Director Solutions Consulting

Job description

Our Mission At Palo Alto Networks®, we’re united by a shared mission—to protect our digital way of life. We thrive at the intersection of innovation and impact, solving real-world problems with cutting-edge technology and bold thinking. Here, everyone has a voice, and every idea counts. If you’re ready to do the most meaningful work of your career alongside people who are just as passionate as you are, you’re in the right place. Who We Are In order to be the cybersecurity partner of choice, we must trailblaze the path and shape the future of our industry. This is something our employees work at each day and is defined by our values: Disruption, Collaboration, Execution, Integrity, and Inclusion. We weave AI into the fabric of everything we do and use it to augment the impact every individual can have. If you are passionate about solving real-world problems and ideating beside the best and the brightest, we invite you to join us! This role is remote, but distance is no barrier to impact. Our hybrid teams collaborate across geographies to solve big problems, stay close to our customers, and grow together. You will be part of a culture that values trust, accountability, and shared success where your work truly matters. Job Summary Your Career The Solutions Consulting Director (SCD), will lead our team of Solution Consulting Managers and in turn drive support to our Solution Consultants (SC) who are the go-to technical experts assisting the sales team in generating growth within Palo Alto Networks Accounts. This position will require a business savvy individual with a strong background in security platform, application architecture, and sales coupled with a successful track record in team management. We expect office-based employees to be in the office four days per week, with one day working from where they choose. We believe being together facilitates casual conversations and those magic moments where we can work on issues and ideas informally. These moments build capability and deepen trusted relationships and allow our people to feel safe in taking risks and being disruptive. Like so many companies, we are working through the details and things could change …. but in general if a role is deemed office-based we want our teams to be together four days per week. Your Impact Partner with Sales Leadership (e.g., Regional Vice President of Sales, AVP) to define, champion, and execute transformative, enterprise-wide sales initiatives that impact market share and revenue growth within key accounts. Architect and optimize technical pre-sales operations, consistently exceeding revenue generation, individual, team, and organizational quotas through innovative strategies and scalable processes. Serve as a trusted advisor to C-suite and executive-level customers and partners, providing thought leadership and strategic insights into evolving industry landscapes, complex customer challenges, disruptive technical innovations, and critical business transformations to influence enterprise security strategies and investment decisions. Translate profound understanding of customer’s strategic business and technical imperatives into the definitive articulation of Palo Alto Networks' unique value proposition, directly linking solutions to significant operational efficiencies, risk reduction, and competitive advantage. Drive the implementation of sophisticated account planning methodologies across teams, ensuring the consistent delivery of compelling, business-focused solutions that demonstrably address the most complex customer security needs and strategic objectives. Conceptualize, lead, and measure outcome-oriented initiatives with AVPs, RVPs, SCMs, and SCs that measurably accelerate pipeline velocity, increase deal size, and enhance overall sales productivity across the Area. Cultivate and leverage executive-level relationships with Palo Alto Networks’ strategic partners (reseller, distribution, system integrators, alliances) to develop and execute joint initiatives that yield substantial increases in sales productivity and market penetration. Lead and orchestrate strategic portfolio expansion initiatives, delivering quantifiable results in the upsell and cross-sell of subscriptions and advanced strategic solutions across the customer base. Establish and ensure the execution of deep, enduring strategic relationships across all levels of customer organizations to maximize adoption, secure renewals, and drive significant expansion of the entire Palo Alto Networks portfolio post-initial sale. Demonstrate a consistent track record of achieving and exceeding metric-based results across all areas of responsibility, with a focus on quantifiable business impact and return on investment. Proactively identify, analyze, and visibly communicate the successes, deficiencies, and strategic implications of initiatives within the assigned area, providing actionable insights for continuous improvement. Exhibit exemplary personnel leadership, including the design and execution of high-impact talent development programs, measurable reductions in attrition through strategic retention initiatives, and a clear history of fostering promotions and cultivating high-performing talent. Operates with exceptional effectiveness in a highly matrixed global organization, seamlessly collaborating with and influencing extended teams such as Support, Finance, WW SE, HR, Product Management, and other critical functions to achieve overarching business objectives. Act as an escalation point for critical pre-sales and post-sales technical issues within the territory, providing strategic guidance and leadership to resolve complex challenges and maintain customer satisfaction at the highest level. Provide leadership, mentorship, and comprehensive support to reporting Solutions Architects and Sales Engineers, fostering their technical acumen, executive presence, and overall career advancement. Oversee the strategic planning and successful execution of complex product evaluations, ensuring timely completion and optimal utilization of resources to drive successful outcomes. Qualifications Your Experience 12+ years of progressive experience in technical pre-sales, consulting, or solution engineering, including 5+ years overseeing people leaders and scaling technical teams across field organizations Cultivate an unparalleled reputation among key customers and strategic partners as a consummate trusted advisor, consistently anticipating and proactively addressing their complex security requirements. Demonstrate an exceptional blend of executive leadership, deep technical acumen, and astute business insight, coupled with a proven Challenger sales mentality and an insatiable growth mindset. Exhibit current industry knowledge of security product market trends, competitive landscapes, and strategic directional awareness of Palo Alto Networks’ product roadmap and advanced technology development efforts. Knowledge of how to architect and deliver comprehensive, business-centric security solutions that align directly with Palo Alto Networks' value proposition, while possessing a sophisticated understanding of competitive selling strategies and market disruptors. Demonstrated experience in working directly with customers at senior levels within an organization, as well as working with industry partners and alliances Possess the intellectual agility and executive presence to serve as a critical, cross-functional business partner, influencing strategic decisions across sales, marketing, product, and engineering. 50%  Travel Articulate highly technical solutions into compelling business narratives, effectively translating complex concepts into clear, concise, and impactful terms for senior business decision-makers, fostering strong, enduring relationships. Exemplify a highly commercial orientation, with an unwavering focus on customer success and a relentless commitment to driving significant topline revenue growth