Business Development Manager (Google Cloud)

Title

We are looking for an experienced Cloud Business Development Manager – Google Cloud to drive our business growth through strategic vendor alignment, GCP marketplace management, and sales enablement.

The ideal candidate will play a pivotal role in aligning vendor strategies, developing business plans, executing go-to-market initiatives, and fostering collaboration between internal business units.

This role requires deep expertise in Google Cloud Platforms, a strong background in cloud sales, and the ability to manage both business operations and technical partnerships.

1. Vendor Strategy Alignment:

• Act as the primary point of contact for GCP vendor relationships.
• Align company objectives with GCP’s strategic goals, ensuring mutual growth and business development.
• Work closely with GCP Partner teams to drive co-selling, joint solutions, and funding opportunities.
• Foster long-term strategic relationships with GCP teams, keeping up with new services, programs, and incentives.
   

2. Business Planning & Execution:

• Develop and execute comprehensive business plans to drive cloud adoption and increase GCP revenue.
• Identify growth opportunities through market analysis, competitive insights, and industry trends.
• Work closely with finance and leadership teams to set quarterly and annual targets, ensuring alignment with company objectives.
• Lead the execution of the business plan, ensuring measurable outcomes and performance tracking.
   

3. Internal BU Alignment:

• Collaborate with internal Business Units (BUs) to align cloud services offerings and go-to-market (GTM) strategies.
• Ensure that cross-functional teams (sales, technical, marketing, and product) are aligned with GCP-related initiatives and objectives.
• Facilitate internal communication and knowledge sharing to maximize cloud service offerings across BUs.
   

4. GCP Marketplace Offer Creation and Management:

• Lead the creation and management of cloud solutions within the GCP Marketplace.
• Ensure smooth onboarding and listing of products in GCP Marketplace, optimizing offers for better customer reach.
• Monitor and optimize marketplace listings to drive traffic, visibility, and revenue growth.
• Manage pricing strategies and promotions to maximize sales and customer engagement.
   

5. Marketing Initiatives (Demand Generation & Vendor Events):

• Drive demand generation campaigns in collaboration with GCP and internal marketing teams.
• Organize and manage vendor-sponsored events, roundtables, webinars, and cloud summits to promote GCP services and solutions.
• Create targeted marketing campaigns focused on customer acquisition, awareness, and engagement in GCP services.
• Work with GCP and internal marketing teams to leverage MDF (Market Development Funds) for marketing initiatives.
   

6. Sales Enablement:

• Equip sales teams with the necessary tools, knowledge, and resources to effectively sell GCP services.
• Conduct regular training, workshops, and webinars for internal sales and technical teams.
• Develop and distribute sales enablement content, such as presentations, case studies, and whitepapers, to drive GCP cloud adoption.
• Partner with GCP sales teams to execute joint sales strategies, co-selling activities, and solution pitches.
   

7. Pipeline Management & Forecasting:

• Own the sales pipeline for GCP-related deals, ensuring accurate tracking and reporting of all opportunities.
• Work closely with sales teams to drive pipeline development and accelerate sales cycles.
• Provide detailed forecasts and insights to senior leadership, highlighting trends, risks, and opportunities within the pipeline.
• Maintain close alignment with GCP teams to manage joint opportunities and track co-selling efforts.
   

8. Consumption Management & Billing:

• Monitor and manage GCP consumption for clients, ensuring optimization of cloud resources and cost efficiency.
• Oversee client billing processes, ensuring accurate invoicing and reporting for GCP services.
• Provide clients with insights into their consumption patterns and recommend cost-saving strategies through GCP Reserved Instances, Savings Plans, and other pricing models.
• Manage GCP billing reconciliation and work with finance teams to ensure compliance with contractual agreements.

SOFT SKILLS:

• Strong customer service orientation and adaptability to changing customer needs.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment.
• Project management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities.

COMMUNICATIONS & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

Internal:

• Sales & Sales Solution Specialists
• Delivery
• Cloud team members

Reasons for Interaction:

• Supporting all sales stakeholders
• Working closely with delivery teams to ensure that the solution can be deployed and managed.
• Working closely with team members on creating and delivering Cloud based services and solutions

External:

• Customers
• Vendors

Reasons for Interaction:

• Understanding and guiding customers to find the best solution for their pain points.
• Staying abreast of technology changes, updates and working closely with the vendor technical teams where required.

Key Qualifications

Educational Qualifications:

• Certification: GCP Foundational certification (critical), GCP Associate certification (preferable).
• Experience: 2+ years of experience in cloud business development, sales, or account management, with a focus on GCP.
• GCP Knowledge: In-depth understanding of GCP services, pricing models, and partner ecosystem.
• Vendor Management: Proven experience in managing vendor relationships, particularly with GCP or other major cloud providers.
• Business Acumen: Strong ability to develop and execute strategic business plans with measurable outcomes.
• Sales Enablement: Experience in enabling sales teams and driving revenue through cloud solutions.
• Market Expertise: Familiarity with GCP Marketplace and the process of creating, listing, and optimizing cloud offers.
• Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence both internal and external stakeholders.
• Analytical Skills: Strong analytical mindset with experience in pipeline management, forecasting, and consumption monitoring.
• Marketing Experience: Experience in demand generation, event planning, and leveraging MDF for cloud services marketing.

Behavioural Competencies                        

The incumbent is required to have demonstrated the following competencies:

• Presentation skills (articulate the Cloud and vendor specific value proposition)
• GCP Certification (e.g., GCP Certified Solutions Architect, GCP Certified Cloud Practitioner).
• Experience working with or within the GCP Partner Network (APN).
• Familiarity with CRM tools (Dynamics 365, Salesforce, HubSpot) for pipeline management and forecasting.
• Knowledge of cloud billing models, financial forecasting, and consumption-based pricing strategies.
• Development and marketing of products and solutions (Marketplace)

Location and Travel                                     

• The role is Johannesburg based (CPT will be an exception).
• Flexible but required to work in office at minimum twice a week.

Education

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