Strategic Account Manager - SAP (m/f/d)
Cisco · Eschborn
Splunk, a Cisco company, is building a safer and more resilient digital world with an end-to-end, full-stack platform made for a hybrid, multi-cloud world. Leading enterprises use our unified security and observability platform to keep their digital systems secure and reliable.
Position Overview:
We are seeking a highly accomplished Strategic Account Manager – SAP (m/f/d) to join our Strategic Accounts organization in Germany. This is a senior individual-contributor role with end-to-end responsibility for SAP, one of the world’s leading enterprise software companies and one of Splunk’s most strategically important global customers. SAP operates across a highly complex, international organization with global business units, regional decision-making structures and a broad technology ecosystem.
The successful candidate will be responsible for protecting and growing a substantial installed base, securing high-value renewals and developing strategic expansion opportunities across Splunk’s Security, Observability and platform portfolio. The role requires the ability to engage credibly with senior executives, translate SAP’s strategic priorities into long-term account opportunities and position Splunk and Cisco as strategic partners at group level.
We are looking for an experienced enterprise sales professional with a proven track record in large, complex global accounts. The ideal candidate combines executive presence, disciplined account leadership, strong commercial skills and the ability to orchestrate an extended international team across Splunk and Cisco.
If you are ready for your next challenge and want to grow within a high-performing, results-driven team in the Cisco and Splunk family, please continue reading.
Responsibilities:
Strategic account ownership: Assume end-to-end commercial responsibility for SAP, including account strategy, pipeline development, renewals, expansion and long-term customer value.
Executive relationship management: Build, maintain and expand trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across SAP, including CISO, CIO, CTO, Infrastructure, Cloud Operations, Security, Procurement and relevant business and product organizations.
Protect and grow: Secure and renew the existing Splunk footprint while identifying and developing new opportunities across Security, Observability and the broader Splunk platform.
Global account orchestration: Navigate SAP’s complex global organization, where stakeholders, budgets and decision-making authority may span corporate functions, business units, regions and countries.
Extended team leadership: Lead the virtual account team across Splunk and Cisco, including Sales Engineers, Customer Success, Professional Services, specialists, executives and partners, without direct authority.
Cisco and Splunk alignment: Develop and execute a joint account strategy with the Cisco account organization, leveraging the combined portfolio, executive relationships and global reach of Cisco and Splunk.
Program-based execution: Manage the account through a structured, multi-year engagement plan with clear priorities, milestones, mutual action plans and executive governance.
Value-based selling: Connect Splunk’s capabilities to SAP’s strategic priorities, including cyber resilience, secure cloud operations, digital services, AI-enabled operations, business continuity and operational efficiency.
AI-driven selling and productivity: Position Splunk’s AI-powered Security and Observability capabilities credibly while using internal AI tools to accelerate account research, stakeholder analysis, strategy development and execution.
Negotiation and closing: Lead complex contract negotiations, enterprise agreements, renewals and executive presentations, aligning customer value with sustainable commercial outcomes.
Strategic opportunity development: Identify and develop transformational use cases and multi-year initiatives rather than relying primarily on individual, opportunistic transactions.
Customer success and adoption: Work closely with Customer Success, Professional Services, Support and product teams to drive adoption, demonstrate measurable value and strengthen SAP’s long-term commitment to the Splunk platform.
Internal advocacy: Represent SAP’s priorities, requirements and feedback within Splunk and Cisco, engaging Product Management, Engineering, Legal and senior leadership when appropriate.
Market and competitive intelligence: Maintain a strong understanding of SAP’s strategy, technology environment, competitive landscape and key industry developments affecting the account.
Forecasting and operational discipline: Maintain accurate account plans, pipeline data and forecasts, providing leadership with clear insight into opportunities, risks, dependencies and required actions.
Requirements:
10+ years of enterprise software sales experience, with a consistent record of quota achievement and success in large, complex strategic accounts.
Proven track record of closing multi-million-dollar enterprise software, cloud, security or infrastructure transactions.
Demonstrated experience managing a major global account or a small portfolio of highly strategic enterprise customers.
Existing and current relationships within SAP are highly desirable, combined with the ability to build new executive relationships across multiple functions and organizational levels.
Deep understanding of how global technology companies purchase and adopt enterprise solutions, including central and regional decision rights, procurement processes, vendor management and complex budget structures.
Experience protecting and expanding a significant installed base, including strategic renewals, enterprise agreements and multi-year growth plans.
Demonstrated ability to develop trusted relationships at CxO and senior executive level.
Strong understanding of SAP’s business model, enterprise software portfolio, cloud transformation and technology ecosystem is highly desirable.
Ability to connect Security and Observability capabilities to strategic business outcomes such as operational resilience, service reliability, cyber risk reduction, cloud transformation and customer experience.
Demonstrated ability to orchestrate international, cross-functional account teams toward shared outcomes without direct authority.
Experience managing complex sales engagements through structured account plans, close plans, mutual action plans and executive governance.
Strong AI fluency, including the ability to position AI-enabled customer value and use AI tools effectively for account research, strategy and execution.
Mastery of MEDDPICC or an equivalent enterprise sales qualification methodology.
Boardroom-ready executive presence and the ability to communicate complex technical and commercial topics clearly and persuasively.
Strong negotiation, stakeholder-management and conflict-resolution skills.
Accurate forecasting and consistent delivery against commitments across long and complex sales cycles.
Deep understanding of enterprise IT environments, including cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, observability, data platforms and digital transformation.
Experience in SaaS, cybersecurity, observability or enterprise infrastructure is strongly preferred.
Experience working with strategic technology partners and global system integrators; experience collaborating with Cisco is a plus.
Strong operational discipline and proficiency with Salesforce or comparable enterprise CRM platforms.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience; an advanced degree is a plus.
Fluent in German and English, both written and spoken.
Willingness to travel within Germany and internationally.
Splunk, a Cisco company, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected status.
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.
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