Strategic Account Management

Job Description

Overview

The role involves creating strategies for high-impact accounts to drive sales and open new opportunities. It includes building a network of key partners and decision makers, understanding customers' industries to identify optimisation and digitalisation opportunities, and leveraging knowledge of customers' business drivers for co-innovation. The role also focuses on managing strategic relationships, aligning on long-term goals, and using Microsoft's products to address customer needs. This will require developing demand generation workshops to drive future deal potential.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities

Customer Stakeholder Management & Opportunity creation

• Develop and apply a mature, dynamic multi-year customer account plan based on proven methodologies to manage a sustainable, long-term business portfolio. Lead 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.
• Orchestrate 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. Lead and coordinate a diverse team (e.g., industry experts) on plan execution (e.g., prioritisation, delegation) and drive accountability to execute and deliver on account plans and grow the account, leveraging industry expertise.
• Proactively expand a 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 orchestration experience.
• Lead 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 plans to grow sales. Leverage deep relationships, influence, and industry expertise.
• Proactively solicit feedback on additional needs, products, and features to develop targeted strategies for customers. Demonstrate a strong understanding of the customer's business model to articulate growth opportunities, leveraging industry expertise to shape the ecosystem. Influence 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 Microsoft's messaging to the assigned account.

Strategic Thinking

• Articulate Microsoft's point of view and create deep connections with decision makers throughout multiple levels of the customers' organisation to drive purchase decisions and increase interaction and participation, leveraging relevant tools and resources (e.g., LinkedIn). Leverage relationships to address complex political blockers and drive execution for the customer.
• Engage in strategic discussions by articulating ideas to evolve and facilitate the evolution of the customer business model, using Microsoft capabilities to solve the customer's complex business problems. Drive strategic initiatives to promote a more holistic digital approach between Microsoft and the customer.
• Leverage unique, strategic, industry-focused business insights and opportunities to create long-term, competitive advantage for the customer.

Customer Engagement

• Proactively elevate stakeholder relationships and use Microsoft sales strategies through multiple levels of the customer's organisation to secure buy-in and execution. Expand strategic customer relationships to drive larger impact for the customer and spread into other areas of the organisation.
• Proactively develop a strong, comprehensive understanding of the customer's business needs, priorities, strategies, and industry insights. Anticipate the customer's needs to deliver new insights on their business strategy, and educate customers on ways to address them jointly. Show long-term differentiated value for the customer, leveraging industry expertise and guide internal colleagues on ways to develop deeper customer knowledge. Deliver solutions into the overall long-term business strategy.
• Design and conduct workshops that focus on winning for the customer, influencing their decision-making process, and driving customer outcomes. These workshops should be tailored to address specific customer needs and demonstrate the value of Microsoft's solutions in achieving their business goals.

Sales Excellence

• Build Long-Term Strategies: Develop strategies to foster customer loyalty, address satisfaction issues, and introduce innovative ideas to enhance the customer's business strategy. Establish open communication channels for feedback and provide executive sponsorship.
• Drive Digital Transformation: Create high-impact solutions that enable digital transformation for assigned accounts, showcasing the value of Microsoft's cloud offerings. Collaborate with the broader ecosystem to enrich the customer's value proposition.
• Engage Decision Makers: Leverage understanding of customer business to engage and influence decision makers, positioning Microsoft to increase the customer's budget allocation and tailor solutions to meet their KPIs.
• Present Compelling Value Propositions: Use business cases to develop and present value proposition presentations and specialised business plans that connect decision makers to Microsoft's broader solutions, generating new opportunities.
• Maintain Trusted Advisor Status: Earn and maintain status as a trusted advisor to C-level decision makers by bringing innovative ideas and leveraging industry expertise. Mentor the account management team and build deep partnerships to identify and create new opportunities.

Competitive Knowledge

• Leverage an 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 leverage in-depth knowledge of Microsoft's 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 the growth of the account team.

Other

• Embody our culture and values.

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Experience in working in an industry (e.g., Financial Services, Automotive, Manufacturing, Energy) and/or driving digital transformation
  • OR Bachelor's Degree and experience working in an industry (e.g., Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, Energy) and/or driving digital transformation
  • OR Master's Degree and experience working in an industry (e.g., Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, Energy) and/or driving digital transformation
  • OR equivalent experience.
• Experience making recommendations to and/or collaborating with mid-to-senior level executives.
• Experience closing large, complex agreements/deals.

Additional or Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and 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 experience working in an industry (e.g., Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Energy, Government, Education, Technology) and/or driving digital transformation
  • OR equivalent experience.
• Japanese written/speaking to communicate with customers leaders at HQ.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, colour, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

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

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

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 with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.