Licensing Sales Specialist

SoftwareONE Deutschland GmbH; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

401k with employer matching

Paid time off

Job summary

SoftwareOne is seeking a Microsoft Licensing & Commercial Specialist to guide customers and internal teams through complex licensing landscapes, pricing models, and commercial options. You will collaborate with Account Managers, Sales, and Microsoft to tailor licensing programs and strategic commercial approaches.

The role emphasizes staying current with licensing terms, supporting negotiations, and driving renewals and expansions while ensuring profitable outcomes for SoftwareOne.

Qualifications

• Experience applying AI to business processes or workflows.
• Deep knowledge of Microsoft licensing programs, agreements and cloud subscriptions.
• Proven negotiation, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong financial acumen including pricing, margins and business case development.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a Microsoft licensing and commercial expert guiding customers and internal teams.
• Analyze requirements and recommend optimal licensing, subscription, and commercial structures.
• Stay current on Product Terms, Online Services Terms, and licensing guides.
• Partner with sales and operations to develop and execute customer strategies.
• Support RFPs, bids, pricing discussions, and deal structuring to protect profitability.

Skills

AI in practice

Microsoft licensing

Negotiation

Communication

Financial acumen

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Licensing certifications preferred

Job description

Why SoftwareOne?

SoftwareOne and Crayon have come together to form a global, AI-powered software and cloud solutions provider with a bold vision for the future. With a footprint in over 70 countries and a diverse team of 13,000+ professionals, we offer unparalleled opportunities for talent to grow, make an impact, and shape the future of technology. At the heart of our business is our people. We empower our teams to work across borders, innovate fearlessly, and continuously develop their skills through world‑class learning and development programs. Whether you're passionate about cloud, software, data, AI, or building meaningful client relationships, you’ll find a place to thrive here. Join us and be part of a purpose‑driven culture where your ideas matter, your growth is supported, and your career can go global.

The role

Job Summary

The Microsoft Licensing & Commercial Specialist is a subject‑matters expert responsible for helping customers and internal sales teams navigate Microsoft's complex licensing programs, agreements, pricing models, incentives, and commercial options. Working closely with Account Managers, Key Account Managers, Sales, Operations, and Microsoft, this role translates customer business requirements into the right Microsoft agreement, licensing program, subscription model, and commercial strategy. The specialist supports new customer acquisition, renewals, RFPs and bids, negotiations, and expansion opportunities while ensuring customers receive the right advice and commercial value from their Microsoft investments.

Note: SoftwareOne is an AI‑forward company. We actively use AI across our business to improve productivity, decision‑making, and outcomes, and we are intentional about hiring people who are curious, hands‑on, and eager to leverage AI as technology evolves.

Role & Responsibilities

• Serve as a Microsoft licensing and commercial subject‑matter expert, providing guidance on Microsoft licensing programs, agreements, incentives, cloud subscriptions, pricing models, and commercial conditions.
• Analyze customer requirements and recommend the optimal Microsoft agreement, licensing program, subscription model, and commercial structure based on business needs, pricing, contractual conditions, and customer objectives.
• Stay current on Microsoft's licensing ecosystem, including Product Terms, Online Services Terms, licensing guides, agreement structures, incentive programs, and changes to Microsoft's commercial strategy.
• Partner with Account Managers and Key Account Managers to develop customer and account strategies, identify opportunities, and translate Microsoft licensing expertise into actionable commercial plans.
• Support new customer and partner acquisition by providing licensing, pricing, agreement, and commercial expertise throughout the sales cycle, including customer discovery, proposal development, negotiations, and deal structuring.
• Support RFP, RFI, and bid processes, providing expertise on Microsoft licensing, commercial models, agreements, pricing, procurement requirements, and overall bid strategy.
• Validate Microsoft offers and commercial proposals in collaboration with Sales and Operations teams to ensure accuracy, profitability, compliance, and alignment with customer requirements.
• Support Microsoft negotiations and customer/vendor discussions, helping customers understand available licensing, pricing, incentives, and agreement options and identifying the most beneficial commercial approach.
• Drive renewal and expansion opportunities by partnering with Sales to proactively plan Microsoft agreement renewals, identify upsell and cross‑sell opportunities, and connect customers with relevant SoftwareOne services and solutions.
• Identify opportunities to improve customer value and profitability by understanding customer environments, business objectives, and technology strategies and recommending appropriate Microsoft products, agreements, and SoftwareOne services.
• Monitor market and competitive trends, including Microsoft's evolving commercial strategy, competitor offerings, partner positioning, customer needs, and broader technology market developments, and use these insights to support sales strategies.

