Strategic Account Executive, Telco - France

About the Job:

Red Hat is seeking a highly driven Strategic Account Manager to join our Telco Business Group based in Paris, France. This is a unique opportunity to lead growth and develop transformative business opportunities within the Orange Group. Working as a vital part of the Global Account team (GAM-led), you will specifically drive impact across Orange Middle East & Africa (OMEA) and country-independent domains—including Group Network, Global IT, and Orange Business.
We are looking for a strong "hunter" with exceptional commercial skills who can navigate complex international organizations, build executive relationships, and execute large-scale transformational deals. This role is not just about selling Red Hat solutions—it’s about adding real value to Orange as a strategic partner in their journey toward cloud-native telecommunications.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead the Orange Africa Strategy: Serve as Red Hat’s sales leader for the Orange Africa footprint and global cross-functional domains, driving business growth and strengthening our strategic partnership
• Orchestrate Matrixed Teams: Lead and influence a team of Solution Architects, Delivery Executives, Services Managers, and Support Associates to deliver a unified "One Red Hat" experience to Orange.
• Negotiate Large-Scale Deals: Shape and negotiate complex, multi-country transformational deals that deliver high value for both Red Hat and the Orange Group.
• Strategic Alignment: Develop and implement multi-year account strategies in close alignment with the Global Account Manager (GAM) and the broader Telco Business Group.
• Executive Relationship Management: Build and maintain "trusted advisor" relationships with key executives across Orange Group HQ and regional leadership in Africa.
• Commercial Subject Matter Expertise: Foster growth in deal size and serve as an expert on commercial arrangements, particularly for country-independent domains.
• Collaborative Innovation: Partner with marketing, operations, and partner teams to improve internal standards and identify expansion opportunities in Network (NFV), IT, and B2B segments.

What You Will Bring:

• Telco Sales Track Record: At least 10+ years of sales experience in the telecommunications industry, with a proven history of exceeding revenue targets.
• Orange Ecosystem Knowledge: Deep understanding of the Orange Group, including Orange Middle East & Africa (OMEA), Orange Business, and Group-level Network/IT functions.
• Navigational Expertise: Proven experience managing complex, international sales cycles and navigating matrixed organizational structures.
• Influence & Relationships: Established executive relationships and a strong ability to influence stakeholders at the Group level.
• Linguistic Skills: Excellent communication, persuasion, and negotiation skills in French and English.
• Strategic Savvy: Strong character with the political savvy required to operate effectively within a large, global organization like Orange.
• Leadership Mindset: A commitment to continuous learning, mentoring, and developing the account team.
• Ready to travel 50% within the region

Why Join Us

At Red Hat, you’ll have the chance to transform the telco landscape across Europe and Africa alongside an experienced EMEA team. You will be part of an organization that values innovation, collaboration, and strategic thinking—helping Orange achieve its digital transformation goals while driving Red Hat’s global growth in the most exciting emerging markets.

#LI-MR3

About Red Hat

Red Hat is the world’s leading provider of enterpriseopen source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to deliver high-performing Linux, cloud, container, and Kubernetes technologies. Spread across 40+ countries, our associates work flexibly across work environments, from in-office, to office-flex, to fully remote, depending on the requirements of their role. Red Hatters are encouraged to bring their best ideas, no matter their title or tenure. We're a leader in open source because of our open and inclusive environment. We hire creative, passionate people ready to contribute their ideas, help solve complex problems, and make an impact.

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