Higher Education & State Government Area Sales Manager - Sustainable Infrastructure

The Higher Education & State Government Area Sales Manager, Sustainable Infrastructure position will report directly to the Executive Director of Sales for the Area and cover 11 States in the SE United States. We are seeking a seasoned professional with a proven track record of success managing a team selling Infrastructure & Energy Improvement solutions across the Higher Education and State Government vertical markets to deliver world class strategies supporting our client’s mission & vision for success, financial stewardship, efficiency, resiliency and infrastructure modernization goals. The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of State Government & Higher Education buying decision making processes, legislative guidelines for complex contracting methods, financial & legal deal structures, strategic political sales mapping, and an interest in emerging technologies and infrastructure efficiency innovation.

Under general direction, you will be responsible for delivering planned annual secured sales and gross margin goals by managing a team of 4-6 professional Account Executives promoting the sale of large, complex, bundled offerings to key decision makers.  The role requires the individual to drive opportunities with and for their team, establish cadence around deal timing, manage sales activity efforts, team professional development and human resource responsibilities.

• Drive focus on creating and driving compelling and innovative sales strategies at the client’s executive C-level by providing solutions to business, infrastructure and financial challenges as well as managing gateways to achieve joint planning status.

• Encourage and build partnering relationships with the economic buyer(s), owner or owner representatives responsible for the decision-making process to drive the sales solution of JCI offerings. Manages ongoing sales process, develops relationships, responds to and anticipates customer needs. Actively listens, probes and identifies concerns. Understands the customer's business and speaks their language. Demonstrates financial and business acumen to develop credibility, loyalty, trust and commitment.

• Assist in prospecting and seeking out targets and initiate contact with prospective customers. Develops and leverages network of contacts. Understands and leverages sales process checkpoints as well as demonstrates evidence of gaining trial closes and commitments. Qualifies and assesses potential customers. Refers leads to team members and/or other business segments.

• Addresses customer's financial, business, operational and environmental objectives, needs and requirements. Recommends solutions that match the customer’s business and financial challenges. Differentiates JCI services and products from competitors based on business benefits and knowledge of competitor’s business strategies.

• Maximizes assigned Project Development Engineering & Operations Delivery resources effectively and efficiently. Ensures the customer and JCI receive maximum value from dedicated and assigned resources. Engages appropriate sales support resources determined by the JCI sales and business process, including SME’s (subject matter experts), energy and operational engineering and technical support, financial and legal resources, etc.

• Effectively writes, presents and communicates proposals. Secures high-volume opportunities through the use of financial agreements. Negotiates value, addresses resistance when demonstrated, and supports the close of the sale.

• Utilizes applicable sales tools effectively (Salesforce, Target Account Selling (TAS), Altify, Hurdles to Close) to plan and document team progress as well as increase sales volume opportunities in accounts. Leverages and expedites JCI sales process through regular checkpoints to gain progressive commitments from the customer. Manages the sales process steps in the pipeline with a focus on accelerating the sales process from Target to Close while delivering to the milestones in the customer’s buying process.

• Leads the sales team by building and fostering team relationships to ensure growth and collaboration. Solicits support from and communicates effectively with leadership and internal staff. Promotes ownership of and facilitates the customer relationship.

• Acts as the customer’s advocate in interactions with the JCI organization to ensure the customer obtains the best value from JCI’s offerings. Sets appropriate customer expectations for JCI solutions and service offerings.

• Assists and guides the development of the team’s sales and marketing plans and strategies. Aides in the implementation of these strategies and action plans. Provides coaching and sales support to team members.

• Keeps leadership informed of progress and account status. Knows when to call for assistance from upper management to keep the sales process moving.

• Attends and presents at industry conferences and professional organizations.

Bachelor’s degree in business, or related discipline required. A minimum of 5 years of progressive field sales experience at the C-level and an additional 5 years of sales management experience. Understanding of the Higher Education and State Government vertical markets, selling and managing outcome-based solutions into those markets. Excellent initiative, and interpersonal communications skills. Demonstrated ability to influence the market at key levels. Ability to travel 25-50%.