Partner Manager at Schneider Electric

Job Purpose

The Partner Manager role is a combination of sales skills, market understanding, and a structured business development approach. The primary target is to ensure that we develop a strong channel community of “Solutions” partners, including the development of Enterprise level end customer relationships across East Africa.

The priority of the position is to manage the sales through channel of systems products via prescription and specification of Schneider Electric Data Center solutions. While focused primarily on the channel business the candidate will be expected to target the influencing of consultants and end users to ensure correct specification of equipment and ultimately customer satisfaction through the deployment of the projects are supported by strong technical architects and Schneider engagement. The measurement of these objective will be via the system sales revenue achieved through the channel and the customer satisfaction. Develop lasting relationships of influence with our Elite and Premier channel Partners will be paramount.

It is expected that the candidate would identify underpenetrated markets and develop Go-To market strategies, developing Elite and Premier partner channels where needed. 

Essential Functions:

• Develop and manage relationship with Elite and Premier partners,
• Transferring of awareness of full Schneider Electric solution offers,
• Ensure training and transferring of competencies to use Schneider Electric design tools and solution offer,
• Support partners with tender response and understand the competition pricing,
• Monitor and detect opportunities, building a pipeline of projects and ensuring that this project funnel is accurately monitored and tracked through BFo,
• Managing partner expectation for Secure Power business in East Africa and reporting accurate forecasts to line management.
• Driving and achieving the financial targets defined by partner within the region,
• Defining marketing actions and activities within the region to promote and grow business via the channels,

Role Requirement

• Undergraduate degree
• Engineering qualification(Electrical/mechanical) is an added advantage
• At least 5 years working experience with partners within the IT/Data Center industry including but not limited to system integrators
• Sales background in IT channels; Channel Management experience
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and organizational skills.
• His/her focus is to organize and setup his/her work to achieve the sales target given by the manager.
• Good business acumen and a strong interest in keeping up to date with construction projects within the region 
• Ability to build an environment and relationship of trust and credibility with customers, understanding customer needs and goal alignment, developing rapport with key contacts.
• Ability to understand the customer needs and to position their needs in the value chain and competitive environment (market and competitors), to best promote Schneider Electric in the local market.
• Ability to evaluate customer potential and to target customers (penetration, attractiveness, accessibility), to best allocate resources, verify opportunities and build customer action/business plan.