Vendor Alliance Manager

We’re looking for an experienced Vendor Alliance Manager to join our growing Commercial team with specific responsibility for the ICT division.

Reporting into the Commercial Director, the successful candidate requires a degree of strategic thinking working towards longer term objectives whilst executing tactically on the ground. It’s a key role within the business that interfaces with all departments along with both vendors and customers.

“a great place to work, a great place to be a customer”

The Role:

This dynamic team includes individuals with a variety of experiences both in Vendor engagement and across the industry. They have a real focus on everyone taking ownership of their own role, whilst learning from each other’s experience to support individual personal development. Duties to include but not restricted to:

• Regular reporting of numbers and hitting sales performance targets
• Setting out, Implementing and managing framework agreements for our defined vendors.
• Work closely with the Commercial Director to form the overall business strategy for ICT.
• Engage with key vendors and build strategic go to market plans
• Identify and deliver propositions to deliver growth
• Attract MDF funding and ensure we use it to grow and hit vendor targets
• Work with Marketing and Vendor on maximising effective campaigns
• Work with Sales on driving up sales performance
• Drive customer engagement through Events/Webinars etc.
• Maximise opportunity for growth by understanding vendor product portfolio and driving new gross margin opportunities identifying potential new products that fit within our core markets
• Successfully on-board new products and vendors across all areas of the business
• Build training plans with the knowledge team that align to strategic direction.
• Ensure we maintain accreditation and proactively educate our people to retain our chosen partner status
• Product presentations and demonstrations
• Support with technical qualification of sales opportunities
• Provide answers to (technical) questions in a Request for Information (RFI) or a Request for Proposal (RFP)
• Build custom demonstrations
• Deliver Proof of Concepts (POC)
• Provide first-line technical support for software evaluations and/or pilot projects
• Support at external and internal customer facing events for all Chess Group Companies.
• Create internal software requests and POC implementation plans and monitor the approval process
• Monitor accurate and correct delivery of solutions sold
• Be able to position and present Chess Group product offerings
• Compare Chess product offering at a technical level with competitive products
• Build technical relationship with prospects or existing customers
• Liaise with support teams to ensure accurate and timely resolution of technical issues that may arise during the pre-sales process
• Assists with the qualification of the opportunities and/or identification of target accounts
• Assists with the creation of a sales cycle plan and comprehensive pipeline with timelines and probability.
• Assists customer, prospect and Sales Representative to build a compelling and competitive business case and ROI (Return of Investment) Manages hand-over to the Services Functions (Post-Sales Support and Professional Services) for live project implementation
• Work with Vendor and service departments to improve customer experience on your product specialism
• Drive quarterly product improvement initiatives.
• Ensure business systems fit for purpose
• Identify opportunities to drive down cost to serve and work with change teams to realise
• Work with billing and finance to ensure accurate billing of products.
• Work with commercial to drive down costs
• Overall responsibility for revenue assurance in your vendor area. Focus where possible on driving recurring revenue streams
• Work with acquisitions team to novate and consolidate vendors where appropriate
• Assist sales on bid management

The Candidate:

• Attention to detail
• Ability to plan and prioritise workload efficiently and successfully perform duties under pressure
• Ability to work well in a team environment
• Negotiating skills
• Organisational and prioritisation skills
• Confident and articulate communicator
• An in-depth technical knowledge of the ICT Industry
• Confident and articulate communicator
• Team player but able to work on own initiative
• Understanding of marketing & social media
• Knowledge & understanding of Security MSP Programs
• Understanding of the competitive environment
• Excellent client-facing skills
• The ability to develop successful relationship

Why join Chess?

Chess is one of the UK's leading independent and trusted technology service providers, employing over 350 skilled people across the UK, supporting over 21,000 UK businesses.

Diversity, equality, and inclusion is at the heart of our Chess culture and we are passionate about our One Team spirit.

We're extremely proud that our people voted us No.1 in 'The 100 Best Companies to Work for' list 2018,No.1 in the Northwest in 2023 and we continue to celebrate more than 15 years in the top 100.

Our continued focus on growth creates opportunity for everyone to progress their career, to develop knowledge and skills, to gain reward and recognition and to maximise their potential. The growth and success of our people ensures the growth and success of our business.

We believe that “if you’re not growing, we’re not growing”.

Salary details: Up to £70,000 dependent on experience

Benefits include:

• Health care support – UK Healthcare, eye tests, flu jabs, onsite health screens
• Enhanced Pay: Maternity, Paternity, Adoption Leave and Shared Parental Leave
• Access to employee benefits, rewards and recognition platform, Perkbox. This gives you access to hundreds of ‘Perks’ with great discounts. Whether it be days out, your weekly food shop, a clothes shopping spree on the high street and many more.
• Hybrid working support - Allowance towards a home desk and chair
• Loyalty point scheme – allowing you to use your points to increase your benefits each year
• Access to our Future Fit benefits package – including Mental, Physical and Financial support
• 20 days paid holiday p.a. increased upon anniversaries, ultimately to 24 days p.a., plus public holidays.
• Buy & sell Holiday scheme – 2 opportunities per year to buy or sell up to 5 holidays
• Additional holidays: Half Day Fridays and a Wellbeing Day
• £100 per year matched charity donation, plus payroll giving options

Hours: A standard week is 37½ Monday to Friday

At Chess we offer many flexible working options, and we have both full-time and part-time working hours available. Chess pride themselves on being an inclusive employer, so if you want to find out more about our flexible working arrangements this can be discussed with your application.

Working location: Hybrid working position

Allowing you to enjoy the flexibility of working from home whilst also having the option to work from one of our many local hubs spread throughout the UK. Ad-hoc travel to offices within the group and other locations may be required on occasion.

Is Chess the place for you?

If you are looking for a career that brings exciting challenges and opportunities, then Chess is the place for you.

Please email your CV and covering letter to our Recruitment Department at: recruitment@chessict.co.uk.

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