Solution Sales Senior Director - Data Platform

Overview

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Our culture is centered on embracing a growth mindset, inspiring excellence, and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. In doing so, we create life-changing innovations that impact billions of lives around the world. This is a world of more possibility, more innovation, more openness, and sky’s-the-limit thinking – a cloud-enabled world.

The Azure Data Platform Sales team in the Commercial Solution Area (CSA) organization positions the value of our best-in-class Azure Database and Analytics solutions and services to enable customers to accelerate their data-driven digital transformation.

Solution Sales Senior Director – Data Platform will shape and lead Microsoft’s CDO Advisory program, managing a team of senior CDO Advisors who engage with Chief Data Officers of our top enterprise customers. This leader balances strategic vision with operational execution, ensuring the team not only formulates bold data & AI strategies but also delivers results on the ground. The CDO Advisors in this team are responsible for accelerating Azure Data & AI adoption in key accounts (with particular focus on large Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC) customers) by building deep trust-based relationships at the CxO level resulting in high concentration within MACC for Data Platform.

By guiding customers to build strong data foundations for AI transformation and to standardize on Microsoft\’s Intelligent Data Platform, the CDO Advisors drive significant cloud growth and document best practices to scale success across Microsoft’s field teams. This leader is a great coach with a challenger mentality, fluent in sales-leadership practices, and drives vision with flawless execution across diverse customer scenarios.

Developing the talent and culture needed in our organization to deliver on our Data & AI ambitions is a core responsibility of the CDO Advisory leader. By championing growth and fostering capability, the CDO Advisory leader ensures that teams are prepared to meet the evolving demands of data-driven transformation.

Responsibilities

• Drive Data & AI Business Growth through Inspirational Leadership: Model, coach and care for the CDO Advisory team to drive growth of Azure Data & AI services in our enterprise customer base. Cultivate a culture of customer-centricity, accountability, and ambition, where CDO Advisors are empowered to connect customers’ data initiatives with tangible business outcomes. Work closely with key internal partners (e.g. Field Sales Leadership, Strategic account teams, solution specialist leadership, engineering) and external partners to extend the team’s reach and capabilities in accelerating data-driven transformations. Ensure the team expands Microsoft’s footprint in top accounts by aligning data solutions to customer priorities and leveraging our end-to-end Data & AI ecosystem.
• Lead Strategy & Execution of CDO Engagement Priorities: Develop and own the strategy for the CDO Advisory motion, translating Microsoft’s Data & AI goals into a clear execution plan for the team. Take accountability for delivering results at or above target – from influencing multi-million-dollar Azure commitments to achieving adoption metrics in CDO-engaged accounts in partnership with area sales leaders. Establish strong feedback loops with corporate teams (engineering, marketing, planning) to influence Microsoft’s product roadmap and go-to-market with insights from CDO engagements. The CDO Leader also champions capturing and sharing of best practices from these engagements, guiding the broader field on “winning formulas” for successful CDO interactions.
• Provide Executive Thought Leadership and Customer Engagement: Act as the executive face of Microsoft’s Data & AI strategy in engagements with our most senior customer stakeholders. This leader will personally engage at the CxO level, building trust with Chief Data Officers by discussing industry trends, data strategy, and the customer’s vision. Model thought leadership by representing Microsoft at key industry events and CDO roundtables, articulating our Data & AI value proposition and showcasing how our innovations (like the Microsoft Intelligent Data Platform and AI capabilities) can enable transformative outcomes. Internally, guide and coach CDO Advisors on effective C-level engagement techniques – from provocative insights that challenge a customer’s status quo to tailored 1:1 engagements – to deliver unique value and bolster Microsoft’s credibility as a strategic partner.
• Drive Adoption & Competitive Wins with Execution Excellence: Ensure the team executes with rigor and excellence to convert strategy into tangible results faster than our competition. Oversee a healthy pipeline of CDO Advisor–influenced opportunities across regions, working with your team to prioritize efforts that will yield the greatest impact on Azure consumption and customer success. Intervene as needed to remove barriers in critical deals – negotiating at the executive level, pulling in technical experts, or aligning incentives – to win strategic engagements against key competitors. Establish a rhythm of business for the CDO team (regular pipeline reviews, deal clinics, outcome tracking) to monitor progress and drive accountability. Leverage proven sales coaching frameworks and your own experience to help CDO Advisors refine opportunity strategies, effectively address customer pain points and objections, and accelerate deal closure.
• Create clarity, generate energy, and deliver success through an impactful people and readiness agenda: Increase organizational health by building a team that is stronger tomorrow than today. Develop a high-performing team by hiring talent, prioritizing development, leading by example, and preparing team members for more senior positions in the future.

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Significant years technology-related sales or account management experience
• OR Bachelor\’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, Analytics or Data Science or related field AND relevant years technology-related sales or account management experience.
• Significant years of technical sales experience in cloud services.
• People management experience
• Proven results in cloud & data transformations: Demonstrated track record of driving successful data & AI initiatives and large-scale cloud adoptions. This includes evidence of leading or influencing major cloud deals or programs that delivered or exceeded business outcomes.

Additional Or Preferred Qualifications

• Relevant years senior technical sales leadership experience in cloud services growth preferably Data, Analytics or Infrastructure.
• Significant years people management experience, including managing high performance sales and technical-specialist teams, coaching solution specialist and account development strategies, and/or leadership roles in multi-tiered large organizations.
• Domain thought leadership: Recognized expertise or thought leadership in Data & AI – such as speaking at industry events, publishing guidance, or leading community initiatives for data strategy. Depth in the latest Data & AI innovations (big data analytics, AI/ML, data governance, cloud-native architectures) and how large enterprises are adopting them.

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.