Sales Specialist - Data Streaming Platform

Overview

IBM Global Sales combines innovation, collaboration, and expertise to assist clients in solving their toughest business problems. Working internationally across multiple industries, you will partner with colleagues, clients, and partners to develop digital transformation solutions with lasting impact. Success here requires curiosity, empathy, and collaboration, merging technical insight with strong interpersonal skills to build trusted relationships and craft impactful business solutions. IBM provides comprehensive onboarding, continuous learning opportunities, and a supportive environment to help advance your career. Join us in this passionate global team dedicated to driving innovation and positive change.

Role Responsibilities

• Design and implement a regional go-to-market strategy for Data Streaming Platform (DSP) sales, focusing on key personas and aligning with strategic goals to capture workloads from Data Lake, Data Warehouse, and ETL/Reverse ETL vendors and prepare AI-ready data.
• Establish clear targets, key market segments, KPIs, and develop focused sales campaigns using direct selling, digital marketing, and partner channels to increase awareness and interest in Confluent's DSP offerings.
• Initiate and secure new streaming projects by engaging with organizational stakeholders to understand their challenges and objectives, providing tailored solutions that highlight the advantages of using Confluent’s platform for transforming raw data into meaningful operational, AI, and analytics-ready data.
• Proactively generate and nurture a pipeline of prospective clients by identifying and qualifying potential partners based on their market influence, technical abilities, and alignment with Confluent's goals.
• Establish and nurture strategic, long-term partnerships with key decision-makers to foster mutually beneficial agreements that drive revenue growth for both parties.
• Effectively promote Confluent’s DSP capabilities by articulating their value proposition to both technical and business stakeholders within partner organizations, emphasizing the benefits of Kafka and Confluent for DSP workloads.
• Prepare and deliver impactful sales presentations tailored to the priorities and needs of each prospective partner, demonstrating partnership revenue potential.
• Collaborate closely with partners to create joint go-to-market strategies, marketing initiatives, and sales enablement efforts.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of the evolving data streaming landscape, emerging technologies, and market competition to keep strategies current.

Preferred Education

Master's degree preferred.

Required Technical and Professional Qualifications

• Proven success in selling analytics software, especially within data infrastructure, databases, open-source, messaging, or big data sectors.
• A proactive 'hunter' sales approach with a consistent record of identifying, qualifying, and closing new business deals.
• Strong technical understanding of data streaming, Kafka, and the Confluent platform, capable of communicating complex technical benefits to diverse audiences.
• Ability to confidently engage and influence senior executives within partner organizations.
• Excellent communication and presentation talents to articulate complex technical concepts compellingly.
• Demonstrated skills in aligning business value to achieve beneficial agreements matching Confluent’s objectives.
• Experience in fast-paced, rapidly growing tech or startup environments.

Preferred Experience

• Deep knowledge of acquisition agreements and integration terms to support strategic decisions.
• Background in analyzing and optimizing incentive plans to align with corporate goals.
• Proven ability to build and sustain stakeholder relationships facilitating smooth technical integration and transitions.