As enterprises simplify, modernize and secure their legacy environments for the digital era, robust quality assurance (QA) is essential. Quality takes an end-to-end connotation and must straddle both legacy and digital systems. Cognizant Quality Engineering & Assurance (QE&A) is reimagining QA for our clients, employing an end-to-end ecosystem approach with intelligent and automated QA processes. In so doing, clients gain quality and speed to promote faster business and technology change, as well as a better customer experience.
The Role – Service Line Sales Specialist (SLS)
We are looking for dynamic, results oriented, experienced field sales executives keen to be part of an entrepreneurial culture accelerating digital change for our large, complex clients. Service Line Sales Specialists (SLS) are field sales executives focused on creating, pursuing and closing opportunities in nominated industry markets. We work closely with and within client accounts to support vertical market alignment.
SLS’ provide deep expertise in one or more of the DS&T Practice or Business areas to support Cognizant’s client account teams in vertical markets and their account expansion plans into new markets and business areas. SLS’ are usually assigned into existing markets and some SLS’ will also engage in new logo markets.
The Service Line Specialist will be a “trusted advisor” to both the client and the Cognizant Client Partner blending strategic, tactical and ‘street smart’ sales experience.
Key Responsibilities:
Deliver sales results and contribute to revenue growth for DS&T and nominated industries
Grow pipeline through existing accounts and if appropriate, new logo accounts
Bring a ‘hunting’ mindset to all market and sales opportunities – shape and share value propositions
Promote solution sales models and longer value-based contracts
Cultivate and share a relevant industry or technology point of view (POV) with clients and peers to increase Cognizant’s value to our clients
Bring cultural awareness and interpersonal savvy to navigate complex client stakeholder environments
Work to close deals using sales best practices such as client call plans, win strategies, close plans and Cognizant sales tools and methodologies such as the ‘Deal Health Checklist’
Cultivate client relationships to foster further growth and cross selling opportunities at CxO levels
Be knowledgeable on the DS&T offerings, products, credentials and case studies
Actively participate and collaborate in the DS&T sales teams and with the account/client teams
Where relevant, build and maintain productive mutual working relationships with alliance partner counterparts
Create, drive and deliver sales forecasts for deals that meet or exceed budgets in transparent and predictable manner using the Cognizant SFDC CRM tool ‘Winzone’
Ensure Winzone is regularly updated at least weekly with all details on sales activities
Participate as required in regular sales pipeline and review cadences
Contribute constructively and creatively into the client account planning and pipeline generation activities led by Cognizant industries and business units
Contribute to proposal development either directly or in collaboration with bid management and solution architect teams
Identify early renewal opportunities that can be leveraged into transformation client conversations
Required Qualifications:
10 years + experience in IT services and sales in large enterprise organizations
Proven track record of sales experience and success delivering to and exceeding sales quotas
Experience developing opportunity pipelines, qualifying high priority deals, and winning new business in line with agreed targets
Experience closing sales with a specific emphasis on growing sales. Specifically, winning new deals in customer accounts in line with pipeline planning and pre-agreed targets.
Recent experience working for IT professional services or management consulting firm(s)
Deep experience in one or more of the DS&T service line practices and business groups
Excellent problem solving, business communication (written & oral) skills
Well organized and experience with being responsive to client needs
Mature client engagement and management skills - ability to build client relationships; strengthening partnerships by focusing on exceptional client experience, risk management and value realization built on the foundation of Cognizant leadership capabilities
Bachelor's degree required OR equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
Under normal (non pandemic) conditions, typically up to 50% travel is required.
Ability to work collaboratively in a virtual and highly-matrixed environment
Additional Requirements for QEA:
QEA – agile methodologies, Devops, POD functionality, system architectures, databases, web services and/or all aspects of testing best practices and latest toolsets across all forms of systems technology platforms and services
