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Palo Alto Networks is seeking a Senior Director of Cloud and Cortex Sales to lead the Cloud and Cortex sales strategy, drive revenue growth, and elevate sales productivity across the organization. This role partners with marketing, product, finance and HR to scale best practices and enable regional initiatives.
The ideal candidate has extensive enterprise software leadership experience, strong C-suite engagement, and a proven ability to drive complex cross-functional programs in a fast-paced
At Palo Alto Networks®, we’re united by a shared mission—to protect our digital way of life. We thrive at the intersection of innovation and impact, solving real-world problems with cutting‑edge technology and bold thinking. Here, everyone has a voice, and every idea counts. If you’re ready to do the most meaningful work of your career alongside people who are just as passionate as you are, you’re in the right place.
In order to be the cybersecurity partner of choice, we must trailblaze the path and shape the future of our industry. This is something our employees work at each day and is defined by our values: Disruption, Collaboration, Execution, Integrity, and Inclusion. We weave AI into the fabric of everything we do and use it to augment the impact every individual can have. If you are passionate about solving real-world problems and ideating beside the best and the brightest, we invite you to join us!
We believe collaboration thrives in person. That’s why most of our teams work from the office full time, with flexibility when it’s needed. This model supports real-time problem‑solving, stronger relationships, and the kind of precision that drives great outcomes.
Company Description
Our Mission
At Palo Alto Networks® everything starts and ends with our mission: Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.
We have the vision of a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. These aren’t easy goals to accomplish – but we’re not here for easy. We’re here for better. We are a company built on the foundation of challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we’re looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.
Your Career
The Senior Director of Cloud and Cortex Sales has responsibility for creating, leading, and driving Cloud and Cortex sales strategy and execution to achieve revenue goals, uplift sales productivity, and accelerate customer participation. This customer-facing role is chartered with prioritizing and activating Cloud and Cortex strategy and best practices to fuel growth and shift highly specialized Cloud and Cortex selling motion to Core Sales capacity with a collaborative, transparent culture of accountability. This role reports to the President of JAPAC.
The Senior Director of Cloud and Cortex Sales works cross-functionally with sales leadership, corporate and field marketing, product marketing and management, finance, HR, sales enablement and other company functions to identify areas for revenue growth with leverage. This role scales best practices and creates the framework and programmatic infrastructure to fuel sales initiatives through regular selling motion to engage customers, sales teams and opportunities to achieve strategic outcomes.
Working in partnership with Sales Leadership including Theater VPs, Speedboat Sales Leadership, and Technical Solutions (Systems Engineering) Leadership, this role identifies tops-down Cloud and Cortex growth initiatives and creates theater-wide continuity where possible, while enabling region-specific initiatives. The Sr. Director of Cloud and Cortex Sales provides leadership and execution for inter-organizational initiatives to optimize execution between Cloud and Cortex Sales, Core Sales segments, ecosystems, and other GTM functions. Initiatives may include:
Your Impact
Jump into a number of complex problems, identify the issues through superior business insight, build compelling business cases and move your ideas to execution
Drive the significant organizational and process changes needed for implementation and adoption of large-scale programs to increase company efficiency and achieve growth objectives
Structure and package analyses, strategies and recommendations into highly effective, compelling communication and presentations to various audiences, including senior executives and sales leadership
Build strong relationships across the sales organization to drive initiatives, and receive continuous feedback from key contacts
Ensure on-time delivery of initiatives, programs, and projects with high quality and clear communication
Success of this role is measured by:
Your Experience
15+ years of experience in field sales/sales management or consulting in a matrixed and complex sales environment with a focus on aligning to company initiatives
Must have experience in big deal pursuit at large enterprise software vendor, preferably outside IT and addressing customers’ core business needs
Must have experience in partnering with global major consulting/advisory firms to create big deal opportunities
Must have experience in selling solutions addressing non-IT domains
A competitive, can do, optimistic, realistic attitude, strong work ethic, humility and excellent team building, communication and listening skills
Strategic consultative mindset, understand business and people change, can engage with depth and breadth at C-Level; a growth mindset
High Emotional Intelligence
Strong interpersonal skills to coach and develop future state behaviors
Strong experience influencing multi-tiered customer relationships and C-Suite influencers
Experience attracting, retaining, and developing high performing, high potential talent
Superior knowledge and demonstrated skills in sales techniques, customer interaction, customers relations
The ability to navigate and collaborate through complex account and team structures
Confident to debate like you’re right but humble enough to listen like you’re wrong
Good clock speed with an ability to consume, digest and respond to data
Ability to influence without authority
Cross-functional leadership capabilities
Deep understanding and experience in go-to-market strategy
Project and program management skills
Thrives in fast and collaborative environment
Track record of strategic doer and organizer; someone who can strategize and lead execution of cross-functional initiatives on tight timelines with limited resources
Track record of driving successful cross-functional initiatives from design to execution
Knowledge of the Cybersecurity product landscape and enterprise B2B sales highly desired
A self-starter who is confident with working on multiple simultaneous programs that require both strategic end-to-end thinking as well as high-speed tactical execution
Excellent analytical and problem solving skills, combined with strong business judgment and demonstrated project management experience
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Outstanding presentation skills; must be comfortable presenting content to executive staff
Sr. Director will deliver on five key areas of support including:
The individual will leverage strong management skills to overachieve in a fast-paced sales environment. They will be a strategic, analytical thinker and know how to leverage data to make decisions and execute on stretching growth plans. They will have a high level of integrity, coaching acumen, strong executive presence and communication skills, and a passion for leading and winning.
The Team
Our sales team members work hand-in-hand with large organizations around the world to keep their digital environments protected. We educate, inspire, and empower our potential clients in their journey to security.
As part of our sales team, you are empowered with unmatched systems and tools, constantly updated research and sales libraries, and a team built on joint success. You won’t find someone at Palo Alto Networks that isn’t committed to your success – with everyone pitching in to assist when it comes to solutions selling, learning, and development. As a member of our sales team, you are motivated by a solutions-focused sales environment and find fulfillment in working with clients to resolve incredibly complex cyberthreats.
We’re trailblazers that dream big, take risks, and challenge cybersecurity’s status quo. It’s simple: we can’t accomplish our mission without diverse teams innovating, together.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need, please contact us at accommodations@paloaltonetworks.com.
Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or other legally protected characteristics.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.