What a unique opportunity!
The Account Executive is responsible for driving revenue growth, managing key accounts, and ensuring customer success. This role requires a strategic sales professional with a deep understanding of IT services and software sales, particularly within Cloud, OpenShift, Red Hat, Elastic, and managed services.
As a trusted advisor, the Senior Account Executive will work closely with existing and new customers to identify business opportunities, expand relationships, and deliver high-value solutions. This role also involves negotiating large contracts, managing renewals, and driving long-term customer success.
Responsibilities
Account Growth & Expansion
Identify and execute revenue growth opportunities within existing strategic accounts.
Develop and execute account plans, aligning solutions with client needs.
Lead upsell and cross-sell efforts, ensuring adoption of OpenShift Platform+MKS, MKCS, MOPS, and MESP.
Drive CCSP customer growth, achieving a 25%+ margin on Red Hat subscriptions.
Establish additional dedicated teams within key customers to increase service footprint.
Sales & Business Development
Manage complex sales cycles, from lead generation to deal closure.
Own and drive a multi-million Rand sales quota with a focus on gross profit growth.
Negotiate and close high-value contracts, ensuring strategic alignment with offerings.
Work with pre-sales, technical teams, and customer success to design and deliver solutions.
Lead new customer acquisition efforts, including pitching capabilities to prospective clients.
Customer Relationship Management & Retention
Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned key accounts.
Conduct quarterly business reviews (QBRs) and strategic meetings with C-level stakeholders.
Maintain a 95%+ renewal rate by proactively addressing customer needs.
Act as an advocate for customer success, ensuring high Net Promoter Score (NPS) and satisfaction levels.
Forecasting & Pipeline Management
Maintain an accurate sales forecast with at least 85% accuracy.
Ensure all deals, renewals, and account activities are properly documented in Zoho CRM.
Monitor and escalate revenue, margin, and utilisation risks within 30 days of identifying issues.
Prepare and present sales reports, revenue insights, and strategic account plans to leadership.
Industry & Solution Knowledge
Stay updated on industry trends, emerging technologies, and the competitive landscape.
Act as a thought leader in cloud, OpenShift, Red Hat, and managed IT services.
Educate clients on technology investments and provide strategic guidance for their IT roadmap.
Performance
Personalised Key Performance Indicators (KPI) will be created and updated with the Sales Manager on a quarterly or yearly basis.
Accuracy in Forecasting & Pipeline Management
Objective:
Ensure accurate forecasting of revenue, profitability, and deal progression, providing leadership with clear visibility into expected business performance.
Measurement:
Accuracy of sales forecasts vs. actual revenue (within ±10% variance).
CRM hygiene: Percentage of opportunities updated in Zoho CRM on time.
Ratio of deals progressing through pipeline stages vs. stalled opportunities.
Impact:
Enables data-driven decision-making and resource planning.
Improves revenue predictability, reducing financial surprises.
Enhances ability to manage sales capacity effectively.
Target: Maintain 85%+ forecasting accuracy and ensure 100% of active opportunities are accurately tracked in Zoho CRM.
Weight 20%
Strategic Account Growth & Expansion:
Objective: Drive revenue growth within existing accounts by identifying opportunities for upselling, cross-selling, and aligning solutions with the client’s future IT strategy.
Measurement:
?ncrease in total contract value within assigned accounts.
Number of additional services or products sold per customer.
Revenue growth percentage per account (YoY).
Impact: Strengthens LSD Open’s market position by expanding service penetration within existing accounts.
Increases revenue predictability and profitability through long-term engagements.
Deepens customer relationships, leading to higher retention.
Target: Achieve 20%+ revenue growth in assigned strategic accounts annually.
Weight: 45%
Customer Retention & Satisfaction
Objective: Ensure high levels of client satisfaction and retention by maintaining strong relationships and delivering value.
Measurement: Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) survey results.
Renewal rate of key accounts.
Number of proactive strategic account reviews conducted.
Time to resolution for major client issues.
Impact:
Strengthens reputation as a trusted partner.
Reduces churn and protects recurring revenue streams.
Encourages referrals and organic business expansion.
Target: Maintain an NPS of 80+ and a 90%+ renewal rate for existing accounts.
Weight: 35%
Competencies
Customer Relationship Management: The ability to maintain deep relationships with key decision-makers, tracking their needs in Zoho CRM.
