Strategic Account Executive

About the Role

Creates and leads strategies for high-impact/high-profile accounts that yield high-volume sales and open new opportunities for both Microsoft and its partners, aligned to goals, outcomes, and forecasts. Proactively builds and expands a strategic network of key internal and external partners and decision-makers. Develops a deep understanding of customers' industries and priorities to identify opportunities for optimizations and new digitalizations based on customers' strategies. Engages internal teams to accelerate co-innovation and digital transformation. Cultivates and manages a strategic set of relationships using Microsoft business-value sales strategies. Leverages a strong knowledge of Microsoft's product landscape, solutions, and strategy to generate insights and address customer needs. Manages the development and application of a dynamic customer plan. Collaborates across organizations and partners to impact the broader ecosystem. Leverages relationships with leaders to shape long-term strategic direction. Expands strategic customer relationships to drive larger impact. Anticipates and resolves issues/risks on customer satisfaction. Owns the development of strategies that showcase the value of Microsoft's cloud offerings. Leverages internal networks of industry experts.

Key Responsibilities

• Account Management
• Leads efforts with key internal and external partners, including vertical industry partners and technical decision-makers, in developing, sharing, and promoting mutually beneficial, long-term, tailored account plans.
• Collaborates across the organization and partners in discussions to impact the broader ecosystem.
• 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.
• Leads and coordinates a diverse team on plan execution and drives accountability.
• Manages the development and application of a mature/dynamic multi-year customer account plan.
• Leads strategies for the assigned account that yield high-volume sales and open new opportunities.
• Proactively solicits feedback on additional needs, products, and features.
• Demonstrates a strong understanding of the customer's business model to articulate growth opportunities.
• Influences relevant stakeholders and resources to drive change on behalf of the customer.
• Proactively expands strategic network of key internal and external partners and decision-makers.
• Competitive Knowledge
• Leverages internal network of industry experts to strengthen knowledge of the industry, competitors (e.g., AWS, Salesforce), and customer business priorities.
• Leverages in-depth knowledge of Microsoft's offerings to share knowledge internally, influence customers' business capabilities, and drive more competitive solutions.
• Customer Engagement
• Proactively develops a strong, comprehensive understanding of customer's business needs, priorities, strategies, and industry insights.
• Anticipates customer's needs to deliver new insights on their business strategy.
• Shows long-term differentiated value for the customer.
• Elevates stakeholder relationships and uses Microsoft sales strategies through multiple levels of the customer's organization to secure buy-in and execution.
• Expands strategic customer relationships to drive larger impact for the customer.
• Sales Excellence
• Leverages understanding of customer business and engages Microsoft decision-makers to drive customer's strategy, goals, and optimization.
• Engages and influences decision-makers of the account (e.g., senior leaders, executives) to position Microsoft and tailor solutions that satisfy customers' KPIs.
• Orchestrates the creation of long-term strategies aimed at building loyalty.
• Anticipates issues/risks on customer satisfaction, determines root cause, removes blockers, and establishes recovery action plans.
• Builds trust and loyalty with the customer by providing insights, challenging when necessary, and introducing innovative ideas.
• Enables customers to provide feedback directly to executives through open communication channels and executive sponsorship.
• Creates and qualifies new opportunities by identifying strategic opportunities within accounts.
• Drives new business opportunities across the team by creating a partner ecosystem.
• Orchestrates high-impact solutions that enable digital transformation for assigned accounts.
• Owns the development of strategies that showcase the value added by Microsoft's innovative cloud offerings.
• Brings the ecosystem together with the customer to discuss how to enrich customer's value.
• Earns and maintains status as a trusted advisor to C-level business decision makers.
• Mobilizes and mentors the account management team and relevant internal stakeholders with deep industry expertise.
• Leverages best-in-class sales and communication strategies and tools.
• Builds new relationships to create new opportunities and expand relationships within the customer.
• Uses business cases to develop and present compelling value proposition presentations and specialized business plans for customers.
• Strategic Thinking
• Articulates Microsoft's and partners' point of view and creates deep connections with decision-makers throughout multiple levels of the customers' organization.
• Leverages relationships to address complex political blockers and drive execution.
• Engages in strategic discussions by articulating ideas to evolve customer business models, using Microsoft capabilities to solve 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.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's 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
• Master's 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
• 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 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.
• Other Requirements
• This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.
• Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States that does not now or in the future require employer sponsorship.
• Preferred Qualifications
• Bachelor's 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
• Master's 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.