Business Unit Manager

Position:Business Unit Manager

Job Description:

To provide management functions that include all areas as they pertain to the Business Unit excluding management of the lecturers and sales but including all other resources and systems that are implemented for the ultimate successful marketing, sales, and delivery of Business Unit training solutions.Location:Johannesburg - Adcorp PlaceContract Type:PermanentMinimum Requirements:

Experience:

• Must be proficient in the use of MS Office suite at an advanced level
• Must have significant experience and understanding of the IT training industry specifically around the primary vendors whose authorized training Torque IT facilitates. This includes the associated certification paths and lecturer certification and "learning partner" requirements
• Must have significant vendor relationship management and project management experience
• Must have significant problem-solving experience
• 5+ years' experience in an IT training industry is required
• Industry related exposure is required
• Previous interaction/liaison with marketing will be advantageous
• An understanding of a sales environment is required with the ability to look for new business opportunities to grow the vendor technologies
• Must have a technical understanding of the following technologies and the ability to engage in technical conversations: AWS, REDHAT, VEAAM, VMWare, CISCO, Python and Linux.
• Must have a strong admin proficiency

Qualification:

•  Grade 12

Additional Requirements:

N/A

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Maintaining a Business Unit offering that is current, relevant, and that is constantly evolving
• Ensuring that all aspects of training take place utilizing the correct skills, equipment, and space whilst at all times maximizing efficiency. This includes training that takes place in the Torque IT branches as well as offsite training that takes place at customer sites and remote locations
• The ultimate training and development of the sales team to better understand the Business Unit product sets in their entirety and in doing so empowering sales to better position and sell off the shelf and customized Training Solutions
• Achieving the above through product training, attending client meetings, proposal writing, sales support through the creation and constant maintenance of various sales focused paraphernalia that is relevant and current to assist sales to better understand and position Business Unit Training Solutions. These include course outlines, certification path guides, data sheets, and partner programme guides
• Working with the accounts team in order to ensure that internal processes are followed and that invoices are available for the redemption of associated learning credits.
• Engaging the courseware coordinator on a weekly basis to get the Business Unit student kit orders placed for the purpose of formulating accurate weekly forecasts
• Building and maintaining a strong relationship with the Business Unit channel
• Ensuring that all financial targets, for the Business Unit, as set by the Financial Director are achieved
• Designing of training solutions for tenders and comprehensive training proposals
• Adhering to the Business Unit Partner Business Plan and ensuring that the vendor key performance indicators are met
• Managing all aspects of the employment including appointing, training, mentoring, tasking, evaluating, managing, motivating and disciplining your team member
• It is the responsibility of the Business Unit Manager to maintain a strong and constant focus on efficiency, sustainability, and quality whilst driving growth and capacity and being mindful of the responsibility to ensure that contingency planning is in place.
• In addition to the above, this position is responsible for ensuring that all operational, administrative, and managerial functions around Business Unit solutions are implemented in line with the above.
• Full responsibility for all areas of the relationship with the vendor resides in this role, the aim of which is to align the offering and solutions with the vendor's requirements and focus areas.
• All aspects of the success of direct vendor training programs is the responsibility of the Business Unit Manager. For illustration purposes only, an example of such a program is Student2Business or the relevant technology. This includes curriculum development, contract negotiation, recruitment, project management, administration, logistics, invoicing, delegate support, and employer feedback and relations.
• The above responsibilities also pertain to house accounts where sales are excluded from the sales process. For illustration purposes the UN training programs are identified as a case in point.
• In all cases it is the ultimate responsibility of the Business Unit Manager to see that professional Business Unit training solutions take place and that all administrative, logistical, and resource requirements are met.
• Ensure that all Business Unit targets, as set by the Financial Director, are achieved
• Attend scheduled internal meetings with the General Manager, Technical Director, Sales Team, and Operations Team
• Provide Technical Director with performance reports and statistics as they relate to prior periods of prior years, to the business plans, and to the current target
• Provide Technical Director with a monthly Business Unit Training competitors report outlining local market intelligence
• Ensure that the Business Unit Business Plan is maintained, updated, and that all deliverables in the business plan are either met or exceeded
• Provide vendors with accurate forecasting details where required
• Work closely with General Manager, Regional and National Sales Managers to ensure the effective promotion of the relevant BU product to Torque IT clients
• Ensure that information that pertains to the Business Unit on both the Partner portal and Torque IT website, is relevant and up to date including all company information, staffing, contacts and resources
• Ensure that all sales tools necessary within product set are always current and relevant: Course Outlines, Certification paths / data sheets and vendor partner programmes to have the necessary information for solutions
• The Business Unit Manager is responsible for developing and growing the sales within the channel
• Researching new training offerings and ensure development plans are implemented to attain certified lecturers to train the courses in question
• Work with vendors and internal Account Managers to provide feedback from clients on new products and industry trends that Torque IT should consider as well as sales leads
• Meet and communicate to internal and external clients at all levels (up to board level) relevant to the product and provide points of contact, sales marketing literature, training as well as presentations and on-going updates on the Business Unit product portfolio
• Work with customers to assist them in attaining their required vendor partner status, thus increasing their need for training
• Responsible for attaining revenue from Learning Credit vendor programs
• Populate training schedules across all branches
