How to Apply

Please Note: This is a term-limited position for a duration of approximately 12 months from the date of hire; dependent upon the availability of work and funding.

To apply for this position, please include a copy of your resume and cover letter (make this the first page of your resume) and click the Apply Now button above. (Your salary will be determined by your qualifications, experience, and education.)

This position is eligible for telework.

Summary

Come join a team of passionate individuals at a non-profit serving Michigan's public Universities and Colleges, K-12 EDU, Libraries, Governmental, Healthcare and other Michigan Non-profit organizations for over 56 years! You will play an important role in the Merit team, as a dynamic, creative team member, ready to contribute to and accomplish the mission of Merit.

Reporting to the Director of Member Engagement, you will identify and execute efforts to support the needs and strategies required of potential and existing commercial entities engaged in the Moonshot Initiative activities to address the digital divide for Michigan communities. You will coordinate activities related to broadband expansion, business development, and strategic engagement. You will develop and implement strategic plans to include analysis of commercial customer needs and service requirements, including ongoing outreach and support. You will be the primary account manager for important accounts also supporting strategy, business development, service sales, product development guidance, and customer recruitment to support the following:

• Commercial Customer Engagement - Sales & Account Management outreach activities
• Merit Services sales
• New Customer acquisition
• Commercial market engagement & business development activities related to broadband expansion

You will work both independently and within a team environment and across the organization with other Merit departments. You should be able to manage multiple projects and opportunities, and be able to prioritize and manage your work schedule in a fast-paced environment.

You will become a Subject Matter Expert related to local and regional strategic ecosystem building as it relates to broadband network and security technology services, community impact and broadband infrastructure. In addition to care and maintenance of existing customer organizations, you will focus on the development of broadband community ecosystems and strategic relationships throughout the state.

We're looking for team members that can multi task, be proactive, and show willingness to grow.

Please Note: This position can be a teleworking position or can be based in our Ann Arbor, MI location and will require regular travel within the Northern Region within Michigan.

To learn more about Merit Network, please visit our website: https://www.merit.edu/

What You'll Do

Essential functions for this position are followed be an (E).

As the Commercial Engagement Manager, your main responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Engagement & Procurement Activities (60%):

• Be the primary contact for existing and potential customer accounts and related strategic partners (E)
• Develop and implement a personal production strategic sales plan.
• Deliver highly focused customer service with key stakeholders within customer and prospective customer organizations. (E)
• Achieve revenue generation and customer growth targets through account management, outreach and business development activities. (E)
• Develop and implement a business plan to grow customer base and expand adoption of Merit Moonshot related services. (E)
• Engage with decision makers and technical staff to provide consultation on all needs of Merit services and network connections. (E)
• Manage with self-sufficiency through the sales process of inquiry, discovery, quoting, presentation and closing by providing pre and post-sales outreach. (This includes RFP responses and quotes). (E)
• Develop, qualify and close service sales leads, achieving sale and account management goals set forth by management. (E)
• Document all sales and engagement related activities, support documents and progress in CRM, with accurate judgment of projected close dates and contract amounts. (E)
• Work with internal support team to coordinate quoting, installation and support activities. (E)
• Attend and conduct lead generation activities at conferences and events in Michigan and nationally.
• Present relevant content at meetings, training sessions, and events.
• Connect intra-state activities in a strategic and cohesive manner within your peer Engagement Manager team, escalating opportunities to Merit leadership as needed.
• Responsible for association engagement with economic development corporations, chambers of commerce, small business associations, and similar regional and statewide planning organizations.

Sales Engineering (20%):

• Conduct and determine scope definition, analysis of customer requirements, network designs, performance projections, customer satisfaction measures, and project management. (E)
• Facilitate technical sales support discussion with Merit engineers, as required.
• Acquire and maintain understanding of Broadband Network and Security technologies and services. (E)

Other Duties (20%):

• Provide useful product enhancement insight and guidance for Moonshot services portfolio to Merit staff as identified through engagement activities, industry knowledge, & product trends.
• Develop Subject Matter Expertise in the focus area of Merit's Moonshot services portfolio.
• Maintain knowledge about growing technology trends in the Moonshot services portfolio.
• Identify diversification and growth opportunities for Merit's Moonshot service portfolio and collaboration ecosystem.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designated to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education, certification, and experience.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in consultative sales of technology products.
• Minimum of four (4) years of experience in account management, customer service, out-bound sales or equivalent hands-on, in-person consulting experience.
• Demonstrated experience strengthening ties with existing clients and cultivating customers in multiple sectors of the market.
• Demonstrated experience in a technical outreach role including writing, preparing, and responding to proposals, and coordinating meetings with various IT and technical departments to manage and finalize projects.
• Interact with individuals at all levels of an organization on technical and strategic discussion topics, involving Merit Executive Management as needed.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills (particularly related to technical subjects).
• Demonstrated excellence in presentation skills.
• Ability to work in a collaborative process to respond, track, and manage customer requests and communications, in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated performance in revenue generation, retention and customer recruiting.
• Fluency with MS Office applications, email, shared calendaring, CRM, and other collaborative applications. Experience with Visio and a plus.
• Willingness to understand and to improve knowledge of Merit's services portfolio and technologies to be communicate about them to the Merit Community.
• Business development and consulting experience related to community building, programs, public private partnership relations, and technology related projects.

Desired Qualifications*

• Understanding of Network and Security technologies and services.
• Experience with state and national agencies and associations.
• Experience being a trusted representative to external individuals and groups.
• Experience in marketing and/or sales of technology products and/or services to small and medium sized businesses internet service providers.
• In depth knowledge on federal funding programs for broadband infrastructure investment such as those outlined in the Federal Infrastructure Bill and the American Rescue Plan Act.
• Some knowledge of the State of Michigan Broadband Roadmap and the State of Michigan Broadband Initiatives.
• Experience in product launches and expansions, new product market positioning, or product go-to-market strategies.
• Knowledge of modern broadband industry practices; including technical, economic and market trends in the broadband industry.
• Some knowledge of broadband network operations, and service provider business models.
• Telecommunications experience
• Portfolio of existing relationships with local, regional or statewide network operators

Additional Information

We are committed to offering a high-quality benefits package to support staff and their families. Learn more about our 2:1 retirement matching, healthcare plans with nationwide coverage including prescription drug coverage, multiple dental plans, a vision plan, flexible spending account, well-being programs, long-term disability, automatic life insurance, general legal services, multiple early childhood centers, time away from work and work-life programs to promote balance. Learn more at http://careers.umich.edu/benefits/

Relocation assistance is not available for this position.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by you (with or without accommodations) to perform the essential functions of the job.

You must frequently work at a computer station, answer telephone calls, emails, and other forms of customer/client communication. You may on occasion move items of varying sizes and weights throughout the office or building.

Travel

Regular travel within the state of Michigan is required. Travel is primarily within the state of Michigan during the business day, although some out-of-the-area and overnight travel may be expected.

Background Screening

The University of Michigan/Merit Network conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third-party administrator to conduct background checks in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for at least seven (7) calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.