Director Analyst, Microsoft Contract Negotiations & Licensing (Remote-US)

Gartner; Stamford (CT); On-site; USD 148,000 - 175,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus plan

PTO

401(k) match

Stock purchase plan

Job summary

Gartner seeks a Director in the Business and Technology Insights (BTI) group to craft must-have insights, guide research, and shape client strategies.

You will lead thought leadership, present high‑value content at Gartner events, and mentor junior analysts while collaborating across global teams. The role requires extensive SaaS procurement experience, Microsoft licensing expertise, strong writing, executive presence, and travel up to 25%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; Graduate degree preferred.
• 12+ years of relevant field experience.
• 8+ years in SaaS/software contract negotiations and procurement.
• 5+ years negotiating Microsoft renewals with MCA/EA/CSP.
• Subject-matter expertise in Microsoft licensing and cloud services.
• Experience with software license compliance risk assessment.
• Experience negotiating with major vendors (AWS, Google, Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, ServiceNow).
• Executive presence; credibility with executives and stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills; ability to meet tight deadlines.
• Excellence in research and writing.
• Strong written and verbal communication; analytical and presentation skills.
• Ability to analyze data, apply patterns, and defend conclusions.
• Clear communication; explain complex concepts simply.
• Comfort presenting at large and small-scale engagements.
• Strong business and financial acumen.
• Deep knowledge of global competitive landscape.
• Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively in a matrixed team.
• Learning agility and adaptability.
• Willingness to travel up to 25%.

Responsibilities

• Create innovative, thought‑provoking, and highly leveraged “must‑have insights” content.
• Develop new insights and ideas through thought leadership to address client needs.
• Develop in‑depth analysis to identify root causes and drive strategy forward.
• Demonstrate thought leadership across Insights teams.
• Bring provocative, independent insights to Gartner leaders that shape research agendas.
• Research, analyze and predict market shifts to provide actionable insights.
• Provide clients with actionable advice via virtual or face‑to‑face interactions.
• Create and deliver high‑value presentation materials for Gartner events and client briefings.
• Support BTI and Sales: serve as voice of the market to drive engagement.
• Provide high quality content peer review.
• Build credibility as an industry expert to represent Gartner insights.
• Participate in innovation, ideation, and research discussions with peers.
• Identify research process improvements for the team.
• Be a mentor and coach to junior team members.
• Be client‑centric, helping clients engage regularly with Gartner insights.

Skills

Executive presence

Strong communication skills

Analytical and presentation skills

Research and writing ability

Strong organizational skills

Ability to travel

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Graduate degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft licensing knowledge

Vendor management tools

Job description

Gartner Analysts are industry thought leaders who create must‑have insights, market predictions, and best practices for world‑leading organizations. As a Director within Gartner’s Business and Technology Insights (BTI) group, you will leverage research and analytical skills to produce pragmatic, provocative insights that clients use to achieve key objectives.

Responsibilities

• Create innovative, thought‑provoking, and highly leveraged “must‑have insights” content
• Develop new insights and ideas through thought leadership and offer compelling, actionable approaches to client’s needs and requests that accelerate the client’s ability to act
• Develop in‑depth analysis to identify the root cause of a client’s barriers or overall needs and reframe thinking to drive strategy forward
• Demonstrate thought leadership in establishing Insights positions across a team of analysts
• Bring provocative, independent insights to Gartner leaders that can evolve the course of a research agenda
• Research, analyze and predict market trends and shifts to provide clients and vendors with actionable insights
• Provide clients and prospects with actionable advice aligned to their designated content area via virtual or face‑to‑face interactions
• Create and deliver high‑value presentation materials on and off stage for Gartner events, industry and professional association conferences, and client briefings
• Support BTI and Sales: provide sales support serving as voice of the market to help Insights teams create content and to drive engagement with clients to make progress against their critical priorities to grow their business
• Provide high quality and timely content peer review
• Build credibility as an industry expert to represent Gartner insights, methodology and strategy
• Actively participate in innovation, ideation, and research discussions and collaborate effectively with peers in the Insights community
• Identify research process improvements or develop new processes that help the team and BTI provide excellent service delivery
• Be a mentor and a coach by supporting more junior team members
• Be client‑centric while actively seeking to help clients engage regularly and often with Gartner insights and interactions

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; Graduate degree preferred
• 12+ years of relevant field or industry experience
• 8+ years work experience in SaaS/software contract negotiations, technology procurement, category management, vendor management or software asset management within a buying organization, outsourcer, consulting firm, or reseller
• 5+ years hands‑on experience negotiating Microsoft renewals (including deals within last 12 months) with exposure to MCA, EA and CSP
• Subject‑matter expertise in Microsoft volume licensing with particular focus on commercial aspects, software and cloud services market trends, and reseller ecosystem
• Experience with software license compliance risk assessment, management, and/or mitigation in a software audit context, particularly with Microsoft, is desired
• Experience negotiating with and managing other major vendors (e.g., AWS, Google, Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, or ServiceNow) is desired
• Executive presence; able to immediately establish credibility with executives and additional stakeholders
• Strong organizational skills; ability to work under tight deadlines and produce high quality deliverables
• Demonstrable excellence in research and writing ability
• Strong written and verbal proficiency, analytical and presentation skills; ability to engage clients and respond effectively to questions
• Proficient in analyzing and synthesizing data; can effectively apply patterns and frameworks while drawing and defending conclusions to client challenges
• Strong communication skills - able to explain complex concepts concisely and simply
• Subject‑matter expertise; comfortable presenting at large and small‑scale speaking engagements
• Strong business and financial acumen
• Deep knowledge of the global and competitive landscape within subject area as well as the interplay in that market
• Ability to work independently, while also being intrinsically motivated to collaborate across teams and support the workflow of others, in a multicultural global team
• Learning agile and adept with navigating highly matrixed environments
• Ability to represent Gartner’s research methodology and strategies effectively at all levels
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 25% (where applicable)

Compensation: Base salary $148,000–$175,500 USD. Additional compensation includes an annual bonus plan based on company and individual performance, or a role‑based, uncapped sales incentive plan. Benefits include generous PTO, a 401(k) match up to $7,200 per year, the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount, and other market‑leading programs.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Gartner is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. We seek to advance the principles of equal employment opportunity.

Gartner is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer and offers opportunities to all job seekers, including those with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request reasonable accommodations by calling Human Resources at [phone] or sending an email to [e-mail].