Account Director Senior Data Center Sales

Account Director Sr Data Center Sales

Lumen connects the world. We are igniting business growth by connecting people, data and applications – quickly, securely, and effortlessly. Together, we are building a culture and company from the people up – committed to teamwork, trust and transparency. People power progress. We're looking for top-tier talent and offer the flexibility you need to thrive and deliver lasting impact. Join us as we digitally connect the world and shape the future.

The Role

The Account Director Sr Data Center Sales will be responsible for driving sales and business development efforts for our data center operator customer base. This role involves identifying and qualifying new data center opportunities, building and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders, and developing tailored lit and dark network transport solutions to meet customer needs. The Account Director Sr Data Center Sales will also manage the entire sales process, from initial contact to contract closure, and ensure effective monetization of locations post-implementation. Additionally, the role includes managing business development activities for high-profile, named accounts and/or specific market segments that lead to the expansion and growth of new business. The Account Director Sr Data Center Sales will be accountable for the coordination and strategy on assigned key accounts and responsible for the overall development and implementation of the account plan.

The Main Responsibilities

• Identify, bid on, negotiate, and close new sales opportunities to meet and exceed established sales and revenue quotas. Provide comprehensive account plans and strategies to win new business from new and/or existing accounts.
• Broaden and deepen existing customer relationships to gain strategic positioning, retain existing revenue, and attain additional business.
• Provide input to sales management about trends and changes within the customer's organization and make recommendations for future actions to improve the company's position with the customer.
• Provide accurate and detailed weekly forecast funnels of identified and proposed opportunities to meet or exceed sales quota requirements.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the company's entire product suite, with in-depth knowledge of a subset of products and/or services.
• Drive account management responsibilities; including solution creation, solution offering, configuration management, order issuance, service delivery, service management, and revenue recognition. Demonstrate a balance of strategic and tactical thought leadership.
• Identify and qualify new data center build opportunities that best align with the company's financial and coverage objectives.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with data center owners, operators, and key decision-makers.
• Conduct market analysis to understand the data center market landscape, including trends, competitive dynamics, and customer needs.
• Develop solutions by working with engineering and product teams to design tailored networking solutions that meet the needs of data center operators and tenants.
• Partner with Lumen product and corporate strategy departments to facilitate joint GTM initiatives that accelerate sales of Lumen services within data centers.
• Understand data center operator environments, Cloud and Neocloud space, and engage in partnership development and infrastructure sales.
• Possess solid knowledge of the latest trends and developments in the data center and networking industries.
• Have a basic understanding of AI training and inference environments.

What We Look For in a Candidate

10 years sales experience with all or some experience in data center industries. Experience with both direct sales and partnership development. Knowledge and understanding of the telecom industry's competitive landscape. Demonstrated strong communication, written, and formal presentation skills as well as proficiency in selling to the close. Self-motivated, proactive, results-oriented professional with an ability to work with minimum direction. Proficient in MS office products: Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. At least 50% of time conducting sales activities outside of the office Preferred: Experience with Salesforce.com

Compensation

This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors Location Based Pay Ranges: $124,037 - $165,375 in these states: AL, AR, AZ, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MO, MS, MT, ND, NE, NM, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, UT, VT, WI, WV, and WY. $130,242 - $173,649 in these states: CO, HI, MI, MN, NC, NH, NV, OR, and RI. $136,437 - $181,913 in these states: AK, CA, CT, DC, DE, IL, MA, MD, NJ, NY, TX, VA, and WA Lumen offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle benefits and other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing.