Cortex/Cloud Ecosystem Acceleration Lead

Company Description

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks® everything starts and ends with our mission:

Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.
Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. We are a company built on the foundation of challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we’re looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.

Who We Are

We take our mission of protecting the digital way of life seriously. We are relentless in protecting our customers and we believe that the unique ideas of every member of our team contributes to our collective success. Our values were crowdsourced by employees and are brought to life through each of us everyday - from disruptive innovation and collaboration, to execution. From showing up for each other with integrity to creating an environment where we all feel included.

As a member of our team, you will be shaping the future of cybersecurity. We work fast, value ongoing learning, and we respect each employee as a unique individual. Knowing we all have different needs, our development and personal wellbeing programs are designed to give you choice in how you are supported. This includes our FLEXBenefits wellbeing spending account with over 1,000 eligible items selected by employees, our mental and financial health resources, and our personalized learning opportunities - just to name a few!

Job Description

Your Career

As an Acceleration Channel Specialist for Palo Alto Networks' Prisma Cloud Speedboats, you will be instrumental in driving strategic alignment across a diverse channel ecosystem, including MSSPs, Managed Services, CSPs, GSIs, and Service Providers. Your focus will be on expanding opportunities by leveraging a deep understanding of how to identify growth areas and pull in the right resources to advance the sales pipeline. You will foster collaboration between PANW Account Executives (AEs), field teams, and partner representatives to ensure alignment in messaging and strategy. Additionally, you will simplify complex technical concepts and create targeted training programs that drive business outcomes and pipeline growth across multiple segments.

Your Impact

• Establish Training Programs for Partner Sellers
  • Develop and deliver training programs to equip partner sellers with the skills to effectively position Prisma Cloud
  • Simplify complex technical content into easy-to-understand material, ensuring partners can clearly articulate the value of Prisma Cloud's Visibility and Control, Risk Prevention, and Runtime Protection
  • Contribute to self-service training materials aligned with the channel ecosystem’s GTM plan
• Launch and Execute Campaigns
  • Collaborate with the marketing team to launch campaigns targeting customer meetings and pipeline generation
  • Execute partner-focused campaigns with measurable follow-up, driving Partner Deal Registration and expanding customer meetings
• Train Partners on Upsell Motions and Sales Plays
  • Develop training sessions focused on renewals, expansion, and upsell motions, ensuring partners understand how to drive cross-sell and upsell opportunities around cloud security
• Drive Synergy Between PANW AEs and Partner Reps
  • Foster collaboration between AEs and partner representatives, ensuring alignment in messaging and strategy
  • Align field Solution Architects (SAs) and Partner Development Consultants (PDCs) with AEs to provide cohesive training and support for partner teams
  • Coordinate technical resources to support partner-led demos and customer assessments
• Support Speedboat SAs
  • Ensure Speedboat SAs can run effective partner-led demos that align with customer needs and sales campaigns
  • Help partners refine their pitch to position Prisma Cloud as a Code to Cloud security platform
• Execute Strategic Initiatives and Special Projects
  • Lead initiatives that accelerate partner growth and success
  • Track and review measurable outcomes from partner-driven campaigns, ensuring alignment with KPIs
• Expand Partner Engagement Across All PANW Lines
• Collaborate on KPIs and Field Execution
  • Work with field teams to create and execute KPIs to measure partner success
  • Ensure all activities align with business outcomes, driving pipeline growth and customer success
• Identify opportunities to broaden partners’ focus across all PANW Speedboats (Prisma Cloud, Cortex, Strata)
  • Leverage specialized training to enhance their capabilities across the portfolio
  • Foster internal collaboration by pulling in resources like SAs and PDCs to support partner initiatives
  • Cultivate relationships that drive deal registrations and ensure partners deliver value across the entire PANW business

Qualifications

Your Experience

• Presentation Skills - Exceptional ability to present complex technical and business concepts in a clear, digestible manner for different partner audiences
• Simplification of Complex Materials - Proven ability to break down intricate concepts around cloud security into understandable deliverables
• Business Outcome Focus - Demonstrated ability to drive urgency and deliver measurable business outcomes through training and strategic partner enablement
• Collaboration - Experience building strong relationships with internal teams (AEs, SAs, PDCs) and external partners to ensure seamless execution of initiatives
• Technical Acumen - Strong understanding of cloud security and Prisma Cloud, with the ability to translate technical features into business value
• Project Management - Skilled in managing multiple campaigns, training programs, and projects simultaneously
• Partner Enablement Experience - Proven ability to design and execute partner enablement programs, focusing on renewals, expansion, and sales acceleration

Preferred

• 5+ years Channel Experience - Proven track record working within the channel ecosystem, including MSSPs, CSPs, GSIs, and Service Providers, with a strong focus on building and managing partner relationships, driving channel sales, and delivering measurable business outcomes
• Strategic Channel Initiatives - Demonstrated experience in creating and implementing strategic channel initiatives to drive growth and align channel efforts with broader business goals - Ability to identify new opportunities, expand partner capabilities, and optimize channel performance
• Executive Presentation Skills - Strong executive-level communication and presentation skills - Ability to present complex strategies and technical concepts to senior leadership and key stakeholders, both internally and externally, in a clear and compelling manner
• Indirect Leadership - Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and channel partners without direct authority - Skilled in influencing, coaching, and guiding teams toward common goals, ensuring alignment and collaboration across various teams and departments

Additional Information

The Team

The channel organization at Palo Alto Networks is a strategic pillar for our continued growth within cybersecurity, and a critical component to accomplishing our mission. Channel development is an extension of the territory sales team, with an ultimate goal to train and enable our channel partners to become empowered in the use and sales of our products.

Our sales team members work hand-in-hand with large organisations around the world to keep their digital environments protected. We educate, inspire, and empower our potential clients in their journey to security. 

As part of our sales team, you are empowered with unmatched systems and tools, constantly updated research and sales libraries, and a team built on joint success. You won’t find someone at Palo Alto Networks that isn’t committed to your success – with everyone pitching in to assist when it comes to solutions selling, learning, and development. As a member of our sales team, you are motivated by a solutions-focused sales environment and find fulfillment in working with clients to resolve incredibly complex cyberthreats.

Compensation Disclosure 

The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location. For candidates who receive an offer at the posted level, the starting base salary (for non-sales roles) or base salary + commission target (for sales/commissioned roles) is expected to be between $225000 - $309000/YR. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus. A description of our employee benefits may be found here.

Our Commitment
We’re problem solvers that take risks and challenge cybersecurity’s status quo. It’s simple: we can’t accomplish our mission without diverse teams innovating, together.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need, please contact us at [email protected].

Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or other legally protected characteristics.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

Motor-Vehicle Requirement: 
This role may require travel to and from Palo Alto Networks, Inc. business meetings and events and requires reliable transportation to do so. If a hire chooses to drive in connection with company business, the hire for this role must maintain a valid driver’s license.