5% for potential occasional travel to visit customers or internal meetings.

What we need to see from you

What you offer

• Demonstrated experience using AI in a practical, applied way — such as improving workflows, automating tasks, enabling better decision‑making, or increasing impact in prior roles. This does not require deep technical or engineering expertise in AI; we value applied use, experimenting, and a mindset of curiosity and continuous learning.
• 5+ years of experience in Microsoft licensing, software licensing, cloud commercial management, technology sales, presales, licensing consulting, or a related field.
• Strong expertise in Microsoft licensing programs, agreements, incentives, and cloud subscriptions, with the ability to independently advise customers and internal stakeholders on complex licensing scenarios.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft commercial agreements, including Microsoft Product Terms, Online Services Terms, licensing guides, and related Microsoft contractual documentation.
• Demonstrated experience supporting Microsoft licensing negotiations, renewals, pricing discussions, RFPs, RFIs, bids, or complex commercial transactions.
• Experience working with Microsoft customers, partners, resellers, or channel organizations and understanding the Microsoft partner ecosystem.
• Ability to assess customer requirements and recommend the appropriate Microsoft agreement, licensing program, pricing model, or commercial structure.
• Demonstrated ability to partner with Account Managers, Sales, Operations, Finance, and other cross‑functional teams to develop and execute customer strategies.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including an understanding of margin, profitability, pricing, incentives, and business case development.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex licensing concepts clearly to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple opportunities and priorities while maintaining strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to evaluate multiple commercial options and recommend the best solution for the customer and SoftwareOne.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Microsoft licensing or commercial certifications are preferred.

The preceding job profile has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by associates within this role. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required. Additional duties may be assigned and may be subject to change at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons.

Success Criteria

• Turning Product Terms and Licensing guides into the agreement and pricing structure that closes the deal, upsells the right cloud commintments and protects profitablity on every transaction.
• Earning credibility with executive leadership and the ability to take comples licensing scenerios into clear and confident recommendations for all levels of the business to act on.

Organizational Alignment

• Collaboration with Hyperscaler Presales Director or Microsoft Alliance Team
• This role reports up to Microsoft Licensing Desk Manager

What we offer

• Generous pay with bonus structure (quarterly or bi‑annual depending on the role)
• Independent environment without a lot of red tape where you are empowered to make decisions
• Substantial benefits package that includes:
  • Full suite of medical coverage with A+ carriers, Dental, and Vision with strong employer contributions plus additional voluntary coverage available for Pets, Identity Theft Protection, Accident & Critical Illness
  • 401k program with employer matching 50% up to the first 10% of employee’s contributions
  • Wellness plan that includes credits to premiums and employer contributions towards the savings plan of your choice
  • Access to EAP and concierge services plus pre‑paid legal at no cost
  • Abundant time off that includes paid holidays, floating holidays, your birthday off, a volunteer day, and discretionary time off (DTO)
  • Employee stock purchase plan
  • Learning and development opportunities galore, tuition reimbursement, and much more!
  • Specific to Nashville and Milwaukee‑based office employees: company‑paid parking
• Winning culture, inclusive environment, and friendly people all over the world
• A remote‑friendly organization, with colleagues working remotely either part or full‑time

Target compensation for this role will be $90K - $100K USD (mix of base salary and bonus). Actual offers may be higher or lower than this range and will be determined based on a variety of factors, including (but not limited to) candidates’ qualifications, experience, education, and work location.

We are not able to consider candidates residing in the state of Hawaii currently.

Job Function

Sales

Accommodations

SoftwareOne welcomes applicants from all backgrounds and abilities to apply. If you require reasonable adjustments at any point during the recruitment process, email us at [e-mail].

Please include the role for which you are applying and your country location. Someone from our organization that is not part of the decision‑making process will be in touch to discuss your specific needs and we will make every effort to accommodate you. Any information shared will be stored securely and treated in the strictest of confidence in line with GDPR.

At SoftwareOne, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Additionally, we encourage experienced individuals that have taken an intentional career break and are now prepared to return to work to explore our SOAR program.