The Sales and Go to Market Lead carries accountability for the commercial performance of the Digital, Experience and Strategy Value Stream, including origination, pipeline development, deal conversion and revenue growth across new and existing client relationships.
This is a senior commercial position operating at executive level. You will originate and lead conversations with C suite and C minus one buyers within the largest corporates in South Africa and across EMEA, converting market insight and industry narrative into qualified demand and signed work.
You will also own the go to market strategy of the value stream: the propositions taken to market, the sectors and accounts prioritised, the partner relationships leveraged, and the commercial structures through which work is sold and delivered profitably.
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Reports to the Value Stream Lead, Digital, Experience and Strategy.
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Partners with the Customer Advisory Lead on executive engagement and the conversion of advisory relationships into commercial opportunity.
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Partners with the Technology Strategy Lead on solution shaping, cost estimation, pricing and commercial structuring.
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Partners with the Data and AI Lead on the commercial positioning of data and artificial intelligence capability.
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Partners with Marketing Operations on demand generation, campaign execution and pipeline reporting.
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Leads the sales and pursuit capability of the value stream, including bid teams, proposal development and account planning.
Responsibilities & Deliverables:
Deliver Sales Performance
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Carry the revenue, sales and pipeline targets of the value stream.
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Originate opportunity through direct executive engagement, existing relationships, partner channels and market presence.
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Maintain pipeline coverage sufficient to deliver the target, balancing new client acquisition against growth within existing accounts.
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Qualify rigorously, withdraw from pursuits that do not merit continued investment, and forecast accurately.
Own Go to Market Strategy
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Define the propositions taken to market and the sectors and accounts prioritised.
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Package advisory, design and technology capability into coherent offerings with the Customer Advisory, Technology Strategy and Data and AI Leads.
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Establish the pricing and commercial models through which each proposition is sold.
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Direct demand generation with Marketing Operations, and hold accountability for the quality of resulting pipeline.
Build Executive Relationships
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Establish and sustain relationships with executive buyers across priority accounts.
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Develop account plans that map the decision unit, identify growth opportunity and sequence engagement over time.
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Grow revenue within existing accounts through demonstrated delivery outcomes and adjacent opportunity.
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Remain engaged with clients between commercial cycles rather than only at the point of transaction.
Lead Pursuits and Partnerships
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Direct major pursuits from qualification through to contract, holding pursuit governance and leading bid teams.
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Shape commercial structures with the Technology Strategy Lead, balancing client requirements, delivery risk and profitability.
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Lead negotiation through to signature, protecting margin and managing contractual risk.
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Develop senior relationships with technology partners including Adobe, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services and SAP, and generate joint pipeline through co selling.
Shape the Market and Build Capability
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Drive industry narratives and points of view that create demand ahead of formal procurement processes.
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Build market presence through conference participation, publication and industry relationships.
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Monitor competitor positioning and pricing, and adjust the go to market approach accordingly.
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Coach delivery leaders to identify and progress opportunity, embedding
Requirements:
Essential Experience
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At least 15 years in enterprise sales, business development or commercial leadership within professional services, consulting, technology or agency environments.
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At least 5 years carrying and consistently achieving a significant revenue target, with evidence of performance against quota across multiple periods.
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Complex, multiyear engagements originated and closed with executive committee members and their direct reports.
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Pipeline built and converted in consultative environments where the buying cycle is extended and the decision unit is large.
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Major pursuits led from qualification through to contract, covering bid governance, proposal development, orals and negotiation.
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Go to market strategy defined, including proposition definition, sector prioritisation, account selection and demand generation.
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Technology partner and alliance relationships managed to generate joint pipeline.
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Sector depth in financial services, telecommunications, retail, resources or the public sector, with credibility in the commercial and regulatory realities those organisations face.
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Exposure to South African and broader EMEA markets is advantageous.
Commercial and Technical Fluency
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You will need sufficient fluency to lead a credible commercial conversation about complex solutions. Implementation level expertise is not required.
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Digital transformation, customer experience, and product and service innovation, together with the commercial models through which they are delivered.
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Enterprise technology platforms including Adobe, Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and SAP, and the partner ecosystems surrounding them.
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Applied artificial intelligence and data capability, positioned for commercial value without overstatement.
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Commercial structures including time and materials, fixed price, outcome based, managed service and build operate transfer arrangements.
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Pricing models, margin management, cost estimation and the levers that determine engagement profitability.
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Contracting, risk allocation, procurement processes and the governance requirements of large enterprise buyers.
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Structured qualification methods such as MEDDPICC or Miller Heiman, account planning, forecasting discipline and customer relationship management platforms.
Education
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A relevant undergraduate degree, or equivalent professional experience, in business, commerce, marketing, technology or a related discipline.
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A postgraduate qualification, executive education or relevant commercial certifications are advantageous.
Success Looks Like
Within your first 12 months you will have:
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Delivered against the revenue and sales targets of the value stream.
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Established pipeline coverage and forecast accuracy at the levels agreed with practice leadership.
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Implemented a go to market strategy with clear proposition, sector and account priorities.
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Originated and closed significant new client relationships within priority sectors.
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Generated measurable pipeline through technology partner relationships.
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Embedded consistent qualification, account planning and forecasting discipline across the value stream.
What We Offer
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A senior leadership position within a value stream that is being built and scaled, with genuine influence over its direction.
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Access to enterprise clients across banking, financial services, insurance, retail, mining, telecommunications, manufacturing and the public sector.
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The scale of a group of more than 1,500 practitioners spanning consulting, technology, cloud, data and managed services.
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A culture that values execution and measurable outcomes over presentation, and that invests in the growth of its people.
Employment Details
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Location: Johannesburg or Cape Town.
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Working model: hybrid, with regular presence at client sites.
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Travel: periodic travel across South Africa and the broader EMEA region as client requirements dictate.
Please Note:
As all iqbusiness roles require honesty in the handling of or access to cash, finances, financial systems, or confidential information; our recruitment process requires that the following background checks be completed: credit, criminal, ID, and qualification verification.
iqbusiness is committed to sustainable growth and transformation, we embrace diversity and employ previously disadvantaged individuals.
