Strategic Account Director - EMEA Digital Natives

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. Our culture is centered on embracing a growth mindset, being diverse and inclusive and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. Growth mindset encourages each of us to lean in and learn what matters most to our customers, to create the foundational knowledge that enables us to make customer-first decisions in everything we do. In doing so, we create life-changing innovations that impact billions of lives around the world. You can help us achieve our mission.

Microsoft believes that Digital Native Startups and Unicorns have the potential to change the world. These companies are transforming e-commerce, fintech, social media, gaming and more. They have given us cutting edge applications that are changing the way we live and work. With the Microsoft Cloud, we aspire to empower every Startup and Unicorn to innovate and scale on our platform, and to grow through our regional ecosystem of customers, developers, partners, and investors.

As a Digital Native Enterprise Strategic Account Executive, you will have the opportunity to drive digital technology in partnership with your key customer, 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.

Be part of a dynamic, world-class community that will enable you to learn, collaborate, and contribute with the top minds in the industry. As the Digital Native Strategic Account Executive, you will bring your experience in innovation or startup/Unicorn ecosystem environments and familiarity with funding models, higher education innovation models & patents, and government/economic development programs.

With the support of deep Azure technical specialists in the immediate team, the role will drive growth of your Startup & Unicorn Enterprise customer in MS Cloud, including facilitating direct linkages to MSFT Research and Engineering where relevant.

Your expertise in understanding and addressing the business value of the MS cloud platform portfolio and a firm understanding of MS strategies and products to MS major competitors will make you successful in this role. Your ability to work with your customers in creating a joint vision of their business strategy to help build, grow, and mature their business with MS as a key partner will be key.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in strategic business development within Startup and Unicorn ecosystems, including innovators, incubators, and funders, with a focus on “born-in-the-cloud” enterprises
• Experience driving digital transformation or cloud adoption initiatives
• Background in an industry such as Finance, Healthcare, or Retail, leading digital transformation efforts and/or holding relevant roles in consulting or technology
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Technology, or a related field, combined with experience in a relevant industry (e.g., Healthcare, Finance, Insurance, Manufacturing, Automotive, Retail) and a focus on digital transformation or technology-related work
• Master’s degree in Business Administration and experience in a relevant industry (e.g., Health, Retail), contributing to digital transformation and/or relevant work in consulting or technology

• Strong understanding of cloud, hybrid, and on-premises infrastructures, including architecture design, migrations, industry standards, and technology management
• Familiarity with funding models, higher education innovation ecosystems, patents, and government or economic development programs is considered an asset
• Background in account management or equivalent client-facing experience
• Established network within the local startup ecosystem in the region

Responsibilities

• Customer Advocate – Develops and oversees the execution of the Strategic account plan to ensure Microsoft revenue targets and customer outcomes are met. Engages with internal and external stakeholders on business planning, to promote mutually beneficial customer digital transformation strategies. Orchestrate full customer team across all areas of Microsoft to ensure we are focused on delivering customer outcomes across the customer lifecycle to build deep trust with Microsoft.
• Industry Relevant Trusted Seller – Proactively develops a strong understanding of the customer’s business, industry priorities to drive new business opportunities/ drive growth/net new business. Advocates on behalf of the customer internally, ensuring requests and needs of assigned accounts are being addressed.
• Deliver Sales Excellence – Leads and orchestrates extended virtual teams across our solution areas to consistently achieve growth in revenue & market share.
• Industry Knowledge – With deep industry knowledge, experience with Startups and Unicorns, and unparalleled business acumen, the Digital Native Strategic Account Executive develops value propositions that align with our customer’s business strategies on digital transformation and cloud adoption, leveraging the rich portfolio of Microsoft and its partner ecosystem. We are looking for you to demonstrate deep expertise in our customers’ industry and businesses, knowledge of the markets in which each customer operates, and champion Microsoft’s ability to help the customer drive their digital transformation.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

Industry leading healthcare

Educational resources

Discounts on products and services

Savings and investments

Maternity and paternity leave

Generous time away

Giving programs

Opportunities to network and connect

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. 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.