Strategic Deals Desk Manager

<h3>Company Description</h3><p><strong>Our Mission</strong></p><p>At Palo Alto Networks® everything starts and ends with our mission:</p><p>Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.</p><p>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.</p><p><strong>Our Approach to Work</strong></p><p>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!</p><p>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!</p><h3>Job Description</h3><p><strong>Your Career</strong></p><p>Palo Alto Networks is looking for a Strategic Deals Desk Manager to become part of EMEA Deals Desk, working in close partnership with Sales, Revenue, Legal and Finance teams to craft and negotiate  complex high-value deals, facilitate their way through the approval process and help navigate them to successful closure. This position will report to the Senior Manager of EMEA Deals Desk and is a great opportunity for a talented individual who has the desire to associate with a fast-growing company in a truly international environment.</p><p>This position calls for someone who possesses strong communication and problem-solving skills, learns fast and feels confident in a dynamic environment, where decisions are made under the pressure of tight deadlines and inline with various rules of engagement.  This person works proactively to drive results, is a self-starter, flexible, has a high level of integrity and is action and goal-oriented in a fast-paced, team-oriented, collaborative environment.</p><p><strong>Your Impact</strong></p><ul><li>Act as trusted advisor and partner to Sales teams who offers valuable feedback on contract requirements, deal structure, business terms and identifies potential risks and/or opportunities that can affect performance, future growth and strategic positioning</li><li>Proactively engage in and help Sales teams navigate strategic deals to successful closure, acting as one-touch resource, responsible for liaising with all parties involved in the agreement process (Finance, Legal, Revenue, Order Management, etc.) on behalf of sales</li><li>Where necessary, craft bespoke deal structures in close collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders to secure decision support on possible solutions and aid the drafting of relevant paperwork needed for successful closure</li><li>Provide Senior Leadership with financial models, deal health information and analysis of the commercial and operational requirements to facilitate the risk/reward profile assessment of the opportunities</li><li>Understand gross margin analysis, SSP compliance rules and the impact of any  non standard terms on strategic deals, including Enterprise Agreements</li><li>Review and approve non-standard pricing requests and ensure all required approvals, are obtained and clearly documented</li><li>Ensure that all deals adhere to the internal revenue recognition policies and operational guidelines</li><li>Expert in quoting, understanding the portfolio and product interdependencies</li><li>Comply with various Rules of Engagement and keep up to date product knowledge</li><li>Evaluate current processes and offer recommendations for areas of improvement</li><li>Complete ad-hoc projects as required</li></ul><h3>Qualifications</h3><p><strong>Your Experience</strong></p><ul><li>Bachelor Degree in Business Administration or related desirable or equivalent military experience required</li><li>Experience in commercial management, sales operations, finance, accounting or related experience within the software / tech industry</li><li>Strong communication, organizational and problem-solving skills</li><li>Demonstrated capability to build strong working relationships with internal business units</li><li>Experience in working in multi-cultural environment and as part of a team</li><li>Experience in building bespoke commercial models to address specific deal requirements</li><li>Ability to work independently and efficiently in fast paced environment, handling mult