S&PP S&C Pricing Architect - Europe

S&PP S&C Pricing Architect - Europe

Career Level 7 Manager

Location - London

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services. With our thought leadership and culture of innovation, we apply industry expertise, diverse skill sets and next-generation technology to each business challenge.

We believe in inclusion and diversity and supporting the whole person. Our core values comprise of Stewardship, Best People, Client Value Creation, One Global Network, Respect for the Individual and Integrity. Year after year, Accenture is recognized worldwide not just for business performance but for inclusion and diversity too.

“Across the globe, one thing is universally true of the people of Accenture: We care deeply about what we do and the impact we have with our clients and with the communities in which we work and live. It is personal to all of us.” – Julie Sweet, Accenture CEO

Job Summary:

Sales & Pricing Performance provides end-to-end sales and pricing effectiveness, sales operations, and analytics services. S&PP partners with teams around the world to deliver insights, improve acumen and win profitable deals.

Accenture Pricing Architects are a highly visible group with a mission to develop and implement strategies and tactics that enable Accenture deal teams to maximize profitability and achieve desired outcomes for our clients through compelling, market-based pricing and commercial propositions. This drives key strategic and tactical decisions related to pricing and profitability for a given geography, working across industries and services groups with a focus on building relationships, knowledge, and insights about each commercial environment. Market, Services, and Market Unit leads are trusted advisors within their respective Leadership teams.

Primary responsibilities include:

Core Service Execution

• Market Pricing Strategy and Execution: Support senior leadership in defining Accenture’s pricing approach to maximize profitable growth across Client Groups.

• Deal Pricing Strategy and Execution: S&C Pricing Architects design and implement commercial strategies to enhance profitability, overseeing price positioning and client optics, deal shaping, deal qualification activities and financial structuring.

• Competitive Positioning: Competitive Pricing Architects build a point of view about competitor pricing and capabilities, derive deal-specific Accenture price target based on differentiation, and work with stakeholders to achieve target.

• Rate Card Strategy and Development: Rate Card Pricing Architects design and develop client rate cards for account teams.

Drive and manage programs that improve sales

• Identify and drive sales & pricing performance improvements by developing and implementing best practices, process and reporting

• Support sales professionals/leaders in understanding client requirements, constraints, buyer values and high-level acceptability criteria for any solution

• Work with Solution Delivery and Sales teams in identification, analysis, solution, business case development, proposal preparation and presentation to clients

• Manage sales materials and credentials and coordinate the RFI/RFP/proposal response completion with sales teams, Solution Architects, delivery managers, and Sales Support teams

• Define, monitor and analyze program metrics, targets and strategic imperatives based on fiscal year plans as well as structure and/or review the cost models to achieve the most competitive price

Operational Execution

• With MU and Service Leadership, proactively manage the pipeline to ensure accuracy, identify trends (including but not limited to deal sizes, MD time, ADR / CCI, pyramids, commercial constructs etc.), and provide insight on opportunities for optimization both overall and across priority deals.

• Guide Pricing Support team in developing pricing and commercial propositions for bids and proposals, demonstrating the greatest value to clients and driving market-based pricing.

• Build and maintain strong relationships both internally within the practice and externally with clients.

Other Service Offerings

• Education: Support upskilling of client-facing practitioners and internal teams involved in sales & pricing, equipping them with the context and confidence to defend market-based pricing.

• Negotiations: Provide coaching on negotiation tactics and walk-away points and directly participate in client and/or procurement negotiations on a limited basis.

• Deal Profitability Triage: For specific opportunities identified by the Market and/or opportunities below deal level targets, identify avenues to increase price and/or margin on the opportunity across all aspects (e.g., solution, costing, commercials).

• TPA Benchmark Defense: Lead/support client/account teams through a Third Party Advisor (TPA) benchmark of an existing contract or a sole source pursuit on a limited basis.

Support sales

• Build credible relationships and manage interface with Sales Lead(s), Legal, Finance, Contracting, Human Resources, Recruiting, Marketing, and other internal organizations, as well as clients, as appropriate

Knowledge & Skill Requirements:

• Competitive Analysis: ADVANCED

• Deal Shaping: INTERMEDIATE

• Executive Presence: INTERMEDIATE

• Market Intelligence: ADVANCED

• Negotiation: INTERMEDIATE

• Pricing & Commercial Strategy Development: ADVANCED

• Pricing & Profitability Optimization: ADVANCED

What Makes a Good Pricing Architect?

• Experience working in a senior role with "deal shaping" expertise. Is great at educating and influencing other leaders, to change behaviors in line with desired outcomes. "Grew up" and made Manager on the line.

• Highly knowledgeable about the key components of a deal that can enhance profitability, with proven ability to structure different pricing arrangements

• Enjoys the hunt - thrives on negotiation, but recognizes a good negotiation should be a win/win

• Consummate Learner AND Teacher - we want people who are intellectually curious and quick studies, with a mindset and drive to aggressively change behaviors toward market-relevant pricing

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with gravitas, confidence and credibility to engage and take on commercial negotiations with senior client decision makers and procurement teams

• Well-connected within their practice and viewed as an equal among the deal team - it is best for the practice lead to identify potential candidates (i.e. hand-select the bottle from the cellar)

What’s in it for you

At Accenture in addition to a competitive basic salary, you will also have an extensive benefits package which includes 30 days’ vacation per year, gym subsidy, private medical insurance and 3 extra days leave per year for charitable work of your choice!

Flexibility and mobility are required to deliver this role as there will be requirements to spend time onsite with our clients and partners to enable delivery of the first-class services we are known for.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 674,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at accenture.com

Accenture is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of society and does not discriminate on grounds of race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, or gender identity, or any other basis as protected by applicable law.

Closing Date for Applications 25/2/2023

Accenture reserves the right to close the role prior to this date should a suitable applicant be found.