Professional Services Business Development Manager (BDM)

Company Description

Arista Networks is an industry leader in data-driven, client-to-cloud networking for large data center, campus and routing environments. What sets us apart is our relentless pursuit of innovation. We leverage the latest advancements in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and software-defined networking to provide our clients with a competitive edge in an increasingly interconnected world. Our solutions are designed to not only meet the current demands of the digital landscape but to also anticipate and adapt to future challenges.

At Arista we value the diversity of thought and perspectives that each employee brings to the table. We believe that fostering an inclusive environment, where individuals from various backgrounds and experiences feel welcome, is essential for driving creativity and innovation.

Our commitment to excellence has earned us several prestigious awards, such as Best Engineering Team, Best Company for Diversity, Compensation, and Work-Life Balance. At Arista, we take pride in our track record of success and strive to maintain the highest standards of quality and performance in everything we do.

Job Description

Who You'll Work With

You will act as a vital cross-functional bridge, collaborating closely with Arista Sales teams to identify opportunities and with PS Technical Leads to scope complex engineering solutions. You will engage directly with Customers to present service capabilities while partnering with Legal and Finance to negotiate contract terms. Internally, you will also align with Product Management (PLM) on strategy and coordinate with Resource Planning to ensure a seamless project handoff for delivery.

Alternate Locations: Chicago, IL / Dallas, TX / Denver, CO / Nashville, TN / Columbus, OH

What You'll Do

As part of the Arista Networks Professional Services organization, a Professional Services Business Development Manager (PS BDM) is responsible for managing the PS Pre-Sales process and requires sales and technical expertise to actively engage with Arista Customers to create deliverables ranging from network solution and capabilities presentations, proposals and contracts. In this capacity, the PS BDM is accountable for growing and managing the PS pipeline with close interactions with Customers, Sales, Arista Professional Service Advisors, Marketing and PLM.

Primary activities include: PS services presentations, network data center, campus, and SD-WAN solution identification, creating responses to RFPs and daily interactions to position and develop customized solutions for Customers. The PS BDM will work closely with the PS Technical Leads and engineers to appropriately scope the proposed engagements. An additional key interaction is with PS resource planning. Key indicators for success include building pipeline, increasing close rates, Customer and Sales teams satisfaction, building PS mind-share and increasing PS awareness in our Sales organization and with Customers.

• Markets/promotes/positions PS offerings to Customers, Partners and Sales Teams
• SME on PS Pre-Sales: Positioning, Proposals, Process & Pricing Oversees: Pricing, contractual documents, PS Sales pipeline, proposal generation, scope delivery, scoping questions, SOW document generation and other artifacts depending on the sales stage
• Monitors post-sales deliverables for consistency in content with the solutions sold and feedback on pre-sales process
• Negotiates business terms and contracts - lead PS interface w/ Legal and Finance Leads, mentors and guides PS pre-sales engagements
• Reviews and provides pricing & discounting to management
• Business reviewer/approver of contracts
• Pre-sales pipeline reporting and overall PS pre-sales status reporting
• Provides awarded project handoff to PS PMs and delivery resource planning
• Monitor response times and deliverable quality
• Trained on Arista Sales methodologies and solutions

Role Specific Tasks

• The following tasks will be performed by the BDM as part of some or all engagements:
• Respond to Professional Services sections of RFPs
• Perform Customer presentations of PS Solutions
• Lead the needs analysis and outline process flows for PS delivery options
• Craft proposals, SOWs and contracts
• Create innovative, yet realistic solutions, to meet Customers' needs
• Have a working knowledge of the PS deliverable metrics and capabilities
• Effectively manage multiple requests for Professional Services Pre-Sales support
• Create and manage scoping teams to effectively address Customer requirements
• Oversee and manage regional PS pipeline
• Integrate and propose additional Arista Networks services and products to Customers when appropriate, such as formal training, maintenance contracts, resident engineering services, etc.
• Effectively and collaboratively work with Sales and PS Delivery
• Review master agreements and coordinate with Sales Ops, Legal, Finance and others as required
• Lead PS Pre-Sales team to improve the pre-sales process and generate and update the appropriate templates and artifacts to allow the business to grow in a scalable way

Qualifications

• Minimum 10+ years providing and selling professional services solutions preferably for data center, campus, SD-WAN networking migrations and deployments.
• Experience in managing Customers through the sale and delivery of large projects in the Enterprise or Service Provider markets
• Strong writing, presentation and contract negotiation skills
• Previous experience with writing Statements of Work (SOW) and responding to RFP requests
• G Suite Tools, Kantata, SalesForce CRM tool usage skills required.
• Able to travel nationally and internationally, as required
• Preferred Education: MBA or Technical Degree (e.g., Bachelor of Science) or equivalent preferred, along with ongoing network vendor products training/certifications. PMI or project management-related certifications are desirable

Skills and Competencies

• The Arista Networks Professional Services Business Development Manager possesses the following skills and competencies: Strong management experience - Account planning, developing solutions for complex projects, team building and conflict management
• Excellent communication skills with both Customers and internal technical and sales teams with heavy emphasis on presentations, negotiations and contracting Sales leadership experience, organizational and motivational skills
• Strong writing skills primarily in articulating a proposed solution and representing process and tasks in contracts/statements of work
• Strong business skills related to budgeting, financial and legal reviews, contracting, purchasing
• Strong knowledge in Customer verticals, UCN solutions and professional services-led delivery engagements
• Knowledgeable in high-performance networking and switching systems
• Knowledgeable of Salesforce pipeline management, project management and reporting tools

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Additional Information

Arista stands out as an engineering-centric company. Our leadership, including founders and engineering managers, are all engineers who understand sound software engineering principles and the importance of doing things right.

We hire globally into our diverse team. At Arista, engineers have complete ownership of their projects. Our management structure is flat and streamlined, and software engineering is led by those who understand it best. We prioritize the development and utilization of test automation tools.

Our engineers have access to every part of the company, providing opportunities to work across various domains. Arista is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with development offices in Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, and the US. We consider all our R&D centers equal in stature.

Join us to shape the future of networking and be part of a culture that values invention, quality, respect, and fun.

Arista Networks is an equal opportunity employer. Arista makes all hiring and employment-related decisions in a non-discriminatory manner without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or any other factor determined to be unlawful under applicable federal, state, or law law. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.