Strategic Account Executive, SUSE
To bring the infinite potential of open source to the Enterprise
Be an early applicant
To bring the infinite potential of open source to the Enterprise
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
1001+ employees
Company mission
To transform open source innovations into enterprise-grade solutions to give customers choice.
Role
Who you are
- The role demands a high level of strategic thinking, the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams, and a focus on delivering high-value solutions that enhance customer success and drive market share
- Experience in sales, and account management, with a proven track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets
- Knowledge of the enterprise software industry - particularly solutions such as Linux Infrastructure, Hybrid Cloud, Container Management, Edge, Artificial Intelligence and Security
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders - presenting complex technical solutions in a clear and compelling manner
- Analytical skills to understand market trends and apply insights to sales strategies
- Strong problem-solving skills with a focus on finding innovative solutions to client challenges
- Proven ability to work cross-functionally, collaborating with internal teams and external partners
- Experience working with CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce, Clari) to manage pipelines and forecast sales accurately
- Ability to apply enterprise sales methodologies, particularly MEDDPICC, Challenger or similar frameworks. Industry certifications in sales or IT are a plus
- Understanding of Open Source and transformation topics, such as cloud-native application development and cloud migration
What the job involves
- Drive strategic growth for SUSE by managing a portfolio of key accounts within a specified territory or industry. The Account Executive is responsible for identifying and capitalising on new business opportunities, deepening customer relationships, and aligning SUSE’s comprehensive value proposition with customer objectives
- Success in this role is measured by revenue growth, customer satisfaction, and the ability to effectively navigate large-scale account dynamics
- Establish and enhance strong relationships with key stakeholders, including CXO-level executives. Building key relationships - Economic Buyer (internal customer), Technical Buyer (our liaison), Coach & Executive Buyer (Champion)
- Apply consultative-selling techniques to develop a deep understanding of client goals, challenges, and ambitions related to mission critical workloads and innovation. Serve as a trusted advisor by aligning SUSE's offerings with client needs, curating a precise mix of products, services, and solutions to address their challenges and deliver long term value
- Take proactive ownership of your professional development by staying curious and embracing a growth mindset. Focus on driving your success, advancing your skills as a Sales professional, and deepening your expertise in the SUSE value proposition
- Proactively identify and capitalise on upselling and cross-selling opportunities - leveraging customer knowledge, expertise on SUSE’s market presence and capabilities, and the competitive landscape
- Monitor market trends and competitor activities to refine sales strategies and stay competitive
- Consistently maintain CRM hygiene by updating all activity, opportunities & deals regularly - to manage the sales pipeline, provide accurate sales forecasts, and track performance
- Serve as the primary point of contact for customers, managing all aspects of the sales process from initial contact, through negotiation and closing of complex sales deals, to handover to Customer Success for implementation and post-sale support, ensuring long-term value based relationships
- Partner with the SUSE ecosystem of partners to enhance and bundle solution offerings, leverage their relationships with customers and extend business opportunities
- Collaborate on Account Plans with your counterparts across Pre-Sales, Inside Sales, Partner Ecosystem, Specialist Sales teams to deliver comprehensive solutions and help drive traction
- Identify and prioritise key accounts each quarter that have a strong potential for adopting SUSE products and solutions - setting clear milestones and timelines to maximise opportunities for significant market share growth
Our take
The tech world is facing a shift and businesses are under pressure to modernise, cut costs, and stay flexible, all while dealing with increasingly complex IT demands. Many are finding that traditional software just don't offer the flexibility or value they need anymore.
This is where SUSE steps in with its open source tools that help businesses run their IT systems better. From managing cloud services to running virtual machines and containers, SUSE's software makes it easier for businesses to scale and streamline complex infrastructure, all from one central platform.
The company is making a name for itself by blending open source freedom with solid support and real results. Aussie Broadband, for example, boosted efficiency and trimmed down deployment times by switching to SUSE. With its sights now set on edge computing and AI, SUSE is showing that open source isn't just practical, but is powering the future of scalable tech.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
24% female employees
Company
Funding (2 rounds)
Feb 2002
$5.2m
EARLY VC
Oct 2001
$17.7m
LATE VC
Total funding: $22.9m
Company benefits
- Company bonus: We believe that everyone makes an impact on the success of the company, so we reward our employees for our achievements as one SUSE team.
- Agile Worker Policy: Unless your role requires a specific work model, we offer flexibility in how our people work - home-base, office-based or hybrid
- Flexibility: To maintain a healthy work-life balance, our people can adapt their work schedule to their personal and family needs
- Global Parental Leave: 20-week maternity leave with full salary and time off with pay for pregnancy-related appointments will be provided to pregnant SUSE people. Leave is also available to employees adopting a child or using surrogacy
- Health & well-being benefits program: We offer a well-being program designed for our people and their families. We also provide an excellent benefits plan including insurance, medical package and more, depending on the local market
- Employee referral program: Earn a financial reward or every successful referral you make – help us build a great team and get rewarded in the process
- Employee Resource Groups: Our main people networks are Women in Tech, Neurodiversity, GoGreen, Pride at SUSE and Open Source Community Citizen network. Through them our people can align to personal values, build bonds, and engage with communities of interest
Company values
- Choice
- Innovation
- Trust
- Community
Company HQ
Gare, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Articles
Leadership
DP held executive roles, including Red Hat GM for APAC and NA, before SUSE. He's on the NUS Institute of Systems Science board and mentors women in business. DP is an open-source programming hobbyist!
Ian Halifax
(CFO)Ian has more than 30 years' experience in Senior Financial Leadership positions, including as CFO at leading global tech providers such as Trellix (McAfee Enterprise/FireEye), Riverbed Technology, Wind River Systems, Micromuse, and Macrovision.
Andy McDonald
(Chief Legal Officer)They have extensive experience in Legal Affairs and Governance in a variety of companies, including Interserve, Premier Foods plc, Uniq plc, and Spirent plc. They also worked as a Corporate Lawyer at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer before moving into Industry.
Lisa Sherwell
(CPO)Lisa Sherwell, CPO, is a global strategy & transformation exec with 25 years in B2B tech - led SUSE's strategy, and was GM/Sales Director at SAP/Merchants. Lisa champions people-centric leadership!
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