Sr. Distribution Program Manager

Company Description

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks® everything starts and ends with our mission:

Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.

Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. We are a company built on the foundation of challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we’re looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.

Our Approach to Work

We lead with flexibility and choice in all of our people programs. We have disrupted the traditional view that all employees have the same needs and wants. We offer personalization and offer our employees the opportunity to choose what works best for them as often as possible - from your wellbeing support to your growth and development, and beyond!

At Palo Alto Networks, we believe in the power of collaboration and value in-person interactions. This is why our employees generally work from the office three days per week, leaving two days for choice and flexibility to work where you feel most effective. This setup fosters casual conversations, problem-solving, and trusted relationships. While details may evolve, our goal is to create an environment where innovation thrives, with office-based teams coming together three days a week to collaborate and thrive, together!

Job Description

Your Career

We are seeking a forward-thinking, enthusiastic, and experienced Distribution Program Manager for the WW Ecosystem Sales team.  This role will drive programs and processes that deliver high-impact solutions  for our customers, employees and our Ecosystem distributors and partners.

You will have the opportunity to drive significant value for our WW Ecosystem organization, thereby impacting the success of our company at large. You will be responsible for leading the evolution, development and delivery of our Distribution Stocking program across our distributors and multiple cross-functional teams at Palo Alto Networks.  This position relies on an understanding of program management, sales, operations, various routes to market (distributors, resellers, system integrators, service providers, technology partnerships, etc.), as well as experience in providing innovative end-to-end sales enablement solutions.

Your Impact

• Manage Distribution stocking program, leading the engagement and program execution with our distributors, acting as the liaison for all sales-related elements related to the program 
• Manage cross-functional stocking program items with operations, order fulfillment, finance, sales, and Ecosystems teams
• Enable new distributor onboarding - materials, training, processes and procedures, initiating agreements/contracts, etc.
• Support distribution quoting process, opportunity management and supply chain forecasting
• Assist with developing sales guides for internal and external stakeholders - fielding questions and providing program support
• Facilitate change management and program adoption with new distributor accounts and personnel - Provide feedback from distributor business lines regarding best practices
• Develop and apply data analysis to identify areas of improvement - create programs and processes that help close gaps
• Initiate and establish strong trusted partnerships with key stakeholders at all levels in the organization to ensure alignment and ongoing effectiveness
• Manage and execute ad-hoc projects

Qualifications

Your Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Project Management, Operations, Finance, or related field or equivalent military experience 
• 5+ years of related experience in program coordination or project management is preferred
• Strong organizational, time management, and multitasking skills
• Strategic thinking, business analysis, problem-solving, collaboration, presentation, and communications skills
• Ability to coordinate programs cross-functionally to deliver on-time measurable results
• Experience building process documentation and training internal/external stakeholders as needed
• Knowledge and experience with common business applications and tools, such as Salesforce.com, G-Suite, Smartsheets, Jira, etc. (Gsheet / MS Excel experience a must)
• Understanding of 2-tier indirect sales motions (resellers and distributors)
• Strong written and spoken communication skills in English required
• Able to work independently in a fast-paced growth environment
• Willingness to work on a flexible schedule as needed to support theater needs (AMER, EMEA, or JAPAC)

Personal Attributes/Interpersonal Skills

• Trusted Advisor provides advice across multiple areas of expertise and builds