Account Executive, Startups

Do you love working with Startups to achieve their business outcomes? As the Account Executive for Startups you will lead and orchestrate the One Microsoft team efforts to drive ambitious growth and wins with start-ups on the Microsoft Azure Cloud Platform. With the aid of best-in-class sales processes, techniques and technologies, you will be empowered to shape relationships for a strategic set of Microsofts startups. You will serve as the point of contact for the startups across engagements helping to drive Microsofts existing cloud and enterprise consumption. This senior role will partner closely with our Microsoft for Startups teams and programs as well as additional members in Engineering, Marketing, Partners, Finance and Legal, Business Desk, across Microsoft.

This is a unique opportunity for a customer-oriented strategic thinker to help identify unique prospects and execute Microsoft cloud deals that drive significant publicity, competitive share, and revenue for the Microsoft Azure platform. This team at Microsoft is at the leading edge of our business and one of the fastest growing and most exciting groups in the company. We operate like a “startup” within Microsoft and the team driving this initiative is incredibly entrepreneurial and high-performing. Senior leaders across Microsoft are making an incredible commitment to this initiative and we are rapidly scaling this program, looking for new talent to join our rapidly expanding team. This role is flexible in that you can work up to 100% from home in the following markets: Boston, Dallas, Austin, Houston, Fort Lauderdale. Relocation assistance is not provided for this role.

About the team:

In Small, Medium, Corporate (SMC) and Digital Sales, we have set out with the purpose of empowering our customers through the unique value of the Microsoft Cloud by building a globally led, digital-first scale organization aligned with partners. Dedicated to one of the fastest growing customer segments, SMC and Digital Sales is on pace to be Microsofts next $100 billion-dollar business – this is where you come in. As part of local subsidiaries or Digital Sales centers around the world, you will support a dedicated set of customers in identifying and achieving their business objectives through best-in-class digital engagement and partner co-selling. You will also have an opportunity to work cross-collaboratively while living our shared SMC and Digital Sales Culture priorities: Diversity and Inclusivity, Wellbeing, Sustainability, and Learning. If you have been described as customer obsessed and have a passion for digital-first solutions, we invite you to learn more about the SMC and Digital Sales organization and the value we deliver to our customers, partners, and one another, every day.

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

Growth & Transformation Business Leader and Startup Advocate:

Proactively engage with the start-ups and Digital Customer Success Managers to accelerate revenue growth, drive business outcomes, while the goal of helping startups realize their full potential.

Trusted Business & Technical Advisor:

Earn and maintain trust with startup founders by understanding their needs and addressing them with the right Microsoft solutions, operating with high empathy for founders to build mutually winning scenarios for startups as well as Microsoft. Provide technical advisory to startup business owners, leveraging a 200-level understanding of cloud solutions. This includes comprehensive knowledge of Azure cloud solution offerings, ensuring clients receive informed guidance on Infrastructure, Applications, Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Cybersecurity to support their business objectives.

Deal Negotiator and Closer:

Lead negotiation with existing startups in mid to long-term planning to form a strategically constructed deal. Engage and negotiate internally with key stakeholders (e.g., product, engineering, finance, legal, sales, marketing) to move opportunities forward with. Coordinate with all necessary internal stakeholders in the deal to assure that the deal is closed successfully and in a compliant manner.

Stakeholder Management:

Ensure high potential startups have access to the right resources across Customer Architects, Engineering and Product Groups.

Sales Leader:

Ensure each startup has a valuable and strategic relationship with Microsoft; driving business growth and transformation through strategic thinking, sales execution, and influence.

Strategic Thinker and Market Expert:

Accountable for identifying growth opportunities with high potential startups leveraging deep domain/industry knowledge to develop creative and innovative solutions for startups to improve optimization and workflow. Proactively demonstrates thought leadership, opportunities for improvement, best practices, and learnings internally and externally as appropriate.

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications

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

OR Bachelors Degree in Business, Technology, or related field AND 3 years experience working in a relevant industry (e.g., Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Energy, Government, Education) and/or driving digital transformation

OR Masters Degree in Business Administration AND 2 years experience working in an industry (e.g., Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Energy, Government, Education) and/or driving digital transformation

OR equivalent experience.

4 years of experience selling Azure cloud solutions or equivalent platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP), covering areas such as Infrastructure, Applications, Data, Artificial Intelligence, or Cybersecurity.

Additional or Preferred Qualifications

8 years experience working in an industry (e.g., Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Energy, Government, Education), driving digital transformation, or other relevant work experience (e.g., consulting, technology)

OR Bachelors Degree in Business, Technology, or related field AND 6 years experience working in an industry (e.g., Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Energy, Government, Education), driving digital transformation, or other relevant work experience (e.g., consulting, technology)

OR Masters Degree in Business Administration AND 4 years experience working in an industry (e.g., Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Energy, Government, Education), driving digital transformation, or other relevant work experience (e.g., consulting, technology)

OR equivalent experience.

7 years’ experience working in a matrixed organization, preferably in the technology industry.

4 years experience working in a Startup industry driving digital transformation, or other relevant work experience (e.g., consulting, technology)

A deep understanding of the startup trends in the respective market

Experience in Power Platforms and Microsoft Teams.

An ability to speak to and engage effectively with leadership from different industries as well as first-time founders

Results-oriented with keen attention to detail and organizational skills

Experience working in a rapidly-scaling environment with multiple variables in play

Effective written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate across all levels of an organization

Account Management IC4 – The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $106,100 – $185,400 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 $144,000 – $203,500 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until October 30, 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) .