Technical Bid Manager (Professional Services)

Company Description

Arista Networks is an industry leader in data-driven, client-to-cloud networking for large data center, campus and routing environments. What sets us apart is our relentless pursuit of innovation. We leverage the latest advancements in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and software-defined networking to provide our clients with a competitive edge in an increasingly interconnected world. Our solutions are designed to not only meet the current demands of the digital landscape but to also anticipate and adapt to future challenges.

At Arista we value the diversity of thought and perspectives that each employee brings to the table. We believe that fostering an inclusive environment, where individuals from various backgrounds and experiences feel welcome, is essential for driving creativity and innovation.

Our commitment to excellence has earned us several prestigious awards, such as Best Engineering Team, Best Company for Diversity, Compensation, and Work-Life Balance. At Arista, we take pride in our track record of success and strive to maintain the highest standards of quality and performance in everything we do.

Job Description

Who You'll Work With

As part of Arista Networks Professional Services organization, the Bid Manager (BM) is responsible for executing the PS Pre-Sales process and requires the sales and technical expertise to manage requirements gathering, scoping and estimating efforts for Arista solutions. The PS Bid Manager (BM) works under the direction and guidance of the PS Business Development Manager (BDM) and PS Strategic Delivery Advisor (SDA) and is responsible for executing the day-to-day PS pre-sales process. 

Primary activities include hands-on operational tasks required to accurately scope, estimate, and track opportunities from initial request through contract booking, keeping Kantata and PS pre-sales artifacts up-to-date, coordinating and contributing to responses to requests for proposals, statements of work, contracts and quotes on PS opportunities, documentation approval workflows with legal, and handoff to project delivery. 

Key indicators for success include meeting SLAs, Sales Team satisfaction, pre-sales documentation accuracy and completeness and other internal and external customer satisfaction metrics. 

Alternate Locations: Atlanta, GA | Austin, TX | Boston, MA | Charlotte, NC | Columbus, OH | Chicago, IL | Denver, CO

PS Bid Manager Responsibilities

• Opportunity Triage & Processing:
  • Effectively manages multiple simultaneous requests by processing and triaging services requests coming in from Sales and Partners.
• System & Database Maintenance:
  • Accountable for setting up and keeping Kantata fully up-to-date based on SFDC Opportunity information.
  • They must maintain accurate database information on all opportunities specifically for forecasting purposes.
• Scoping, Estimating & Pricing: 
  • Tactically establishes the project scope-of-work, RACI matrices, estimates, and pricing to meet exact customer specifications. 
• They are also tasked with maintaining updated metrics for internal and external rates required to quote and scope these projects.
• Responsible for RFP coordination and submissions.
• Document Generation & Approval Routing: 
  • Responsible for processing RFP responses generated by the BDMs, generating Statements of Work (SOWs), contracts and obtaining legal approvals. 
  • They must ensure all necessary approvals and coordination are completely obtained prior with Legal for Custom SOW submissions and against the LOE Sheet for CPQ quotes.
• Pipeline Reporting: 
  • Maintains accurate forecast data based on SFDC sales stages and close dates and Kantata data.
• Resource Coordination & Handoffs: 
  • Negotiates with department heads to assign personnel to opportunities ready to be resourced and delivered. 
  • Once a deal is booked, they conduct project handoff and kickoff meetings with the PS Project Delivery Lead and technical staff.
• Communication & Administration:
  • Establishes timely written communications with team members and provides regular status updates to ensure information is properly disseminated.
• Tools and Processes:
  • Maintaining internal PS tools and templates aimed to streamline the intake process 

Qualifications

General Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years managing high-tech professional services (technical services, advanced services) projects, performing PS bid management or project management functions.
• 5+ years in an integration or OEM environment selling or managing delivery of large scale networking related projects (Data Center, Campus (Wifi), SDWAN) in the Enterprise or Service Provider markets 
• Strong writing and organizational skills - attention to detail – disciplined.
• Preferred big management experience from an Arista Networks competitor. 
• G Suite Tools, Kantata, SalesForce CRM tool usage skills required.
• Preferred Education: Technical Degree (e.g., Bachelor of Science) or equivalent preferred, along with ongoing network vendor products training/certifications. PMI or project management-related certifications are desirable

Skills and Competencies

The Arista Professional Services Bid Manager possesses the following skills and competencies:

• Strong management experience – directing complex projects, team building and conflict management, managing third party partners and suppliers.
• Strong communication skills with both technical and sales teams as well as experience w/direct customer contact, negotiations & presentations.
• Strong leadership, organizational and motivational skills. 
• Strong writing skills primarily in articulating a proposed solution and representing process and tasks in contracts/statements of work
• Strong business skills related to budget forecasting, purchasing and cost control disciplines

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Additional Information

Arista stands out as an engineering-centric company. Our leadership, including founders and engineering managers, are all engineers who understand sound software engineering principles and the importance of doing things right.

We hire globally into our diverse team. At Arista, engineers have complete ownership of their projects. Our management structure is flat and streamlined, and software engineering is led by those who understand it best. We prioritize the development and utilization of test automation tools.

Our engineers have access to every part of the company, providing opportunities to work across various domains. Arista is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with development offices in Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, and the US. We consider all our R&D centers equal in stature.

Join us to shape the future of networking and be part of a culture that values invention, quality, respect, and fun.

Arista Networks is an equal opportunity employer.  Arista makes all hiring and employment-related decisions in a non-discriminatory manner without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or any other factor determined to be unlawful under applicable federal, state, or law law.  All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.