates effectively

Interpersonal Savvy

Drives Results
Persuades
Builds Networks
Manages Complexity
Collaborates

About you
Characteristics that can spell success for this role

• Proven track record of selling large-scale consulting engagements that include global delivery within the industry (deals over $1M in size and total quota over $5M)

• Highly organized with strong time management and coordination skills

• Resilience in dealing with multiple client stakeholders to unify the vision and strategy

• Natural leader who is defined by their knowledge and experience

• Sense of urgency surrounding a necessary action, tool, collaboration etc. required to make an impact within the industry and organization

• Collaborative and able to navigate multiple cultures and styles

• Problem solving mindset

• Mature interpersonal and persuasion skills

• The ability to persevere in the face of challenges

• Relentless commitment to higher standards balanced with a pragmatic outlook

• Attitude of continuous improvement and seeking input

• Inclination to seek and analyze data from a variety of sources to support decisions.

• Proficient in sales methodologies with a solid understanding of various sales techniques and strategies and the ability to apply them effectively.

• Industry expertise and the ability to navigate and anticipate the industry within a particular region (if applicable)

• Education and/or experience in the relevant field/business

• Solid experience in sales or business development, relationship building, acting as a trusted advisor to address customer needs, or driving sales in a solution-selling environment.

• Experience in a direct selling role

Enjoy your career

As you bring your skills and abilities to Avanade, you’ll get distinctive experiences, limitless learning, and ambitious growth in return. As we continue to build our diverse and inclusive culture, we become even more innovative and creative, helping us better serve our clients and communities. You’ll join a community of smart, supportive collaborators to lift, mentor, and guide you, and to lean on your expertise. You get a company purpose-built for business-critical, leading-edge technology solutions, committed to improving the way humans work, interact, and live. It’s all here, so take a closer look!

Some of the best things about working at Avanade

• Opportunity to work for Microsoft’s Global Alliance Partner of the Year (14 years in a row), with exceptional development and training (minimum 80 hours per year for training and paid certifications)
  
  

• Real-time access to technical and skilled resources globally
  
  

• Dedicated career advisor to encourage your growth
  
  

• Engaged and helpful coworkers genuinely interested in you
  
  Find out more about some of our benefits [1] here

• Expanding your thinking

• Experimenting courageously

• Learning and pivoting
  
  Inspire greatness in our people by
  
  

• Empowering every voice

• Encouraging boldness

• Celebrating progress
  
  Accelerate the impact of our people by
  
  

• Amazing the client

• Prioritizing what matters

• Acting as one
  
  
  Learn more

• Why Avanade for Sellers link (TBD)
  
  Interested in knowing what’s going on inside Avanade? Check out our blogs:
  
  

• [3] Avanade Insights

• [4] Inside Avanade