Job Description
Mission Management, Business Development - Higher Education (Bay Area - California)
Do you thrive in a complex, highly collaborative technology sales environment? Do you want to help universities and colleges accelerate research, transform the student experience, and modernize their campuses?
What you'll achieve (Responsibilities)
• Serve as the primary subject matter expert for higher education missions, leveraging your real-world experience with universities, colleges, and research organizations to shape mission-aligned solution strategies.
• Build deep, executive-level relationships with institutional decision makers (president/chancellor staff, provosts, CIOs, CISOs, VPs for research, deans, institutional research leaders) to understand mission priorities and long-range technology roadmaps.
• Assist institutions and partners in constructing holistic solutions tailored to:
o Research Computing / Data & AI (e.g., HPC, AI/ML platforms, large-scale research data storage and management, secure collaboration with other institutions and federal labs)
o Digital Campus / Student Experience (e.g., learning management systems, VDI for labs and classrooms, modern classroom technologies, student success analytics, smart campus and safety initiatives)
• Translate mission needs (e.g., research competitiveness, time-to-discovery, student access and success, digital campus operations) into scalable solution patterns that can be replicated across institutions, systems, and consortia.
• Partner closely with Dell account teams, solution architects, and business development to:
o Identify and shape high-impact opportunities in R1/R2 universities, academic medical centers, community colleges, and system offices
o Align Dell's portfolio (infrastructure, multicloud, edge, data protection, AI/ML, digital workspace) to institutional missions
o Support strategic pursuits, executive briefings, and long-term account planning focused on research, digital learning, and campus modernization
• Leverage your knowledge of the higher education mission environment to help sales and leadership anticipate future needs, with emphasis on:
o Advanced research computing and data-intensive science
o AI/ML and analytics for research, operations, and student success
o Digital learning platforms and hybrid teaching models
o Cybersecurity, data protection, and regulatory compliance in academic and research contexts
• Perform critical problem-solving across sales, delivery, execution, and risk reduction, ensuring solutions are realistic within higher ed constraints (governance, funding models, grants, shared governance).
• Act as a bridge between the field and Dell's internal teams, providing feedback on higher ed mission trends (e.g., AI in research, data-intensive disciplines, enrollment and retention pressures, digital learning initiatives) to shape roadmaps, offerings, and partner strategies.
• Drive collaboration with ecosystem partners (research and education networks, major software vendors, systems integrators, cloud partners) to co-create solutions aligned to higher ed missions and large-scale research and digital campus programs.
Take the first step toward your dream career (Requirements)
• Significant mission-relevant experience within Higher Education or closely related research environments, including engagement with:
o Research computing and data organizations (e.g., HPC centers, research IT, core facilities, campus research computing teams)
o Academic leadership or central IT organizations (CIO/CISO offices, teaching and learning centers, institutional research, digital learning initiatives)
o Student experience and digital campus programs (e.g., LMS and classroom tech modernization, student success analytics, smart campus and safety)
o Research collaborations with federal labs, consortia, or multi-institution projects
• Demonstrated ability to connect institutional mission objectives (research excellence, student success, operational efficiency, institutional resilience) to technology strategies and architectures.
• Strong track record working in or with higher ed or research technology environments, which may include:
o HPC, AI/ML, or data-intensive research platforms
o Storage, data protection, and data management for large research and institutional datasets
o Digital learning platforms, virtual desktops/labs, and classroom modernization initiatives
o Cybersecurity, identity and access management, and compliance in academic environments
• Ability to operate at the executive level with institutional leaders while engaging deeply with technical, research, and operational stakeholders.
• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills - able to frame Dell's capabilities in language that resonates with higher ed missions, funding models (tuition, research grants, philanthropy, state support), and governance structures.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a large matrix environment, coordinating across sales, presales, services, partners, and corporate functions.
• Executive management/leadership experience and/or business development or strategic program experience in higher ed, research, or public sector strongly preferred.
• Typically requires significant related experience in higher education, research organizations, or equivalent mission environments; advanced degree or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred.
• Familiarity with higher ed and research security/compliance considerations (e.g., data use agreements, export control awareness, IRB/PI data stewardship expectations) is a plus.
