Channel Account Manager

At F5, we strive to bring a better digital world to life. Our teams empower organizations across the globe to create, secure, and run applications that enhance how we experience our evolving digital world. We are passionate about cybersecurity, from protecting consumers from fraud to enabling companies to focus on innovation. 

Everything we do centers around people. That means we obsess over how to make the lives of our customers, and their customers, better. And it means we prioritize a diverse F5 community where each individual can thrive.

Do you want a job you love: a career that provides you the resources to research new and emerging trends in cyber security and networking; a job that affords you the flexibility to take risks in defining and building the next great thing; a position that allows you to use your talent for evangelizing what you and the team built to the world’s largest organizations as well as to the tech community?

Position Summary:

As a Channel Account Manager, you will be responsible for growing revenue in region/territory/district through identifying, recruiting and developing opportunity generating partnerships with Partners (Value Added Resellers (VARs), Large Account Resellers (LARs), system builders and distributors). You will work with VAR partners to ensure that they are operating as an extension of F5's direct sales team through sales and technical training, demand generation marketing efforts and mutual business planning.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Responsible for upholding F5’s Business Code of Ethics and for promptly reporting violations of the Code or other company policies.
• Recruit and develop new F5 partner relationship(s) to drive whitespace penetration, access to new vertical and technology markets.
• Sales Training – Ensure that our partners are able to effectively position and sell F5 solutions. Work with the F5 channel and sales team to drive partner sales training opportunities; ensuring partners have the tools to find opportunities, sell F5 solutions, and fully understand F5’s UNITY Partner program.
• Pipeline Growth and Management – Identify, in conjunction with F5 partners, new sales opportunities. Ensure our partners, F5 sales reps and management are working together in the sales process, lead generation, registering opportunities, accurately forecast bookings and tracking to required bookings goals established by the partner’s UNITY Partner tier.
• Relationship Management – Develop strong top to bottom relationships throughout the F5 partner organization (Management, sales teams, technical teams and marketing) ensuring partner compliance with the F5’s UNITY Partner Program and developing a well-developed relationship between F5/partner sales and technical teams.
• Excel at Conflict Management - Be fair and firm with F5 team and partners. Examples are: Deal registration, support contracts, and partner tier requirements.
• Marketing & Demand Generation – Leverage F5 marketing funds to drive demand generation activities that generate the highest possible return on investment. Manage channel marketing funds to ensure event and partner success.
• Account Mapping – Drive regular cadence of account mapping sessions with partners and the F5 sales team responsible for driving net-new accounts and new opportunities in existing accounts.
• Business Planning – Work with partners to develop and execute a strategic business plan focused on driving new accounts, new opportunities, sales and technical competency and incremental bookings growth. Collaborate with Strategic Partner Managers to develop and execute business plans for our national strategic partners in territory where appropriate. The partner business plans are the basis for QBRs and need to be updated quarterly.
• Special Projects & Reporting - Work on strategic initiatives as established by channel management and reporting business issues/opportunities as requested by channel and/or executive management.
• In North America, a Sr CAM can support a territory plus one or more small to midsize strategic partner accounts. Responsible for geographic territory and a Strategic Partner Account that has headquarters within that region. Acts as a lead on planning and programs for that Strategic Partner.
• Advanced Business Insight - Well-developed understanding of business, and strategy. Takes initiative on new programs and innovation to further business goals.
• Influence/channel leadership -Trusted advisor status with District Manager; Channel leadership - ability to lead, positively influence and shape behavior of partners and TAMs/MAMs (and broader channel team); Excellent Brand at F5.
• F5 Messaging - Excels at delivering F5 story and messaging. High skilled at delivering compelling presentations on F5's products & solutions.
• Work with F5 internal resources - Influence and obtain sponsorship from internal F5 groups to support programs at partners to drive incremental business opportunities for F5 and the partner.
• Actively engage with F5’s eco-system business partners to plan activities that will drive F5 awareness and opportunities with our partners.
• The position requires exceptional executive presence and ability to work across multiple executive roles to direct/educate/ communicate our business plan priorities and progress.
• Duties may require out of town travel up to 60% of the time.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Metrics:

• Achieve quarterly business metrics for channels. These include: PIO (Partner Initiated Opportunities), security and software attach rates, net-new accounts, competitive take-out, and other partner value-add metrics.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Highly efficient & organized / excellent time management skills.
• Highly developed, clear concise and compelling communication skills.
• Strong presentation skills and ability to articulate complex technology simply
• Well-developed business acumen and understanding of business strategy
• Excellent conflict management skills, with the ability to be fair & firm.
• Knowledge of enterprise networks, security and applications (desired)
• Detailed experience with Microsoft applications such as Outlook, PowerPoint, Word and Excel
• Clear, concise, and effective communicator - highly developed, clear concise and compelling communication skills. Persuasive pitch & presentation skills.
• Excellent sales and management skills
• Experience in two-tiered channel resale models
• Background in software/hardware sales and distribution – with large Software, Hardware, Security and/or Networking Companies
• Consistent track record of success in sales and marketing programs
• Strong knowledge of Application Delivery Networks and security
• In-depth knowledge of partner organizations, processes, business drivers and internal operations

Qualifications:

• BA or Master's degree or equivalent combination of training and experience
• 5+ years related experience in technology sales

The Job Description is intended to be a general representation of the responsibilities and requirements of the job. However, the description may not be all-inclusive, and responsibilities and requirements are subject to change.

The annual U.S. base pay range for this position is: $108,886.00 - $163,330.00F5 maintains broad salary ranges for its roles in order to account for variations in knowledge, skills, experience, geographic locations, and market conditions, as well as to reflect F5’s differing products, industries, and lines of business. The pay range referenced is as of the time of the job posting and is subject to change.

You may also be offered incentive compensation, bonus, restricted stock units, and benefits. More details about F5’s benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.f5.com/company/careers/benefits. F5 reserves the right to change or terminate any benefit plan without notice. 

Please note that F5 only contacts candidates through F5 email address (ending with @f5.com) or auto email notification from Workday (ending with f5.com or @myworkday.com).

Equal Employment Opportunity

It is the policy of F5 to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to unlawful considerations of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, sensory, physical, or mental disability, marital status, veteran or military status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, discipline, and termination. F5 offers a variety of reasonable accommodations for candidates. Requesting an accommodation is completely voluntary. F5 will assess the need for accommodations in the application process separately from those that may be needed to perform the job. Request by contacting accommodations@f5.com.