Strategic Client Director – Retail & Consumer Goods

Join the Retail & Consumer Goods Organization as an Strategic Client Director, you will have the opportunity to drive Transformation in partnership with our most Strategic customers with a focus on AI, Copilot and Security, to achieve both Microsoft and customer business outcomes.

Leveraging your large, multi-functional team across the breadth of the Microsoft solutions portfolio, engage at the most senior levels of your customer and bring industry-relevant solutions to help the customer adopt and embrace digital technologies.

With a proven history of driving growth in market share, achieving sales targets, customer obsession, and partner collaboration, this role will give the opportunity to leverage your extensive customer network and sales experience to execute against your customer’s account plan.

Microsoft’s Enterprise Account Team focuses on partnering with customers to achieve strategic goals. This team is responsible for providing a differentiated Customer experience for our customers, delivering solutions that result in targeted business outcomes and driving revenue growth for Microsoft.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

Sales Excellence

Orchestrates high-impact solutions that enable digital transformation for assigned accounts and drive outcomes that create business value for customers. Owns the development of strategies that showcase the value added by Microsofts innovative cloud offerings and ideas grounded on a deep understanding of industry trends and based on account needs and customers expectations. Brings greater ecosystem together with the customer to discuss how to enrich customers value to their customers.

Orchestrates the creation of long-term strategies aimed at building a level of loyalty that would be hard for competitors to overcome. Anticipates issues/risks on customer satisfaction, determines the root cause of problems, removes blockers, and establishes recovery action plan to improve customers overall experience. Builds trust and loyalty with the customer by providing up-to-date insights, challenging the customer when necessary, and introducing innovative ideas relevant to the customers business strategy. Enables customers to provide feedback directly to executives to help transform account space by establishing open communication channels for feedback, providing executive sponsorship, and providing direction to others to ensure customer feedback is addressed through One Microsoft approach.

Leverages understanding of customer business and engages Microsoft decision makers to drive customers strategy, goals, and optimization. Engages and influences decision makers of the account (e.g., senior leaders, executives) to position Microsoft to increase customers budget allocated to Microsoft, and tailor solutions that satisfy customers Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Earns and maintains status as a trusted advisor to C-level business decision makers of the assigned account by bringing innovative ideas and leveraging industry expertise. Mobilizes and mentors the account management team and relevant internal stakeholders with deep industry expertise to build deep partnerships with decision makers of the assigned account. Leverages best-in-class sales and communication strategies and tools to meet business needs and identify new opportunities. Builds new relationships to create new opportunities and expand relationships within the customer.

Creates and qualifies new opportunities by identifying strategic opportunities (e.g., large, long-term) within accounts and guiding the customer on how to best identify new opportunities, leveraging deep customer and industry relationships and consultative selling skills. Drives new business opportunities across the team by creating a partner ecosystem, and empowers team members to find new opportunities by acting as a role model and by setting a clear vision and energy for the team to drive towards.

Uses business cases to develop and present compelling value proposition presentations and specialized business plans for customers that showcase Microsofts products and solutions to connect decision makers in the account to the broader Microsoft solutions, provide thought leadership to guide others on tailoring presentations, and generate new opportunities.

Competitive Knowledge

Leverages internal network of industry experts to strengthen knowledge of the industry (e.g., emerging trends), competitors (e.g., AWS, Salesforce) and customer business priorities (e.g., challenges, competitive landscape) and leverages in-depth knowledge of Microsofts offerings (e.g., product landscape, solutions, strategy to address customer needs) to share knowledge internally, influence customers business capabilities, drive more competitive solutions, and enhance growth of the account team.

Account Management

Proactively solicits feedback on additional needs, products, and features to develop targeted strategies for customers. Demonstrates an indepth understanding of the customers business model to articulate growth opportunities, leveraging industry expertise to shape ecosystem. Influences relevant (internal and external) stakeholders and resources to drive change on behalf of the customer and to enhance team capabilities, improve Microsoft offerings, and adapt Microsofts messaging to the assigned account.

Leads efforts with key internal and external partners and business including vertical industry partners with technical decision makers in developing, sharing, and promoting mutually beneficial, long-term, tailored account plans to grow sales and partner impact, leveraging deep relationships, influence, and industry expertise. Collaborates across organization and partners in discussions to impact the broader ecosystem (e.g., passing legislation).

Proactively expands strategic network of key internal and external partners and decision makers, including vertical industry partners, to ensure execution of core tasks and account transactions and to provide a comprehensive account management experience.

Manages the development and application of a mature/dynamic multi-year customer account plan based on proven methodologies to manage a sustainable, long-term business portfolio. Leads strategies for the assigned account that yield high-volume sales and open new opportunities for both Microsoft and the partners, aligned to goals, budgets, and forecasts.

Orchestrates the execution of strategies for the assigned account to ensure engagements yield high-volume sales, drive plans to increase revenue potential, and open new opportunities for both Microsoft and the partners, aligned to goals, budgets, and forecasts. Leads and coordinates a diverse team (e.g., industry experts) on plan execution (e.g., prioritization, delegation) and drives accountability to execute and deliver on account plans and grow the account, leveraging industry expertise.

Customer Engagement

Proactively develops a comprehensive understanding of customers business needs, priorities, strategies, and industry insights. Anticipates customers needs to deliver new insights on their business strategy, and educate customers on ways to address them jointly. Shows long-term differentiated value for the customer, leveraging industry expertise and guides internal colleagues on ways to develop deeper customer knowledge. Delivers solutions into overall long-term business strategy.

Proactively elevates stakeholder relationships and uses Microsoft sales strategies through multiple levels of the customers organization to secure buy-in and execution. Expands strategic customer relationships to drive larger impact for the customer and spread into other areas of the organization.

Strategic Thinking

Articulates Microsofts and partners point of view and creates deep connections with decision makers throughout multiple levels of the customers organization to drive purchase decisions and increase interaction and participation, leveraging relevant tools and resources (e.g., LinkedIn). Leverages relationships to address complex political blockers and drive execution for the customer.

Engages in strategic discussions by articulating ideas to evolve and facilitate evolution of customer business model, using Microsoft capabilities to solve customers complex business problems. Drives strategic initiatives to promote a more holistic digital approach between Microsoft and the customer.

Leverages unique, strategic, industry-focused business insights and opportunities to create long-term, competitive advantage for the customer.

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications

13 years experience in working in an industry (e.g., Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Energy, Government, Education, Technology) and/or driving digital transformation

OR Bachelors Degree AND 10 years experience working in an industry (e.g., Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Energy, Government, Education, Technology) and/or driving digital transformation

OR Masters Degree AND 9 years experience working in an industry (e.g., Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Energy, Government, Education, Technology) and/or driving digital transformation

OR equivalent experience.

6 years experience making recommendations to and/or collaborating with mid-to-senior level executives.

8 years experience closing large, complex agreements/deals.

Additional or Preferred Qualifications

Bachelors Degree AND 13 years experience working in an industry (e.g., Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Energy, Government, Education, Technology) and/or driving digital transformation

OR Masters Degree AND 11 years experience working in an industry (e.g., Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Energy, Government, Education, Technology) and/or driving digital transformation

OR equivalent experience.

Strategic Account Management IC5 – The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $130,000 – $217,600 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $168,600 – $237,500 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: US corporate pay information | Microsoft Careers (https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/us-corporate-pay.html)

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until October 21, 2024.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations (https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/accessibility.html) .