• Building a relationships and meeting with the relevant people at the vendor on a monthly basis to ensure that Torque IT is top of mind and that they are aware of our initiatives; Business Unit Manager to identify and support collaboration efforts between the teams and relevant Torque IT key players
• Building a strong relationship with the Microsoft channel and the employees within responsible for servicing that channel
• Represent Torque IT at Business Unit and other related industry body meetings and network with client representatives with the objective of developing business relationships
• Fully understand the objectives of all the forums that Torque IT subscribes to and effectively position this as an integral part of Torque IT's positioning in the market as a training solutions provider
• Initiate partnerships with external partners (where necessary) to grow the Business Unit business for Torque IT
• Participate in the local and worldwide Business Unit Partner awards submission
• Formulate and present professional and competitive proposals for Business Unit training solutions for on and off-site training solutions as well as for specialised / customized training
• Remain committed to your own personal development and maintain current and relevant knowledge with regard to Business Unit training and industry trends for the purpose of innovation and keeping the company offering competitive
• Maintain a technical understanding of the training products that form part of the Business Unit portfolio, including the partner programme, and attend relevant training sessions when required
• Understand Vendors new product release calendar and ensure that new courses are launched when they become available
• Provide a practical framework for identifying, planning, delivering and supporting exam implementations
• Ensure that operational requirements of vendors are met in relation to all exams undertaken in our exam centres
• To ensure that all financial obligations or activities of exams are carried out effectively and in line with Torque IT procedures, including associated invoicing requirements through managing exam purchasing logbooks
• Carry out examination invigilation when required
• Reporting of all examination irregularities pertaining to the relevant exam bodies
• Managing the booking of international exams, this includes ensuring the candidates meets the relevant prerequisite for examinations, ensuring that candidate register for examinations and ensuring continuous support regarding exam results and exam certificates
• Effectively integrate and manage a Vendor Learning Management System to Torque IT's TAS system in order to provide the business with a consistent, stable, well-built and above all usable learning management systems
• Define processes with clearly documented accountability for activities involved in delivering exams to increase efficiency
• Identifying alternative sales avenues for further promotion of the Business Unit training product portfolio
• Ensure that procurement of equipment related to your product sets are done through the most efficient and cost-effective model possible. This requires a thorough understanding of the various equipment procurement programmes and supplier options
• Be responsible for increasing Business Unit sales within the Partner community
• Identifying alternative sales avenues for further promotion of the Business Unit range such as the hosting of First Look Clinics, Hands on Labs and workshops to promote the adoption of newer product releases within our Client base
• Initiate and proactively drive newer technology releases in co-operation with Marketing and Sales
• Be a knowledgeable resource for the sales team on the products and the opportunities that exist within the Business Unit partner and customer base
• Assisting the sales team to identify opportunities in existing "named" accounts and to assist them in selling software assurance training solutions into these accounts
• Assist the sales team by visiting key clients on a regular basis, and providing them with a solution based sell from a technical and solutions standpoint
• Design of Business Unit training solutions for client requests, tenders, sales support, and the creation of comprehensive and competitive training proposals
• Providing the sales team with continual training and product support to ensure that they are able to sell effectively
• Attend and participate in Sales meetings
• Schedule strategic trips to the Cape Town and Pretoria branches for product training and to attend client meetings
• Continued assessment of customer queries received from the web.  Prompt response to these enquiries with the most fitting solution
• Deal with training needs that the vendor might have in terms of their internal requirements
• Upload and maintain Business Unit contact information on the current CRM system
• Inform the Training Manager of Business Unit training opportunities and events that will be beneficial for the trainers to attend
• Inform the Training Manager of upcoming product releases and projected timelines so that training resources can be earmarked timeously
• Attend scheduling meetings and make decisions regarding cancellation and scheduling (Non- Scheduled Requests & Date Requests) of courses
• Oversee Monday registration process
• Assist Training Manager with hire of facility requests and communicate requirements to all relevant parties
• Communicate with Training Manager to ensure all instructor logistics are arranged. Coordinate all aspects as they pertain to onsite training in various locations in Africa. This includes all logistics, administrative, and operational tasks
• Assist lecturers with queries and challenges and interact with the lecturers as subject matter experts, where intervention is required
• Update lecturers on their training weeks where applicable
• Develop and give input on marketing ideas as they pertain to your business unit – to enhance visibility, encourage collaboration efforts and strengthen relationships
• Initiate co-delivery of a Marketing Plan – drive to share Marketing Strategies and costs with vendors where possible
• Assist in securing, planning, and participating in vendor events.
• Attend and represent Torque IT at vendor events
• Manage all elements of assistant's employment including but not limited to timekeeping, leave, discipline, daily deliverables
• Maintain and update assistants job description as the role evolves and have him / her sign same
• Mentor assistant and ensure that sufficient training, knowledge transfer, and guidance is available and takes place to allow him / her to perform all functions as specified in their job description
• Perform a sanity check on all work that is performed by your assistant and take full responsibility for the work performed by your assistant. This includes weekly alignment checks of courses scheduled on Master schedule vs. public schedule vs. TAS vs. any vendor managed schedule
• Provide any support necessary to other business units within Torque IT
• Maintain relationships with various key stakeholders internally and externally
• Financial accountability including action plans on how to achieve financial targets, managing costs, equipment and tools for lectures, etc.
• Analysing sales trends

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