Account Executive - Cybersecurity | Houston, TX

This position is field-based and will be hired in the Houston Metro area.

As a Account Executive aka. Client Director (CD) you’ll focus on selling Optiv security services and security technology solutions to a select few key strategic accounts (typically less than 10) within a geographic territory. You’ll be responsible for owning and coordinating all aspects of the sales cycle within your assigned account(s) and leading a cross-functional team to build and execute a multi-year strategic account management plan for each of your accounts.  Members of this cross-functional team will include a Client Solution Architect, Executive Advisory Director, Client Operations Specialist, and one or more Client Associates.  For clarity, the CD will lead this team, although team members will be managed from a Human Relations perspective by managers within their respective organizations.  As such, the CD is not considered to be a people management position but rather the leader of sales execution with support of your team.

Development of a multi-year strategic account management plan is a core and critical responsibility for the CD.  You’ll lead your team to identify and understand your client’s core business objectives and how they correlate to mitigating business and cyber security risk.  Based upon this understanding of the client, you’ll lead your team to collaborate with client leadership to refine and/or build a security strategy and subsequently develop and propose solutions to address client security needs over a multi-year period.  Ideally this will take the form of very large and complex solutions comprised of security management consulting, hardware and software security technologies, advisory, implementation and support services, and managed security services.  An overarching goal is to establish a trusted relationship with the client that results in Optiv being their primary security solution partner and provider.

You’ll also lead your team with a heightened focus on ever-enhancing client satisfaction.  This will include meeting with clients early in the year to understand and document their business, technology and security goals, as well as client expectations of Optiv in support of attaining those goals.  You’ll review these goals, expectations and progress with your clients quarterly, engaging Optiv executives and resources as necessary to ensure that your team is on track to achieve or exceed these client-defined goals.

How you'll make an impact

• Build trusted, effective and productive relationships with client executives at multiple levels within assigned accounts.
• Lead your team to create a multi-year strategic account management plan based upon identified client business, technology and security goals, coupled with Optiv’s understanding of security trends, threats, and points of view for each assigned account.
• Build a large sales pipeline, ideally 3-4 times assigned targets, within assigned accounts and achieve/exceed gross margin objectives in excess of $3.5M annually.
• Manage current and multi-quarter forecasts with a high degree of accuracy, currency and integrity.
• Lead a cross-functional team to execute with discipline and in alignment with Force Management principles such as MEDDICC and Command of the Message, among others.
• Effectively communicate Optiv’s value proposition as it relates to security services and technologies expertise and capabilities.
• Build strong, collaborative and productive relationships with technology partners and their respective sales personnel to both gain and share leads in support of building qualified pipeline and maximizing mutually beneficial sales opportunities.
• Initiate and/or monitor and mediate all necessary communications between clients, vendors and members of your team (technical, sales, client operations, etc.) within each account.
• Maintain collaborative and effective internal communications with Optiv team members relative to specific opportunities, associated requirements and client satisfaction.

What we're looking for

• Experience in solution and services-based sales through work in an Information Technology or Security environment typically gained over 7-10 years.
• Proven ability to build and execute territory and strategic account management plans with a track record of exceeding multi-million-dollar gross margin quotas.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional dotted-line teams comprised of sales, technical, and support personnel in a highly effective fashion.
• Strong business acumen and ability to correlate business goals with business and cyber security risk in support of developing complex security technology and services solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong and productive business relationships with key executives and sponsors within assigned accounts.
• Strong presentation, verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong negotiation experience
• Experience in and knowledge of the IT security market and competitors.
• Experience in and knowledge of the Risk & Compliance market and competitors.
• History of demonstrated achievement exceeding plan and expectations.

Preferred skills

• Experience in building and selling complex and multi-year hardware, software, services and financing solutions to Fortune 1000 clients.
• Experience in and knowledge of the IT Infrastructure market and competitors.
• Experience selling management consulting services.

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What you can expect from Optiv

• A company committed to our inclusive value through our Employee Resource Groups

• Work/life balance

• Professional training resources

• Creative problem-solving and the ability to tackle unique, complex projects

• Volunteer Opportunities. “Optiv Chips In” encourages employees to volunteer and engage with their teams and communities.

• The ability and technology necessary to productively work remotely/from home (where applicable)

EEO Statement

Optiv is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age 40 and over, marital status, genetic information, national origin, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.

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