Sr. Manager, Sales Strategy & Operations Unit 42

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 looking for a strategic, analytical & process oriented individual to join the Sales Strategy & Operations team for Unit 42. 

You will be a thought partner to and partner with the Unit 42 leadership team by conducting deep analysis on the business, unearthing insights to help drive growth & productivity. You will own and maintain various operations cadences, forecasting, annual planning and business reviews, as well as monitoring and improving the overall pulse of Unit 42 business through sales tools, processes, and metrics.

The role requires strong collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders (Finance, Marketing, Sales, Central operations, Ecosystem, Customer Success, IT etc.).

This is a role which will balance both strategic and operational responsibilities - you will think big picture and also roll-up your sleeves and drive execution of strategies, programs & initiatives. 

Your Impact

• Drive cross-functional strategic initiatives to accelerate productivity and growth for Unit 42 and ensure progress against both Unit 42 and overall corporate objectives by conducting thoughtful & rigorous analysis, generating insights & creating presentations for executive level consumption
• Own, drive & continually improve the sales forecasting process (including deal inspection & account reviews)
• Lead the annual sales planning process for Unit 42 in collaboration with Central Operations & Finance (Strategic bets, Organizational/Territory Design, Territory Quota Modeling, Bookings targets, capacity planning)
• Partner closely with the Sales Compensation & Unit 42 leadership team to design sales incentives to drive Unit 42 sales
• Work closely with Finance, Corporate Strategy and Analytics teams to develop & maintain scorecards and dashboards that bring transparency into business performance and arms Unit 42 leadership with insights needed to drive the business - support QBRs & business reviews and conduct business teardowns to identify blockers & drivers of growth
• Partner with Unit 42 product, customer success & Programs teams in rolling out new programs to the field - measure and report on effectiveness of programs to track ROI and course correct as needed 
• Drive continuous improvement in existing processes & workflows to minimize friction in sales processes

Qualifications

Your Experience

• Strong experience in sales strategy, planning, analytics & operations, finance (or similar) role
• Advanced business degree (e.g., MBA) and prior experience in strategy & operations consulting a plus or equivalent military experience required
• Advanced skills in Excel or Google Sheets & PowerPoint or Google Slides & Tableau
• Proficiency with CRM & connected planning systems (e.g., Salesforce, Anaplan)
• Knowledge of SaaS / subscription based business models and associated KPIs (Retention & Renewal Rates, ARR, Expansion & Cross-Sell Rates, etc)
• Functional knowledge of professional services operational requirements
• Strong business acumen and judgment, analytical and problem-solving skills, and ability to structure solutions to complex problems
• Strong communication, collaboration and leadership skills and the ability to effectively partner with all levels of management