About the position
Our client, a leading mining technology solutions company is looking to appoint a Solutions Manager to join their team based in Johannesburg.
The successful individuals will be responsible for driving strategic growth through high-value solution selling, long-term account stewardship, and market expansion within the mining sector.
This role combines the relationship-focused and operational responsibilities traditionally managed by Account Managers with the technical, consultative, and business development skills typical of Business Development functions.
This position serves as the key driver of customer value realization, ensuring seamless adoption of our advanced platform solutions, unlocking new revenue streams, and delivering measurable ROI for customers. It requires a strategic mindset, deep industry expertise, technical acumen, and leadership capabilities to initiate innovation, orchestrate complex sales cycles, and influence at executive levels.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or Technology
- Post Graduate degrees (MBA, MSc.) strongly preferred
- SPIN/ Challenger Certification preferred
- 5+ Years' experience in Solution Sales and Customer Relationship Management
- Mining and/or Technology Consulting experience preferred
- Open Technology & Cloud Solution experience
- SalesForce or other CRM Solution experience
Duties & Responsibilities:
Relationship & Stakeholder Management
- Establish and nurture long-term trusted relationships with C-level and operational decision-makers, influencing strategic decision-making.
- Develop and execute detailed stakeholder management plans, including targeted engagement strategies for Executive, Management, and Operational stakeholders.
- Conduct comprehensive needs assessments, aligning strategic mining objectives with our solution roadmap.
- Cultivate a network of decision influencers, including Distributors and third-party partners, to foster integrated solutions.
- Build strong working relationships with regional and corporate stakeholders, to drive the level of cross-functional collaboration required to execute sales strategies.
Sales Execution
- Assume ownership of assigned sales objectives, with accountability for revenue, margins, customer satisfaction, and long-term strategic growth
- Develop 3- to 5-year technology migration plans, strategically designed to move existing customers to new technologies and commercial models e.g., the Modular Ecosystem with Software as a Service (SaaS).
- Collaborate closely with regional and global teams, security partners, and hardware/software suppliers to craft integrated, future-proof digital transformation plans.
- Maintain comprehensive and accurate sales information in the company's CRM tool (SalesForce). The CRM is used for managing and reporting on all sales-related information, in accordance with established policies and procedures.
Solution & Platform Sales Leadership
- Lead complex, value-based consultative selling processes for the new open technology platform and associated apps, emphasizing ROI, operational improvements, and data analytics.
- Develop tailored business cases that clearly articulate ROI; deliver compelling presentations to executive stakeholders.
- Use advanced solution design techniques, including third-party integrations, platform customization, and data analytics, to meet bespoke customer needs.
- Create detailed customer Roadmaps with measurable value initiatives, ensuring alignment between the customer's digital transformation and operational goals.
Market Development & Opportunity Generation
- Identify new market segments and customer opportunities; develop strategies to penetrate these markets.
- Develop executive-level strategic alliances and partnerships to unlock new channels and vertical markets.
- Lead bids, tenders, and proposals, including leading cross-functional teams in proposal development and negotiations.
- Assume ultimate ownership of the sales pipeline, including lead generation and opportunity management from creation to close.
- Deliver on assigned sales, revenue, and strategic regional objectives.
Technical Acumen & Solution Development
- Deeply understand and articulate technical aspects of our core solutions, platform, and ecosystem applications, including hardware, software, third-party integrations, and data analytics.
- Collaborate with product and engineering teams to influence product development based on customer feedback.
- Stay ahead of industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitive solutions to maintain market leadership.
- Oversee technological implementations, ensuring customer teams are trained and capable of maximizing solution value.
Leadership, Mentoring & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with sales, marketing, product management, engineering, and service teams to align customer strategy with product development and delivery.
- Lead internal knowledge sharing to ensure team consistency and continuous improvement.
Safety, Compliance, and Governance
- Embed safety, environmental, and risk management standards in all customer engagements.
- Ensure adherence to customer and company governance policies, including contractual obligations and legal compliance.
- Ensure all safety hazards, near misses and/or safety incidents are reported according to company policy.
Skills Required:
Strategic Thinking & Industry Insight
- Demonstrates deep understanding of mining sector dynamics, industry trends, and future technologies.
- Visualizes long-term customer and market evolution, aligning solutions accordingly.
Solution & Value-Based Selling
- Excels at crafting tailored business cases focusing on ROI and operational impact.
- Uses advanced consultative techniques to influence C-level decision-makers.
Leadership & Collaboration
- Leads cross-functional teams to deliver integrated solutions and customer success strategies.
- Coaches and mentors team members, fostering high performance and professional growth.
Change Management & Innovation
- Embraces change, facilitating transformations and platform adoption within customer organizations.
- Proactively introduces innovative ideas, influencing product development and market positioning.
Communication & Influence
- Articulates complex technical solutions clearly to executive stakeholders.
- Negotiates effectively, securing buy-in and long-term commitments.
Customer Orientation & Value Delivery
- Builds trusted advisor relationships, ensuring sustained customer satisfaction and strategic alignment.
- Tracks and reports on value realization, continuously demonstrating ROI.
Desired Skills:
- Mining
- Account Management
- Customer Relationship
- Technology
- Solution Driven
Desired Work Experience:
Desired Qualification Level:
