Channel Account Executive - Switzerland & Austria

About the Role

This position is the first Channel Account Executive (CAE) in the region and therefor a critical, highly strategic sales role responsible for managing and growing the company's relationships with third-party partners—including Value Added Resellers (VARs) —to drive indirect revenue growth for our enterprise software solutions within the SMB segment in Switzerland and Austria.

This role functions as the primary link between Workday and the partner ecosystem, requiring a blend of strong sales and demand generation approach, strategic relationship management, and deep market knowledge.

Your Key Responsibilities:

Opportunity Management and Execution (The Sales Driver)

• Opportunity Creation and Management: Identify and sell to customers through our partners, working to register, qualify, and sell complex enterprise opportunities through the entire sales cycle.

• Enablement and Training: Collaborate with VAR resources to deliver comprehensive sales, product, and technical training to customers, ensuring they are fully equipped to position and sell Workday.

• Forecasting and Pipeline: Maintain a consistent and accurate sales forecast for all VAR business in Austria and Switzerland.

• Market Insights: Identify and analyse growth industries and relevant trends in the target market, pin-point hidden champions in the SMB sector with a strong growth potential and fit to our product offerings.

Relationship Management and Advocacy (The Trusted Advisor)

• Nurture Executive Relationships: Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with executive leadership, sales management, and key stakeholders within the partner organizations.

• Solution Orientation: Proactively manage potential channel challenges by establishing clear rules of engagement and facilitating resolution between partners and the direct sales organization to create a smooth customer experience.

• Partner Advocacy: Serve as the "voice of the partner" internally, communicating partner needs and market feedback to internal teams such as Field Sales, Product Management, Marketing, and Customer Success.

Partner Strategy and Business Planning in Close Collaboration with the Partner Sales Team (The Strategic View)

• Recruitment and Onboarding: Actively identify, recruit, and onboard new partners who align with geographic, industry, and technical gaps in the existing channel network to expand market reach.

• Develop and Implement Joint Business Plans: Create, maintain, and follow through with annual and quarterly business plans (QBPs) with top-tier partners, including defined revenue targets, marketing activities, training schedules, and pipeline generation goals.

• Performance Management: Lead the overall performance of the assigned partner portfolio, regularly supervising and reporting on partner sales activity, pipeline health, and key performance indicators.

About You

Basic Qualifications

• Experience: 5+ years of demonstrable success in channel sales, partner management, or business development within the enterprise software, SaaS, or technology sector.

• Industry Knowledge: Proven ability to understand and articulate the business value of complex enterprise software solutions (e.g., Cloud ERP, Analytics, Industry-specific SaaS).

• Sales Excellence: Verifiable track record of meeting or exceeding multi-million dollar annual sales or channel revenue quotas.

• Higher education or equivalent experience in Business, Marketing, or a related field; a technical degree practical experience is a plus.

• Tool Proficiency: Expertise in using CRM software (e.g., Salesforce, Dynamics) for pipeline management, forecasting, and reporting

• Communication: Excellent verbal and written language skills in German and English

Additional Qualifications:

• Strong executive presence and presentation skills; comfortable engaging with C-level audiences.

• Curiosity and high interest in AI solutions so

• Deep understanding of different partner business models (VAR, SI, MSP, OEM, Distributor) and how to drive profitability for each.

• Proven track record in working effectively in a highly matrixed organization, getting results through influence rather than direct authority.

• Willingness and ability to travel up to 50% within the assigned territory.

Our Offer

• Competitive remuneration, restricted stock units & an ESPP

• Health insurance for employees and their families, pension plan & more

• Flexible working hours and work from home option

• A powerful product, named as a leader by Gartner for Cloud HCM Suites, Cloud Core Financial Management Suites and Cloud Financial Planning and Analysis

• Structured employee onboarding & Workday sales academy to ensure a quick and successful ramp up

• Team events, employee assistance program, perks/discounts offerings, free fresh fruit & snacks in our office locations and more

Pursuant to applicable Fair Chance law, Workday will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.