Channel Manager

Location: Santa Clara, ta 95050 Job Category: Sales/Retail/Business Development Career Level: Experienced (Non-Manager) Company: Hitachi Data Systems Channel Manager Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) is recognized as a leading provider of business solutions for the world's most IT-intensive corporations. The company offers the industry's fastest, largest and most reliable storage solutions designed for companies committed to non-stop operation and transition to Internet business reliance. Thirty-eight of the Fortune-50 companies in the United States are HDS customers. Hitachi has provided the backbone processing platforms for these enterprises and has led the world in high capacity and high bandwidth computing. HDS has been the recognized choice for mission critical applications in the F-1000 and Financial Times 100 enterprises. HDS was formed in 1989 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi LTD with global revenues of over $73 billion. Hitachi is one of the leading technology companies in the world with research and development investments of over 6 billion dollars annually. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, HDS is a global company with three thousand employees in forty countries and generates worldwide revenue of approximately $3 billion. The HDS professional services organization complements the product revenue with technical and business solutions. The company has a direct sales force and also supports a two-tiered indirect sales program. Storage products are offered to a growing list of OEM customers including Hewlett Packard and Silicon Graphics. HDS is one of a few natural players and enjoys a substantial technological advantage with its storage solutions. The organization is built around 6 independent business units, each with a P & L mission and IPO opportunity. Job Overview:To represent HDS vision, strategy, and offerings to the channel community, to represent the value of the channel to HDS and to develop and implement strategy and plans to grow HDS revenue within the assigned channel accounts and to work on the channel strategy for the assigned districts.Job Functions:1The CM's main external contact is with authorized enterprise and modular resellers, potential 'HDS Focus' resellers, and the HDS Southwest District Sales Team - not with the end user.The CM's will develop a Business Plan and/or strategy that will ensure storage channel sales growth within the assigned Sales District. The focus will be to increase marketshare and mindshare within the partner base. The emphasis will be on channel growth. A quota will be assigned to the Channel Manager (aligned with the growth objectives of the Sales District) to assist in judging the success of the CM's endeavors.The business plan will be reviewed with the Partners executive management and District Management quarterly. The Channel Manager is expected to have relationships at all levels of the partner, to include owners, CEO's, and presidents.The CM will monitor and manage the selected VAR's to ensure that they adhere to the policies and procedures establish by HDS channel program.(1) Training and certification(2) Use of marketing development fundsThe CM will assist the district/region/Americas in defining a reseller coverage model that will provide the best coverage for their assigned territories.The CM will work closely with the Distribution Team and authorized distributors to coordinate product shipment and credit issues.The CM will understand the partners overall business strategy and within that context develop a plan to grow HDS business in the assigned District.The CM will assist the CSR's in the assigned region with implementing the appropriate actions required to encourage the selected VAR's to sell HDS products. Primary Qualifications: 1. Technical Product knowledge. The Channel Manager will be expected to be able to present an overview of our strategy and solutions offerings to partner sales groups (not necessarily to the partner SE community)2. Business knowledge. The Channel Manager will be expected to understand the partner's overall businesses: Do they have the financial ability to scale? What types of programs/marketing endeavors would specifically work to maximize the relationship with that account? 3. Effective presentation skills.4. Ability to influence. The ability to get commitments from their partner base executives as well as HDS. Must have excellent verbal, written and presentation skills.5. Effective time management.6. Ability to identify and engage required support resources. 7. Effective relationship building.8. Must be able to function independently with minimal supervision9. Familiarity with HDS and the partner's marketing programs10. 3 years of industry experience and 5-8 years of total work experience. Other: (Include span of control (# of direct reports), budget control, scope of influence, impact of errors, physical requirements, and any other important factors.)