Global Sales Senior Director - Strategic AI Portfolio (Hitachi iQ)

The Role

Hitachi Vantara is seeking a dynamic and transformational Global Sales Leader to drive the growth of our Strategic AI Portfolio, anchored by our Hitachi iQ AI infrastructure and solutions.

The Global Sales Leader will report to the AI Business Leader and lead a high-performing, globally distributed team comprised of technical overlays and direct sales resources. The leader will drive a bold new sales culture, accelerate pipeline creation (targeting 4.5X pipeline coverage), and establish a winning go-to-market model focused on acquiring new customers and expanding current relationships across key verticals including BFSI, healthcare, and manufacturing.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Sales Leadership:
Develop and execute a comprehensive global sales strategy to deliver aggressive topline growth and meet/exceed revenue targets for Hitachi's AI solutions and infrastructure.

Team Development &Transformation:
Lead, reorganize, andexpand a global sales overlay and direct sales team (currently 15+), fostering an aggressive, high-growth culture while building organizational capability for scale.

Go-to-Market Execution:
Drive both direct andchannel engagement models. Partner closely with regional GEO leaders, core sales, marketing, and alliances to capture new business opportunities and accelerate market penetration.

Pipeline Generation & Management:
Own pipeline creation, qualification, and progression-targeting 3-5X coverage at all times and tracking against clear KPIs (pipeline growth, YoY growth, gross revenue, profitability).

Customer Focus:
Lead efforts to acquire new enterprise customers while growing and upselling existing accounts, with emphasis on universal verticals and a focus on BFSI, healthcare, and manufacturing.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:
Act as the voice of the field, gathering requirements and market intelligence to influence roadmap priorities in partnership with the GM, CTO, marketing, and alliances.

Sales Operations & Culture:
Instill a high-performance, results-driven culture. Define sales processes, adopt best-in-class tools and methodologies, and establish regular operating cadences for forecasting, reporting, and performance management.

Key Qualifications

Proven track record driving high-growth sales organizations to $80M+ annual revenue, ideally within AI, data infrastructure, or enterprise technology sectors.

Experience leading, restructuring, and scaling globally distributed direct and overlay sales teams.

Demonstrated ability to create and execute successful sales strategies that drive net-new logo acquisition and expansion of existing accounts.

Strong understanding of AI solutions-including infrastructure, platforms, and industry-specific use cases.

Deep experience in both direct sales and channel/partner engagement models.

Executive presence with ability to collaborate at the C-level and influence cross-functional partners.

Data-driven approach to pipeline management, forecasting, and sales operations.

Willingness and ability to travel globally up to 50%.

Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.

Year 1 Success Metrics

Successful reorganization and upskilling of the existing team and onboarding of new talent.

Pipeline creation and management to 4-5X coverage of revenue targets.

Progress against AOP and stretch goals for gross revenue.

Demonstrated shift toward a more aggressive, high-growth sales culture.