UC Sales & Product Manager at Smoothtel

POSITION OVERVIEW

The UC (Unified Communications) Sales and Product Manager shall be responsible for both the technical and commercial acumen of the UC product portfolio.

The technical deliverables include designing, engineering, and implementing IT, voice and collaboration solutions for all Smoothtel Customers. The candidate will be in charge of the technical implementation, problem resolution, and support on all components related to UC Infrastructure, data center, routing, switching, wireless, voice, video, storage, collaboration, and security.

The commercial aspect of the position will be required to deliver on Vendor and Client relationship management as well as achievement of the sales revenue target for the UC portfolio.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Solution Development and Architecture

• Develop detailed network designs and Bill of Materials in the following areas: On-premises data (LAN, WAN, Data Center, Data Recovery), Cloud, Network Security (Firewalls, IDS/IPS), Cabling Infrastructure (Copper and Fiber), Wireless Networks (WAN, Radios, MPLS, Air Band Radio), Call Centers (Cloud-based, SIP, VoIP, ISDN)
• Perform on-premises implementations (Cisco IOS, ASA, Nexus, Meraki, and configuration associated with Layer 2 switching (VLANs, STP, vPC, LACP), Layer 3 routing (OSPF, EIGRP, BGP), Network Security (ACLs, NATs, IPsec VPNs, SSL remote access VPNs), and QoS
• Set up, configure, and test Cisco Call Manager, Unity, Call Manager Express, Unity Express, Cisco LAN switches (core, distribution and access), Cisco firewalls, routers and voice gateways, etc
• Troubleshoot, maintain, upgrade, and provide solutions to complex hardware/software problems
• Configuration and maintenance of data center, enterprise software, sales & cloud services/solutions, Teleconferencing, SIP-based communications, Unified Communications, Integration, Network Design, VOIP, etc.
• Vendor portal management – load and manage deals with manufacturers (vendors) and claim rebates
• Directly work with the manufacturers/ Distributors to make sure that all the partnership certifications are met and maintained

Project Development & Management

• Responsible for the End-to-end accountability and delivery of IT Projects portfolios to achieve predetermined goals.
• This role will also involve Monitoring and providing status reports to project sponsors, including predicted timelines, budgeting, and project updates.
• Participate in designing UC solutions as per the client needs and budget
• Project resource management: develop and maintain highly skilled and qualified technical experts in the UC team through continuous learning and upskilling as well as coaching/mentorship
• Confer with supervisory personnel, owners, contractors, and design professionals to discuss and resolve matters such as work procedures, complaints, and installation problems.
• Plan, organize, and direct activities concerned with the implementation of projects
• Schedule the project in logical steps and budget time required to meet deadlines
• Provide direction and clear installation standards for other technical staff
• Liaise between technical aspects and project sponsors, business and other key stakeholders as required to understand stakeholder needs;

Pre-sales

• Work closely with the sales team on proposals.
• Attend meetings with business development managers as a technical expert.
• Put together business cases for the sales teams to support their proposals
• Work closely and collaboratively with customers to devise effective solutions.
• Provide ongoing support for customers post-implementation.
• Produce detailed costings for customers and ensuring the contract is profitable.

Team Management 

• with the HR team on the training needs of the UC team (technical certifications)
• the team members attain the right and highest number of certifications in various UC product lines
• solving by offering technical support and advice to team members – offer to coach for development
• management of team members – ensure placement and retention of the right skills and competencies within the team at all times
• daily operations for the team in line with projects and presales activities

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Information Technology / Telecommunication and Information Technology / Computer Engineering / Computer science or a Higher National Diploma in Information Technology (must have attained Second Class Upper Division grade)
• Must have Professional-level certifications in CISCO and any other relevant world-renowned vendor (Huawei, Sophos, Microsoft, Fortinet, Check Point, CISCO Meraki etc.) with network infrastructure management knowledge.
• Minimum 6 years ‘experience in a similar role within the ICT industry
• Technical sales proven experience – with the ability to align to product marketing objectives and vendor interactions
• Project Management and Audit Reviews
• Proven experience in solutions architecture within the UC scope
• Leadership and team management skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills