Sr Industry Advisor

At CDW, we make it happen, together. Trust, connection, and commitment are at the heart of how we work together to deliver for our customers. It’s why we’re coworkers, not just employees. Coworkers who genuinely believe in supporting our customers and one another. We collectively forge our path forward with a level of commitment that speaks to who we are and where we’re headed. We’re proud to share our story and Make Amazing Happen at CDW.

Job Summary

The Sr. Industry Advisor will guide senior customer leaders in helping them to improve the customer experience, increase store productivity and remove risk from their business. This role will provide the voice of the customer within CDW and ensure that our teams understand and can effectively communicate the benefits, challenges, and impact of technology in the retail setting. Working with the leading vendor-neutral technical team in the industry, the role will serve as a critical educational expert voice for CDW-including sitting on key industry boards, presenting at conferences, and helping ensure our teams can deliver true ROI for our customers. The Sr. Industry Advisor is a leader with extensive industry knowledge and experience, and a demonstrated ability to gain access to and provide insight on program or mission specific customer requirements. Candidates should possess a broad understanding of the retail industry, the customer, and the avenues to achieve business objectives in the industry.

What you will do

• Provide ideation, customer access, strategic vision, thought leadership, subject matter expertise and demonstrate relevance to the customer base and market in general.

• Drive strategic Go to Market plans for the retail industry.

• Grow revenue and profit for the retail industry.

• Develop innovative solutions to drive thought leadership inside the retail industry.

• Maintain and continue to develop partner ecosystem to support initiatives and go to market strategies.

• Establish, grow, and maintain partnerships with industry alliances to support the organization’s goals.

• Lead professional development sessions and workshops with technology leaders and other market leaders and facilitate conversations about how best to integrate CDW industry solutions into customer concepts of operations.

• Develop Continuing Education programs for new and existing CDW sellers and sales teams regarding industry trends and solutions and mentor sellers on industry messaging.

• Professionally represent CDW by attending and presenting at conferences and events.

• Co-develop the CDW Industry Opinion.

• Educate sales teams about retail market and industry customers and their mission and culture.

• Conduct strategic market analysis to identify new missions, requirements, and business areas; plan for growth; strengthen partner relationships; conduct benefit cost analysis; brief senior leaders; ensure year-on-year business; and serve as a subject matter expert for proposal development.

• Participate in senior leader strategic planning.

What we expect of you

• Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent experience.

• 5+ years technology or line of business leadership in the Retail industry.

• Deep understanding of the vertical environment including knowledge of funding, investments, and use of information technology in the Retail industry.

• Knowledge of current publications, events, and organizations relevant to the vertical market.

• Credibility with vertical specific GTM landscape demonstrated through professional networks and understanding of the Retail industry.

• Strategic planning capabilities.

• Extensive presentation experience.

• Ability to travel at least 25% of the time.

• Proven leadership skills, is a plus.

• Cognitive coaching and meeting facilitation experience, is a plus.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, is a plus.

• Passion for vertical and ongoing personal learning, is a plus.

• Extensive use of technology in the vertical market served, is a plus.

• Strong consultative, solution based selling experience, is a plus.

• Effective negotiation and closing skills, is a plus.

• Strong conflict resolution and problem-solving skills, is a plus.

• Strong interpersonal skills, is a plus.

• Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills and ability to communicate effectively with coworkers, management, executives, other CDW departments, customers, and vendor partners, is a plus.

• Adaptability and ability to lead through change, is a plus.