Account Director

Ciena; Little Rock (AR); On-site; USD 222,100 - 366,900; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision plans

401(K) with company matching

Paid holidays & vacation

Job summary

Ciena seeks a Consultant, Account Management to lead major accounts, shaping strategic relationships across clients, the sales organization, and Ciena executives. You will drive execution and revenue growth through global programs and cross‑functional teams, including reporting progress to leadership.

Your mandate includes managing complex sales, keeping up with new technologies, and maintaining rigorous customer alignment from the C‑level to operational teams.

Qualifications

• Business or Science/Engineering degree in a technical field.
• Regional/global account management experience.
• Extensive experience in system sales, system engineering or product management.
• Extensive experience in Layer1-L3 networking.
• Knowledge of competitive landscape and the regional business market.
• Proven experience with complex sales methodology.
• Expert in Ciena products and future portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Lead or own major accounts and manage relationships across organizations.
• Develop executive-level relationships including C‑level.
• Drive sales strategy, opportunities in pipelines to maximize revenue.
• Manage bookings, revenue and margin presentations.
• Report progress via Salesforce and cross-functional teams.

Skills

Relationship building

Agility

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Communication skills

Prioritization

Industry knowledge

Learning mindset

Education

Business or Science/Engineering degree

MBA

Job description

Role

As a Consultant, Account Management, you will lead or own major business accounts and manage the overall business relationship between clients, the sales organization, Ciena executive team, product marketing, and product management. You will develop strong customer relationships that protect against competitive infiltration, build customer intimacy and facilitate sales execution at all levels of the customer organization, including the C‑level. You will focus on execution and sales strategy, maintaining and expanding opportunities in existing pipelines to maximize revenue and margins. You will initiate and develop relationships with executives, manage direct sales activities requiring bookings, revenue, and margin presentations at all management levels. You will set strategy and tactics for each sales objective, prioritize opportunities, and retain overall responsibility for the sales and fulfillment process associated with global activities. You will be accountable for managing and reporting the business through tools such as Salesforce.com, meetings with leadership, and cross‑functional support teams, and provide weekly status/progress reports.

What Does Ciena Expect of You?

• Relationship Builder – ability to build trusted, long‑term relationships quickly.
• Agility – manage competing, time‑sensitive and ever‑changing priorities.
• Problem solver – assess customer requirements and technical issues and identify optimal solutions.
• Flexibility to work independently and as part of a broader team.
• Savvy communicator – tailor communications and proposals for specific audiences.
• Sense of urgency – prioritize what’s important to the customer.
• Stay current – on new technologies, architectures and customer applications.
• Commitment to learning – about Ciena’s products, competitor offerings and customer concerns.

The Must Haves

• Business or Science/Engineering degree in a technical field or equivalent experience.
• Regional, major or global account management experience.
• Extensive experience in system sales, system engineering or product management.
• Extensive experience in Layer1, Layer2 and/or Layer3 networking.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the competitive landscape and the regional business market.
• Proven experience with complex sales methodology.
• Existing or ability to become an expert in the detailed understanding of Ciena products and future portfolio.

Assets

• MBA and/or advanced technical degree.
• Proven understanding of markets, including market segmentation and service providers.
• Advanced knowledge of the competitive landscape and the L0‑L3 network infrastructure, both hardware and software.
• Software and professional services experience.
• Demonstrated understanding of regional and/or major account sales and strategic thinking for new business opportunities.
• Keen awareness of market intelligence with respect to competitors in North America and globally.
• Budgetary assessment and planning experience for forecasting at weekly, monthly and quarterly intervals.

Compensation and Benefits

The annual pay range for this position is $222,100–$366,900. The pay range is designed to reflect variations in knowledge, skills, experience, market conditions and locations. Non‑sales employees may be eligible for a discretionary incentive bonus; sales employees may be eligible for a sales commission. Benefits include medical, dental and vision plans, participation in 401(K) (USA) & DCPP (Canada) with company matching, Employee Stock Purchase Program, Employee Assistance Program, company‑paid holidays, paid sick leave, and vacation time. Ciena complies with all applicable laws regarding Paid Family Leave and other leaves of absence.

Ciena values diversity and respects employees as individuals. Ciena is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. If contacted in relation to a job opportunity, please advise Ciena of any accommodation measures you may require.