Pre-Sales Services Manager

SoftwareOne; Johannesburg; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working model

SoftwareOne University

Health, well-being and employee-safety

Performance-based recognition

Global collaboration across teams

Job summary

SoftwareOne in Johannesburg, South Africa, is seeking a Pre-Sales Services Manager to build and lead a regional pre-sales function that turns complex customer challenges into commercially strong, deliverable technology solutions. This senior role blends commercial drive with technical credibility and people leadership.

You will partner with Sales, Delivery, Services, Vendor Alliances and Practice Leaders to grow qualified pipeline, improve win rates and increase profitable services revenue

Qualifications

• Commercial pre-sales leadership experience required.
• Ability to translate complex challenges into deliverable solutions.
• Experience with governing opportunity qualification and SOWs.
• Track record of cross-functional collaboration across Sales, Delivery and Vendors.
• Strong English communication and executive engagement.

Responsibilities

• Leading and developing a high-performing pre-sales team with capability building and technical excellence.
• Partnering with Sales to create qualified pipeline and improve win rates.
• Governing opportunity qualification to ensure viability and deliverability.
• Leading customer discovery, workshops, demos and proofs of concept.
• Collaborating with Sales and Delivery to protect margin and manage scope.
• Building relationships with hyperscalers and alliance partners to support go-to-market and co-sell opportunities.

Skills

Pre-sales leadership

Solution governance

Stakeholder management

Commercial acumen

People leadership

Job description

• Ready to shape a strategic, technology-agnostic pre-sales function that drives customer impact, stronger pipeline and profitable services growth?
• Want to coach and empower a high-performing team of pre-sales experts to deliver excellence across complex customer opportunities?
• Keen to join a global company with strong growth opportunities in South Africa?

Practical Information:

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa | Reports to: Africa General Manager and MEA Channel Director | Team Size: 4 Work Arrangement: Hybrid | Visa Requirements: Working r ight for South Africa | Language Requirements: Fluent/Professional English , written and verbal

The role At SoftwareOne, we are looking for a Pre-Sales Services Manager to build and lead a regional pre-sales function that turns complex customer challenges into commercially strong , deliverable technology solutions. This is a senior leadership role for someone who combines commercial drive , technical credibility and people leadership. You will partner closely with Sales , Delivery, Services, Vendor Alliances and Practice Leaders to grow qualified pipeline , improve win rates and increase profitable services revenue across SoftwareOne’s portfolio.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and developing a high-performing pre-sales team with a focus on capability building, technical excellence and consistent ways of working
• Partnering with Sales to create qualified pipeline, identify whitespace opportunities, engage executive stakeholders and improve win rates
• Governing opportunity qualification to ensure deals are commercially viable , technically feasible and deliverable
• Leading customer discovery , workshops, executive conversations, demos and proofs of concept that connect business needs to measurable outcomes
• Working with Sales and Delivery to protect margin , improve deal quality , support realistic scope and enable smooth handover into delivery
• Building strong relationships with hyperscalers , software vendors and alliance partners to support joint go-to-market , funding and co-sell opportunities
• Driving continuous improvement through reusable assets, solution playbooks, proposal quality, market insight and pre-sales governance

• Ready to shape a strategic, technology-agnostic pre-sales function that drives customer impact, stronger pipeline and profitable services growth?
• Want to coach and empower a high-performing team of pre-sales experts to deliver excellence across complex customer opportunities?
• Keen to join a global company with strong growth opportunities in South Africa?

Practical Information:

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa | Reports to: Africa General Manager and MEA Channel Director | Team Size: 4 Work Arrangement: Hybrid | Visa Requirements: Working r ight for South Africa | Language Requirements: Fluent/Professional English , written and verbal

The role At SoftwareOne, we are looking for a Pre-Sales Services Manager to build and lead a regional pre-sales function that turns complex customer challenges into commercially strong , deliverable technology solutions. This is a senior leadership role for someone who combines commercial drive , technical credibility and people leadership. You will partner closely with Sales , Delivery, Services, Vendor Alliances and Practice Leaders to grow qualified pipeline , improve win rates and increase profitable services revenue across SoftwareOne’s portfolio.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and developing a high-performing pre-sales team with a focus on capability building, technical excellence and consistent ways of working
• Partnering with Sales to create qualified pipeline, identify whitespace opportunities, engage executive stakeholders and improve win rates
• Governing opportunity qualification to ensure deals are commercially viable , technically feasible and deliverable
• Leading customer discovery , workshops, executive conversations, demos and proofs of concept that connect business needs to measurable outcomes
• Working with Sales and Delivery to protect margin , improve deal quality , support realistic scope and enable smooth handover into delivery
• Building strong relationships with hyperscalers , software vendors and alliance partners to support joint go-to-market , funding and co-sell opportunities
• Driving continuous improvement through reusable assets, solution playbooks, proposal quality, market insight and pre-sales governance

Job Requirements

• A commercial, customer-focused pre-sales leadership style, with the ability to create clarity, momentum and confidence across teams and stakeholders
• Proven experience in pre-sales, solution consulting, sales consulting , technology services or a related commercial technical environment
• Strong ability to translate customer business challenges into outcome-led, commercially sound and deliverable solutions
• Experience leading or orchestrating technical, consulting or pre-sales teams across countries, practices or business units
• Strong understanding of opportunity qualification, solution governance, proposal quality, Statements of Work, delivery handover and commercial risk management
• Commercial acumen across pricing, estimation, margin protection, deal quality and profitable services growth
• Collaborative stakeholder management experience across Sales, Delivery, Services, Practice, Vendor Alliance and executive audiences, with curiosity across areas such as Cloud & AI, SAP, ServiceNow, FinOps, ITAM, Security and Modern Work

What can we offer?

• A flexible, hybrid working model designed to support work-life harmony
• Learning and development opportunities, including access to SoftwareOne University and global learning resources
• Health, well-being and employee support initiatives that help you perform at your best
• Performance-based recognition and reward opportunities
• A collaborative, international culture with colleagues, customers and partners across the world

To learn more about our benefits, visit: https://www.softwareone.com/en-gb/careers/emea/benefits

Company description

SoftwareOne is a global provider of software and cloud solutions. With a presence in over 70 countries and more than 12,000 professionals, we help organizations optimize software investments, modernize applications, and unlock the value of cloud, data, and AI.

Our people are at the core of everything we do. We enable collaboration across borders, continuous learning, and opportunities to grow in a fast-evolving technology landscape. Whether your focus is on technology, customer success, or business operations, your ideas matter, and your contributions make a difference.

Join a global team where you can build your skills, work with leading technologies, and make a real impact for our customers.