Senior Global Account Director

This is an incredible opportunity to be part of a company that has been at the forefront of AI and high-performance data storage innovation for over two decades. DataDirect Networks (DDN) is a global market leader renowned for powering many of the world's most demanding AI data centers, in industries ranging from life sciences and healthcare to financial services, autonomous cars, Government, academia, research and manufacturing.

"DDN's A3I solutions are transforming the landscape of AI infrastructure." – IDC 

“The real differentiator is DDN. I never hesitate to recommend DDN. DDN is the de facto name for AI Storage in high performance environments” - Marc Hamilton, VP, Solutions Architecture & Engineering | NVIDIA 

DDN is the global leader in AI and multi-cloud data management at scale. Our cutting-edge data intelligence platform is designed to accelerate AI workloads, enabling organizations to extract maximum value from their data. With a proven track record of performance, reliability, and scalability, DDN empowers businesses to tackle the most challenging AI and data-intensive workloads with confidence. 

Our success is driven by our unwavering commitment to innovation, customer-centricity, and a team of passionate professionals who bring their expertise and dedication to every project. This is a chance to make a significant impact at a company that is shaping the future of AI and data management. 

Our commitment to innovation, customer success, and market leadership makes this an exciting and rewarding role for a driven professional looking to make a lasting impact in the world of AI and data storage. 

DDN is seeking a Sr. Global Account Director (Sr. GAD), EMEA to own the end-to-end (360°) partner relationship across a portfolio of Tier 1 Global System Integrators (GSIs) in EMEA—anchored by Bull/Eviden, Capgemini, Sopra Steria, Accenture, Deloitte, TCS, HCL, and Infosys (plus additional GSIs as assigned). This is a senior, outcomes-first role responsible for building and scaling joint go-to-market execution, accelerating partner-sourced and partner-influenced revenue, and operationalizing repeatable, field-integrated deal motions across priority industries and countries.

You will operate as part of an Elite Team—DDN’s force-multiplier partner organization—built to deliver a world-class partner experience that accelerates outcomes, expands impact, and drives revenue at scale. You will serve as the bridge between partner leadership and DDN’s EMEA sales organization, ensuring the right partner resources show up in the right deals at the right time—with measurable business outcomes.

This role requires strong operating rigor and working familiarity with MEDDPICC to ensure pipeline quality, deal inspection discipline, mutual close plans, and predictable execution.

Key Outcomes / Measures of Success

• Partner-sourced + partner co-sell + bookings and GACV attributable to the assigned GSI portfolio
• Pipeline creation, progression, and quality across EMEA (MEDDPICC discipline, mutual close plans, and clean CRM hygiene)
• Net-new logo creation and strategic account penetration with EMEA field leadership and country teams
• Repeatable joint solutions/offers (reference architectures, packaged services, accelerators) that scale across EMEA
• Partner practice development (enablement, certifications, delivery readiness, and expanded partner-led delivery capacity)
• Executive alignment and partner sentiment (trusted-advisor status; active C-level interlocks and governance)
• Operational excellence (weekly cadence, QBRs, scorecards, and MBO delivery)

Responsibilities (Strategic 80% / Operational 20%)

80% Strategic Priorities (Build + Scale the Business)

• Own the EMEA business plan for each assigned GSI, aligned to DDN priorities, partner investment strategy, and annual revenue targets.
• Drive joint pipeline and revenue by embedding GSIs into DDN’s top pursuits and creating partner-led opportunities that generate net-new demand.
• Establish executive alignment and C-level interlocks across partners and DDN; orchestrate executive briefings, annual planning, and escalation pathways.
• Create repeatable GTM motions across EMEA: target account selection, joint pursuit strategy, coverage alignment, and country/industry engagement plans.
• Build offerings and IP: co-develop partner + DDN solutions, accelerators, and reference architectures that differentiate DDN and scale delivery.
• Accelerate practice development: grow partner capability through enablement, certifications, labs/CoEs, and deployment playbooks (partner technical + sales).
• Align ecosystem partners (e.g., NVIDIA, cloud providers, OEMs, NCPs) to enable multi-party wins and lighthouse customer outcomes.
• Drive internal alignment across Sales, SE, Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Services to remove blockers and scale what works across EMEA.

20% Operational Priorities (Run the Execution Engine)

• Pipeline management & deal inspection: maintain a joint pipeline with clear sourced/influenced attribution; run MEDDPICC-based inspection and mutual close planning.
• Operate the cadence: weekly execution reviews, monthly governance, and quarterly QBRs with scorecards, KPIs, and next-quarter priorities.
• Field engagement: align with theaters, regions, and country leaders; drive territory strategy, joint account planning, and active deal motion.
• Deal registration & process ownership: ensure partner-sourced/influenced processes are executed cleanly and consistently.
• Commercial and contract coordination: support scalable partner commercial constructs in partnership with Legal/Finance and ensure execution follow-through.
• Marketing and event activation: plan and execute campaigns, co-branded events, and executive programs that produce measurable pipeline.

Core Working Cadence (Elite Team Standard)

• Weekly commentary: progress, risks, asks, and next actions by partner and by priority pursuits
• Joint pipeline reviews with clear deal ownership, stage progression, and MEDDPICC gaps-to-green
• Quarterly business reviews (QBRs) with scorecards and MBO tracking
• Executive briefings with clear decision points and measurable outcomes
• Enablement plans tied to certifications, delivery readiness, and field adoption

What You Bring

• 10+ years leading strategic alliances, partner sales, or ecosystem GTM with Tier 1 GSIs in EMEA (experience with Bull/Eviden, Capgemini as well as one or more of the named partners preferred).
• Proven track record driving material partner-sourced/co-sell pipeline and revenue in complex enterprise motions.
• Ability to build and sustain executive relationships and operate as a trusted advisor to senior partner and customer stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success orchestrating multi-party deal cycles with sales, engineering, product, and partners across a matrixed environment.
• Working familiarity with MEDDPICC (or equivalent) and the discipline to enforce qualification, mutual close plans, and pipeline integrity.
• Domain fluency in AI infrastructure, data platforms, cloud ecosystems, and enterprise architecture; able to translate differentiation into business outcomes.
• Strong operating rigor: business planning, KPI ownership, and execution excellence across regions/industries.
• High ownership mindset: self-starter, accountable, urgent, and relentlessly customer/partner-focused.
• Bi-Lingual (Fluent in French, English a must)

DDN has a very strong orientation towards these 4 characteristics and any successful employee will demonstrate these capabilities: 

Self-Starter - Takes independent action to identify and solve problems. Seeks out relevant information needed to make decisions. Gets involved with new initiatives. 

Success/Achievement Orientation - Delivers quality results consistently. Targets, achieves (or exceeds) measurable results. Sets challenging goals, focuses on critical priorities, and is accountable. 

Problem Solving - Recognizes problems and responds with a systematic assessment that identifies and addresses cause of issue. Practical, realistic, and resourceful. 

Innovative - Builds and improves key business processes that enhance the effectiveness of DDN. Generates new ideas, challenges the status quo, and solves problems creatively.

DataDirect Networks, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, sex stereotyping, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

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