Strategic Account Growth & Expansion: The ability to proactively drive account expansion, aligning solutions with the client’s future IT strategy.
Consultative & Value-Based Selling: The ability to operate as a trusted advisor, helping customers solve complex challenges.
Pipeline Management & Forecasting: The ability to forecast large deals with high accuracy, ensuring leadership knows what’s coming.
Account Planning & Execution: The ability to actively develop and build structured account plans for each customer, detailing key stakeholders, challenges, and long-term expansion strategies.
Negotiation & Closing Deals: The ability to negotiate large, multi-year contracts, securing long-term commitments.
Customer Advocacy & Success Alignment: The ability to drive high customer satisfaction and ensure successful renewals.
Communication: The ability to maintain regular check-ins with customers, ensuring BRAND is always top of mind.
Collaboration: The ability to collaborate with pre-sales, technical teams, and customer success to deliver the best possible experience.
Lead Generation & Opportunity Development: The ability to actively prospect for new business within your assigned industries.
Solution & Vendor Knowledge: The ability to leverage deep understanding of technology stack and can confidently answer technical questions.
Business Acumen:
The ability to act as a trusted advisor, helping customers make technology investment decisions that align with their business strategy.
The ability to understand key financial metrics (EBITDA, revenue growth, cost efficiency, CAPEX vs. OPEX models) to frame solutions in financial terms.
The ability to Identify hidden business pain points and positioning services as strategic solutions.
The ability to understand industry-specific compliance and regulatory impacts on IT spending.
The ability to forecast long-term account growth based on customer business cycles and strategic priorities.
Certifications ideal:
AWS Cloud Practitioner
Red Hat OpenShift: Seller
Red Hat Cloud Services: Seller
Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform: Seller
Red Hat Portfolio: Foundational
Elastic Sales Professional
Fundamentals of Confluent Cloud
Confluent Platform Fundamentals
Zoho CRM Advanced Certification
Desired Skills:
- IT SALES
- Strategic
- Consultative Selling
- Relationship Building
- infrastructure
- solution selling
- Redhat
- AWS
About The Employer:
MORE THAN JUST MONEY….
IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT WORK
We understand the importance of rest and recharge for maintaining peak performance. That’s why we offer a generous vacation policy, starting with 15 days off each year to relax, pursue your passions, or spend quality time with loved ones. Based on employment milestones you will be entitled to an incremental scale of annual leave days. This benefit is designed to ensure that you can take a break when you need it, without having to worry about work piling up. We encourage you to use this time to disconnect, unwind, and return refreshed and energized. It’s our way of saying we value your well-being as much as your contributions to our success!
BETTER WORK LIFE BALANCE
We fully embrace the flexibility and balance that working from home offers. That’s why we support a work-from-home model that allows you to design your own schedule and work environment, fostering both productivity and personal well-being. Whether you’re an early bird who thrives at dawn or a night owl who does best after sunset, you can structure your day to match your personal rhythm. This approach not only enhances your efficiency but also supports a healthier work-life balance, giving you the freedom to integrate work with your personal life in a way that feels seamless and fulfilling.
MENTAL WELLNESS
We believe a happy mind is just as important as a happy workplace! That’s why we’ve provided you with access to Ollie Health, that connects you with top-notch therapists at the click of a button. It’s all about making sure you feel as good as you work, and keeping those positive vibes flowing both in and out of the office!
FINANCIAL WELLNESS
We offer financial assistance through a 3rd party consulting firm. The financial advisor is able to help you put together a personal financial plan, find any products that best match your goals, assist you in creating a budget and coach you into financial wellness.
EQUIPMENT POLICY
We want to make sure you have everything you need to succeed from the comfort of your home. That’s why we offer a flexible equipment policy that covers the cost of any gear you might need for your home office. Whether it’s a state-of-the-art monitor, a comfy ergonomic chair, or the latest software, we’ve got you covered. Simply let us know what you need, and we’ll handle the rest, ensuring you can create a workspace that’s not only functional but also inspires your best work.
FREE ACCESS TO ONLINE COURSES
We’re committed to your continuous growth and development. That’s why we offer free access to Udemy courses, putting a world of learning at your fingertips. Whether you’re looking to master a new software tool, dive into leadership training, or explore creative pursuits, our partnership with Udemy ensures you have all the resources you need to achieve your goals. This benefit empowers you to keep learning and evolving in your career, at your own pace and on your own terms. It’s our way of ensuring that as We grow you grow too!