Senior Director, AWS Strategic Alliance Partnerships

Provides leadership, direction, and development for strategic partner alliances, driving relationship and revenue growth between Rackspace and the AWS strategic alliance partnership. Collaborates with partner and internal stakeholders to define and develop strategic alliance growth strategies and execute plans and programs in support of strategic objectives. Owns the relationship with the Alliance partner, developing shared support and eco-systems that drive positive mutual business outcomes.

Careel Level Summary

• Establishes departmental goals and objectives ensuring alignment with business unit and corporate strategic plans. • Role is engaged in leadership and strategy 100% of time. • Directs the activities of one or more broad functional areas. • Direct reports are directors, managers and/or senior managers. 

Critical Competencies

• Strategic Agility
• Is recognized as a savvy business leader, able to engage and hold credible commercial and product/portfolio conversations that positively challenge and influence operational board level decisions.
• Filters various sources of information into functional strategic plans that deliver sustainable growth and commercial competitive advantage for the business.
• Interprets multiple commercial concepts simultaneously and quickly filters relevant information needed to make decisions that impact at marketplace and organizational levels.
• Switches between analytical thinking and creative problem solving, identifying trends, needed outcomes and synergized solutions across multiple functions.
• Understands current and possible trends affecting the marketplace and adjusts/course corrects strategy based on cross functional and organizational opportunities that maximize collective results.
• Drive for Results
• Collaboratively develops the functional long-term plans needed to achieve divisional and enterprise strategy, allowing team members to own the detail. Holds self and team accountable for high performance.
• Quickly adopts new ways of thinking and leadership styles that lend to getting the best results out of direct reports, teams, and C-Suite leaders.
• Regularly collaborates with “First Team” on anticipated resource needs, within and across teams, based on business trends, and openly negotiates resources for growth/savings opportunities.
• Builds enthusiasm for enterprise change and coaches and enables leaders in effective engagement strategies appropriate for a highly dynamic business.
• Aligns functional dashboard that includes multiple team deliverables to divisional measures of success, enabling early detection of risks and opportunities.
• Communication
• Able to tell the Rackspace story and how we serve the marketplace to C- Suite audiences using in-depth commercial business explanation and insight. Ignites passion across the function by communicating an inspiring vision and mission that harnesses internal business dynamics and mobilizes Rackers, customers and partners in a shared direction.
• Illuminates company issues through effective storytelling, filtering appropriate information to teams, peers and senior departmental leaders, and investing time in ensuring messages are clearly understood. Ensures leaders role model high say-do ratio and holds others accountable for doing the same.
• Confidently uses industry and business expertise to field and answer questions from Rackers, customers, and vendors, remaining composed and articulate when pressed.
• Growth Orientation
• Demonstrates strong self-awareness of capabilities as a leader of a department, regularly gathering and acting upon feedback that strengthens leadership and commercial acumen.
• Exhibits a growth mindset, role modeling the ability to shift ways of thinking and behaving that drives necessary change.
• Holds self and direct reports accountable for developing Rackers across the function and organization, allocating resources, actively identifying opportunities and serving as mentor and coach.
• Challenges mindsets regarding what top talent looks like and is known for creating opportunities for diverse talent to thrive and grow in the department.
• Sets clear expectations of managers to prioritize learning as essential to organizational success in order to anticipate and pivot in a continuously changing business environment.
• Relationship Building
• Strategically applies the most appropriate leadership style to influence, build partnerships, and achieve mutual benefit.
• Creates an environment of trust by empowering team to follow through, leveraging individual strengths, and expecting a duty of care for others.
• Role models and actively coaches direct reports in having courageous conversations in order to gain resolution from all parties in