Cisco Head of Maintenance

THE ROLE

As Head of Maintenance & Renewals, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and driving the success of our maintenance services and renewals business. Reporting directly to the Commercial Director, you will lead the end-to-end strategy and execution for all Cisco and non-Cisco maintenance services, subscriptions, enterprise agreements, and renewals. Your expertise in vendor management, particularly with Cisco, will be key to maximising margins, ensuring timely closure of new and renewal business, and developing strong partnerships.

This is a highly visible, customer-facing senior role. You will empower and support our sales teams in client engagements, acting as both a trusted advisor and a driver of commercial outcomes. With three direct reports, you will foster a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement - ensuring the highest standards of delivery and customer satisfaction.

To simplify, this is a Cisco Maintenance, subscriptions & EA sales-overlay specialist role for new business and renewals who will also be managing a team of three.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership & Business Growth

• Develop and execute the maintenance and renewals strategy to maximise profitability, margin, and customer satisfaction.
• Lead the evolution of systems and processes to unlock new opportunities and drive growth.
• Provide monthly reporting and insights to the SLT, influencing strategic decisions.

Vendor & Stakeholder Management

• Build and nurture strategic relationships with key vendors, especially Cisco and our Cisco PAM, to maximise "attach" and "renewal" targets and rebate opportunities.
• Oversee first-line support vendor relationships, ensuring swift resolution of customer issues under maintenance contracts.

Operational Excellence

• Ensure total control and management of the company database, covering all contractual data, device details, and renewals.
• Guarantee seamless transition of sales into support, with valid and accurate contracts in place.
• Drive continuous improvement in quote creation & contract closure processes to mitigate risks.

Sales Enablement & Commercial Support

• Support Account Managers in negotiations and direct customer engagements to drive sales opportunities.
• Lead involvement in larger bid opportunities, supporting pricing strategies to maximise margin while managing risk.
• Ensure the sales team is fully equipped to articulate our maintenance, subscription, and EA offerings to customers, promptly addressing any clarification questions or objections.

Team Leadership & Development

• Inspire, coach, and develop your team, supporting both office-based and remote colleagues.
• Foster a collaborative, growth-oriented approach, enabling team members to reach their full potential.

EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

• Proven track record in vendor maintenance, subscriptions, and renewals management, with deep expertise in Cisco services and partner programmes.
• Advanced knowledge of Cisco Services portals (CCW, CCW-R, SAMT, PXP) and Success Tracks suite (Smartnet, PSS, etc.), with a strong grasp of contractual obligations and partner requirements.
• Knowledge and an understanding of the new Cisco Partner 360 program.
• Cisco Renewals Manager certification highly valued.
• Demonstrated excellence in SLA, support metrics, and KPI management.
• Outstanding communication, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Commercial acumen with a sales-first, results-driven approach, knowledgeable, articulate and confident.
• Strong systems skills, especially in Excel; experience with NetSuite is advantageous.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, with exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to supporting colleagues. Self-motivated, collaborative, and quick to learn.
• Experience in managing vendors
• Proven leadership experience managing teams, driving transformation, and supporting professional growth in a dynamic environment.