Sr Industry Advisor

At CDW, we make it happen, together. Trust, connection, and commitment are at the heart of how we work together to deliver for our customers. It’s why we’re coworkers, not just employees. Coworkers who genuinely believe in supporting our customers and one another. We collectively forge our path forward with a level of commitment that speaks to who we are and where we’re headed. We’re proud to share our story and Make Amazing Happen at CDW.

Job summary

The Senior Industry Advisor role is a vertical-specific position focused on developing new candidates externally from existing customer relationships. Senior Industry Advisors are known industry leaders who have previously held C-level or practitioner leadership roles within the retail industry. This role requires extensive retail industry knowledge, the ability to gain executive-level customer access, and the capability to guide senior customer leaders in making appropriate technology choices. The advisor represents the voice of the customer within industry teams and ensures sales teams understand and effectively communicate the benefits, challenges, and impact of technology in the retail environment.

What you will do

• Work with the sales management team from a national perspective to keep CDW sales teams at the forefront of vertical-specific solutions that deliver true ROI for customers.

• Serve as a critical educational expert voice for CDW by sitting on key industry boards, presenting at conferences, and integrating professional development initiatives.

• Provide ideation, customer access, strategic vision, thought leadership, and subject matter expertise to demonstrate relevance to the customer base and market.

• Drive the strategic go-to-market plan for the retail industry.

• Grow revenue and profit within the retail industry.

• Develop innovative solutions to drive thought leadership within the retail industry.

• Maintain and develop a partner ecosystem to support initiatives and go-to-market strategies.

• Establish, grow, and maintain partnerships with industry alliances to support organizational goals.

• Lead professional development sessions and workshops with technology and market leaders to facilitate integration of CDW industry solutions into customer operations.

• Develop continuing education programs for new and existing CDW sellers and mentor sales teams on industry messaging.

• Represent CDW professionally by attending and presenting at conferences and events.

• Co-develop the CDW industry opinion.

• Educate sales teams about retail market customers, missions, and culture.

• Conduct strategic market analysis to identify new missions, requirements, and business areas.

• Plan for increasing current business and growing new customer opportunities.

• Strengthen partner relationships through demonstrated market activity.

• Conduct BCA elements and brief senior leaders on program potential.

• Identify program business to ensure year-over-year growth.

• Serve as subject matter expert for proposal development.

• Participate in senior leader strategic planning.

What we expect of you

• Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent experience

• 5+ years of technology or line of business leadership in the retail industry

• Deep understanding of the retail vertical including funding, investments, and use of information technology

• Knowledge of publications, events, and organizations relevant to the retail market

• Credibility within the vertical go-to-market landscape demonstrated through professional networks

• Strategic planning capabilities

• Extensive presentation experience

• Ability to travel at least 25% of the time

• Proven leadership skills, is a plus

• Cognitive coaching and meeting facilitation experience, is a plus

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, is a plus

• Passion for the retail vertical and ongoing personal learning, is a plus

• Extensive use of technology in the retail market served, is a plus

• Strong consultative, solution-based selling experience, is a plus

• Effective negotiation and closing skills, is a plus

• Strong conflict resolution and problem-solving skills, is a plus

• Strong interpersonal skills, is a plus

• Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills with ability to communicate effectively across stakeholders, is a plus

• Adaptability and ability to lead through change, is a plus

• Ability to utilize strate