Distribution Sales Account Manager
AI Summary
About Us Sophos is a cybersecurity leader defending 600,000 organizations globally with an AI-driven platform and expert-led services. Sophos meets organizations wherever they are in their security maturity and grows with them to defeat cyberattacks.
About this role
The Distribution Sales Account Manager (DAM) is responsible for owning and scaling Sophos Italy’s volume partner ecosystem, working primarily through the distributor network.
The DAM acts as the central bridge between distributors, Channel Account Executives, and Commercial teams. Success in this role is driven by renewals execution, partner activation, automation, and scale, rather than traditional one‑to‑one account ownership. The ideal candidate is a confident channel professional who can influence without authority, manage complexity, and operate effectively in a high‑volume environment.
What You Will Do
Distributor Management & Partner Coverage: ensure distributors actively manage the Sophos Distribution Managed Partner base, implementing scalable and automated processes to identify, progress, and close opportunities, particularly in the sub‑100‑user segment.
Partner Recruitment & Enablement: motivate and develop distributors to identify, onboard, and equip new partners. Ensure sales and technical teams are fully enabled, go‑to‑market ready, and have streamlined access to training and certification programs.
MSP Growth: partner with the Sophos MSP team to ensure distributors are actively recruiting and onboarding new MSPs, and supporting existing resellers as they transition to an MSP model when appropriate.
Renewals & Customer Success: drive high renewal rates and build structured engagement plans that align Sophos and partner teams with renewal insights to uncover incremental new business and cross‑sell opportunities.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: work closely with Sales and broader Channel teams to ensure distributors are fully aligned with Sophos’ business priorities and contribute effectively to customer success initiatives.
Business Performance Reviews: conduct monthly business reviews (MBRs) with each distributor and a comprehensive quarterly business review (QBR) to assess performance against agreed business plans and identify areas for optimization.
Operational Excellence: ensure distributors deliver fast and accurate responses to quotes and inquiries, collaborating with Sophos channel colleagues and high‑touch sales teams to progress pipeline and strategic opportunities.
Rebate Planning & Governance: contribute to quarterly distributor rebate program development and monitor attainment throughout the fiscal year to ensure targets remain relevant and achievable.
What You Will Bring
Experience
• Proven experience in a channel, distributor, or partner led sales model, ideally within technology or cybersecurity
• Demonstrated success managing high volume partner ecosystems or indirect channels, accelerating partner onboarding to first billing
• Strong understanding of renewals, partner activation, and lifecycle management with proven ability to drive renewals execution through distributors, reducing leakage and improving renewal retention
• Experience working cross functionally within a matrixed organisation
• Comfort operating with ambiguity and ability to scale partner engagement through automation, structured programmes, and tooling rather than named account ownership
• Track record of delivering partner enablement, including webinars, virtual sessions, and in person recruitment events
Key Competencies
• Influence without authority – able to drive outcomes through distributors and partners
• Commercial judgement – prioritises effort effectively in a volume environment
• Process & automation mindset – leverages tools and structure to scale impact
• Relationship management – credible, trusted, and professional with distributors and partners
• Adaptability & intelligence – able to handle complexity, change, and competing priorities
Communication & Language
• Fluent Italian – essential for credibility with partners and distributors
• Fluent English – required for daily collaboration with EMEA and Ireland based stakeholders
• Confident public speaker – comfortable presenting to groups in webinars, partner events, and recruitment sessions
This role offers high visibility, significant ownership, and the opportunity to shape how Sophos scales its volume partner ecosystem across Italy.