Services Sales Leader (United Kingdom & Ireland)

As a Services Sales Leader, you will act as a pivotal leader of Cisco’s growth strategy, building and managing a high-performing team focused on both Professional and Support Services Sales. Accountable for delivering team performance on bookings, defining bookings strategy relevant to aligned vertical as well as generating a growing funnel of profitable opportunities to grow Cisco’s service offerings.  

Your team will bridge the gap between complex technological capabilities and customer business outcomes, ensuring that our services portfolio is deeply integrated into the customer’s strategy. You will be responsible for defining the bookings strategy for your assigned segment, cultivating executive-level relationships, and transforming market insights into profitable, long-term revenue streams.

Maintains a comprehensive understanding of and is an authority and influence on the direction of Cisco’s services offers while being knowledgeable across the architecture portfolio. Engages specialist teams to enhance the sales process, particularly in areas where deep technical expertise is required. Assists the team in building the sales funnel through opportunity development and drives opportunities through to sales completion to achieve revenue goals.

This role requires a balance of strategic vision, operational discipline, and a deep commitment to talent development, ensuring the team is equipped to navigate complex sales cycles and competitive landscapes while driving Cisco’s long-term market influence.

Key Responsibilities - Strategic Sales Leadership:

·         Drive multi-year sales growth by developing and executing unique, segment-relevant strategies that focus on both Professional Services funnel creation and sustainable Support Services recurring revenue.

·         Analyze industry dynamics, such as the impact of AI on infrastructure and security, to proactively create demand and service-led opportunities, positioning Cisco as an indispensable partner in the customer's digital transformation.

·         Oversee the end-to-end sales lifecycle, from funnel creation to deal closure, ensuring the team maintains healthy sales pipeline considering a 3 quarter horizon approach whilst continuing to deliver in-quarter results

·         Represent Services within segment and theater-level Quarterly Business Reviews (QBOs), articulating sales strategy, forecasts with clarity, clearly identifying market headwinds and tailwinds, and influencing executive leadership on strategic resource allocation.

Key Responsibilities - Operational & Cross-Functional Influence:

·         Lead a specific Theater segment (Commercial & Partner, Enterprise or Public Sector) for Services Sales to all cross-functional audiences

·         Review and refine forecasting data and business plans to present actionable insights to senior leadership, ensuring data-driven decision-making governs account strategies.

·         Partner effectively with cross-functional leadership (Portfolio, Architecture, and Customer Experience) to ensure collective objectives are met, advocating for customer requirements in CX planning to move beyond binary margin targets toward value-based outcomes.

·         Lead deal clinics for complex pursuits, leveraging personal expertise to coach the team on concessions, negotiations, and unique value propositions while maintaining high standards for deal execution.

·         Streamline and accelerate internal processes for your team by serving as a key internal influencer and sponsor, ensuring teams are compliant with Cisco policies while managing escalations with a focus on wider business strategy rather than tactical friction.

Key Responsibilities - Talent Development & Coaching:

·         Act as a talent advocate by identifying and nurturing high-potential individuals, ensuring the organization maintains a strong pipeline of critical skills and talent.

·         Develop and implement robust succession plans for key account executive assignments and leadership roles to de-risk bookings performance and ensure business continuity.

·         Hold team members accountable for performance, execution behaviors, and quarterly enablement, while providing tailored coaching for underperformers and fostering an environment of continuous growth.

·         Champion the adoption of AI-enabled productivity tools within the team to maximize individual and collective output and improve sales efficiency.

Success Measures:

·         Consistent attainment of bookings targets and optimization of the bookings mix across Professional and Support Services.

·         High levels of forecast accuracy and predictability, demonstrating disciplined pipeline management and execution.

·         Sustainable Year-Over-Year (YOY) growth and successful entry into new markets or segments.

·         Effective talent retention, development, and the successful execution of succession planning for critical roles.

·         Impactful expansion of customer stakeholder engagement, evidenced by broader account penetration and accelerated deal cycles.

Required Qualifications & Competencies:

·         Experience: Bachelor’s degree with 12+ years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree with 8+ years of experience in sales leadership or complex account management.

·         Strategic Thinking: Demonstrated ability to translate high-level market trends (e.g., AI-based service delivery, CiscoIQ) into practical, long-term sales strategies for a diverse account base.

·         Communication & Influence: Exceptional ability to engage at the executive level, reset customer expectations, and influence internal cross-functional stakeholders without relying on formal reporting structures.

·         Financial Acumen: Strong grasp of financial metrics, including margin analysis, deal structures, and the ability to link sales tactics to profitability and long-term Cisco strategy.

·         Resilience & Adaptability: Proven capacity to manage through change, prioritize effectively during high-pressure cycles, and maintain team focus on long-term objectives despite short-term market volatility.

Why Cisco? 

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere. 

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.