Sales Account Director – Strategic Deals Team

ABOUT WIND RIVER 

Wind River is a global leader in delivering software for mission-critical intelligent systems. For more than four decades, the company has been an innovator and pioneer, powering billions of systems that require the highest levels of security, safety, and reliability.  

Wind River helps customers across automotive, aerospace, defense, industrial, medical, and telecommunications industries solve complex technology challenges on their journey toward the new intelligent machine economy. The company’s software powers generation after generation of the safest, most secure systems in the world.  Examples include playing a key role in NASA space missions such as Artemis I, the James Webb Space Telescope, and multiple Mars rovers. We’ve achieved recent 5G milestones including the world’s first successful 5G data session with Verizon and building one of the largest Open RAN networks in the world with Vodafone. 

The company has received industry recognition for its technology innovation and leadership, and for its workplace culture, including global Great Place to Work certification and being named a “Top Workplace” for ten consecutive years. If you want to be part of a unique culture where the lived experience is based on our cultural attributes of growth mindset, customer-focus, and diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging, come join us and help advance the future software defined world. 

 
YOUR ROLE

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Sales Account Director to join our Strategic Deals Team, focused on selling Wind River Cloud Platform, VxWorks, and eLxr solutions. This role is designed for a sales professional with a proven track record of closing large-scale deals (>$10M TCV), strong experience in collaborating with partners to deliver complex solutions, and a deep understanding of enterprise sales.

The ideal candidate will have over 15 years of experience selling into Enterprise accounts, with additional expertise in Industrial, Telco, Automotive, and Government sectors. As part of this team, you will drive 10-15 large-scale engagements annually, supporting transformative initiatives in industries critical to our growth strategy.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Strategic Deals Strategy & Execution: 
  • Develop and execute sales strategies for high-value opportunities ($10M+ TCV).
  • Drive adoption of Wind River’s Cloud Platform, VxWorks, and eLxr solutions within target industries.
  • Identify and qualify strategic opportunities in Enterprise, Auto, Telco, Industrial, and Government verticals.
  • Act as the primary account owner, orchestrating resources and partnerships to deliver results.
• Partner Collaboration: 
  • Collaborate with strategic partners to design and deliver complex, integrated solutions that meet customer needs.
  • Leverage partner ecosystems to enhance the value proposition of Wind River’s offerings in competitive environments.
• Customer Engagement: 
  • Build trusted relationships with C-suite executives, technical stakeholders, and business decision-makers.
  • Present Wind River’s solutions in the context of business value, demonstrating ROI and alignment with customer goals.
  • Navigate complex sales cycles and lead contract negotiations to closure.
• Market Focus: 
  • Focus on 10-15 large engagements annually across industries such as Automotive, Telco, Industrial, and Enterprise.
  • Prioritize Enterprise sales as a core competency while leveraging expertise in Industrial, Telco, Auto, and Government sectors.
• Team & Pipeline Management: 
  • Collaborate with the Strategic Deals Team to share insights, coordinate efforts, and maintain visibility on progress.
  • Accurately forecast sales opportunities, using CRM tools to track progress and maintain disciplined pipeline management.

HOW YOU WILL CONTRIBUTE 

Key skills and competencies for succeeding in this role are:

• Experience: 
  • Minimum of 15 years in enterprise sales, with a proven track record of consistently closing $10M+ TCV deals.
  • Demonstrated success in selling complex solutions in Enterprise, with additional experience in Industrial, Telco, Auto, and Government.
  • Experience working with partners to design and deliver complex, multi-stakeholder solutions.
• Domain Expertise: 
  • Deep understanding of cloud-native technologies, real-time operating systems (RTOS), and hybrid environments.
  • Familiarity with Wind River solutions, including Cloud Platform, VxWorks, and eLxr, is highly preferred.
• Skills: 
  • XXX and English language proficiency.
  • Exceptional strategic selling skills with the ability to position technical solutions to solve business challenges.
  • Strong relationship-building capabilities with customers, partners, and internal teams.
  • Excellent presentation, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Mindset: 
  • Results-driven with a passion for driving large-scale engagements and complex sales.
  • Highly collaborative, with the ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Proven experience in selling to Enterprise customers is a must-have.
• Experience in Automotive, Telco, Industrial, or Government sectors is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of Kubernetes, microservices architecture, and containerization technologies is a plus.

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Aptiv is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.