Director of Solution Engineering - Partners

Summary

As a Director of Solution Engineering - Partners, you will lead the development and execution of our pre-sales strategy throughout our partner ecosystem.  This role demands a leader who can foster strong, productive relationships with partners, ensuring their teams are equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to successfully sell the value of our platform.  You will lead and nurture a team of Solution Engineering Managers and Solution Engineers, providing guidance in technical, business, customer, and process expertise to our partners. Your primary focus will be on talent development, engagement, and retention while contributing to organizational growth through the development of strategies, tools, and performance metrics. This role also involves managing pre-sales technical staff, overseeing the development and implementation of complex products, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to define new products. You'll act as a key company liaison on technical projects with partners and offer product feasibility analysis to support sales efforts. With a strong focus on incentivizing team members based on sales results, this second-line management role plays a pivotal part in achieving the broader mission of the Solution Engineering organization.

What You’ll Do 

• Develop and execute a strategic vision for partner solution engineering to support the company’s key business objectives and sales initiatives.

• Build and maintain strong, long-last relationships with key stakeholders within partner organizations.

• Lead a team of Solution Engineering Managers and Solution Engineers, maximizing their potential to support Workiva's sales objectives.

• Establish best practices, offer guidance in technical expertise, customer understanding, and presales organizational goals.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to sales leadership, providing insights on partners and presales strategies.

• Design and implement partner engagement programs, including workshops, training sessions, and technical resources to enhance partner performance

• Collaborate with product engineering and product marketing teams to align on partner sales strategies, offering technical guidance as required.

• Oversee the complete employee lifecycle, from recruitment to performance management.

• Create and optimize processes, metrics, and infrastructure to enhance Solution Engineering productivity and achieve sales goals.

• Contribute to the development of strategies, tools, and metrics to drive overall organizational growth and lead strategic projects aligned with the Solution Engineering organization's mission.

• Maintain the Solution Engineer team's training and motivation to ensure goal attainment.

• Independently analyze industry trends for process improvement opportunities.

• Foster technical thought leadership in areas like architecture, processes, and operationalization to encourage adoption by technical stakeholders during the sales process.

• Participate in team-building and company growth activities, including strategy development, sales training, marketing efforts, and enhancing the customer experience.

• Provide comprehensive presales support for all sales activities, encompassing needs analysis, data review, product demonstrations, and general sales support, taking on a player/coach role.

• Define opportunities for coaching and skill development for Solution Engineer team members.

What You Will Need 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 10 years related experience, or Master's degree with 8 years related experience, or PhD with 6 years related experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years direct people management experience preferred, including supervisor experience of managers

• Proven leadership in partner solution engineering, channel management, or similar role. 

• Strong track record of building and maintaining strategic partnerships and driving partner success.

• Experience in designing and delivering technical training and enablement programs for partners.

• Hands-on experience with Workiva solutions is a plus.

• Proven track record of building, leading, and mentoring a high performing team.

Travel Requirements

Up to 40% travel

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

Reliable internet access for any period of time working remotely, not in a Workiva office.

How You’ll Be Rewarded:

• Salary range in the US: 

$147,000.00 - $250,000.00

• Eligible for commission based on sales performance
• Restricted Stock Units granted at time of hire
• 401(k)