Business Manager

Women First Jobs; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,400,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Women First Jobs seeks a Cisco Business Manager to lead the Cisco business within Johannesburg, driving strategic partnerships, vendor engagements, and revenue targets. You will enable sales teams, manage pipelines, and align Cisco initiatives with corporate goals.

The role requires a deep understanding of Cisco offerings and a proven track record in IT channel sales, vendor management, and business development. Strong stakeholder relations and strategic planning are essential for success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, IT, engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years in IT sales, vendor management, channel management or business development.
• Proven experience managing Cisco business within SI/VAR/distributor/partner.
• Strong understanding of Cisco product portfolio and partner ecosystem.
• Experience with sales forecasting, pipeline management, and business planning.
• Excellent relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong analytical, presentation, negotiation, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive the Cisco business strategy to achieve revenue, margin, and growth objectives.
• Develop and maintain relationships with Cisco account teams, partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Create and execute quarterly and annual business plans aligned with goals.
• Identify new opportunities across enterprise, commercial, SMB, and public sector.
• Collaborate with sales to build pipelines and support large opportunities.
• Drive Cisco product portfolio growth across Networking, Security, Collaboration, Data Center, Cloud, and Software.
• Coordinate with marketing for Cisco-focused demand generation initiatives.
• Work with pre-sales, technical, and delivery teams to ensure customer success.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activities, and emerging Cisco technologies.

Skills

Channel management

Vendor management

Business development

Sales forecasting

Pipeline management

Stakeholder engagement

Relationship management

Negotiation

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, IT, engineering or related field

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft Office

Dynamics

Job description

Job Description: Cisco Business Manager

Location – Johannesburg, South Africa

Experience

10+ years in IT channel sales, vendor management, or business development.

Job Summary

The Cisco Business Manager is responsible for driving the overall Cisco business within the organization by developing strategic partnerships, managing vendor relationships, enabling sales teams, and achieving revenue and profitability targets. The role focuses on business planning, pipeline growth, partner engagement, and ensuring successful execution of Cisco programs and initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and drive the business strategy to achieve revenue, margin, and growth objectives.
• Develop and maintain a strong relationship with Cisco account teams, distribution partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Create and execute quarterly and annual business plans aligned with organizational goals.
• Identify new business opportunities across enterprise, commercial, SMB, and public sector customers.
• Collaborate with sales teams to build qualified pipelines and support large opportunities.
• Drive Cisco product portfolio growth, including Networking, Security, Collaboration, Data Center, Cloud, and Software solutions.
• Conduct regular pipeline reviews, forecasting, and business performance analysis.
• Coordinate with marketing teams to execute Cisco-focused demand generation campaigns, events, webinars, and customer engagement initiatives.
• Work closely with pre-sales, technical, and delivery teams to ensure successful customer engagements.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activities, and emerging Cisco technologies to identify growth opportunities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in IT sales, vendor management, channel management, or business development.
• Proven experience managing Cisco business within a systems integrator, value-added reseller (VAR), distributor, or technology partner.
• Strong understanding of Cisco product portfolio and partner ecosystem.
• Experience with sales forecasting, pipeline management, and business planning.
• Excellent relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong analytical, presentation, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Proficiency in CRM tools (Salesforce, Dynamics, or similar) and Microsoft Office Suite.

Preferred Qualifications

• Cisco Sales Expert (CSE) or Cisco Black Belt certifications.
• Knowledge of Cisco Partner Program and Cisco lifecycle incentives.
• Experience with enterprise networking, cybersecurity, cloud, collaboration, and data center technologies.