North America - Tech Sales Leader, West Coast

About the role

The leader of the Solution Architect Team leads a group of technical pre-sales experts dedicated to designing and proposing innovative solutions that align with SUSE’s customer needs and business goals. This role focuses on guiding Solution Architects to become trusted advisors, fostering technical excellence, and supporting the sales and customer success teams to enhance SUSE’s market leadership. Success in this role will be measured by customer satisfaction, team performance, and the ability to champion technical innovation that strengthens SUSE’s market position.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor the Solution Architect team, setting clear goals, providing continuous feedback, and fostering professional growth.
• Create a culture of technical excellence, teamwork, and high performance, supporting Solution Architects in achieving personal and organizational goals.
• Oversee team activities in customer engagements, ensuring a consultative approach that aligns SUSE’s solutions with customer needs.
• Guide the team in tailoring solutions that address both immediate and long-term customer objectives, establishing SUSE as a preferred partner for strategic technical guidance.
• Lead the team in managing the technical aspects of the sales process, from qualification to closure.
• Support Solution Architects in addressing customer objections, demonstrating product capabilities, and executing proofs of concept (PoCs) that showcase the value of SUSE’s solutions.
• Engage in best-practice talent acquisition processes to hire a diverse, skilled team that reflects SUSE’s commitment to innovation and inclusion.
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition to recruit candidates from varied backgrounds and ensure a selection process free from bias.
• Build an inclusive, collaborative team environment where all members feel valued and supported.
• Encourage open communication, celebrate diverse perspectives, and cultivate a culture of innovation, trust, and mutual respect that enhances team performance and customer success.
• Act as a bridge between customers and SUSE’s Product, Strategy, and Engineering teams.
• Ensure the team actively gathers and communicates customer feedback, advocating for product improvements and updates that align with customer needs.
• Partner closely with Field Sales, Customer Success, and the Partner Ecosystem teams to support Account Plans and drive solution adoption.
• Encourage Solution Architects to collaborate across functions, ensuring seamless solution delivery and exceptional customer experiences.
• Guide the team in monitoring competitor offerings and developing technical positioning strategies that highlight SUSE’s advantages.
• Ensure Solution Architects are prepared to effectively differentiate SUSE’s solutions in a competitive market landscape.
• Encourage Solution Architects to share insights on product innovations, best practices, and technical solutions.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and knowledge-sharing through mentoring, peer training, and internal education sessions.
• Oversee the team’s CRM practices, ensuring accurate tracking of technical engagement activities, success criteria, and progress toward technical close for each opportunity.
• Use data insights to inform strategy and drive technical engagement success.

Skills

• Extensive experience leading a solution architecture or technical consulting team within the enterprise software industry, with a focus on fostering technical expertise and customer-centricity.
• In-depth knowledge of Linux, open-source technologies, cloud computing, and container technologies like Kubernetes.
• Skilled in aligning technical solutions with customer goals and using technical insights to shape impactful strategies.
• Expertise in engaging CXO-level and other senior stakeholders, with the ability to translate technical concepts into business value and build trusted advisory relationships.
• Demonstrated experience in hiring and leading diverse teams, with a focus on fostering an inclusive culture that values varied perspectives.
• Skilled in cultivating an environment that supports