Strategic Account Director

Microsoft; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 133,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Microsoft is seeking a Strategic Account Director to lead the U.S. relationship with three strategic customers, primarily focusing on a top Advertising & Marketing Services client.

The role is hybrid (2 days in-office) with 50-75% travel, reporting into the Strategic Account Management team and coordinating with Paris-based strategy groups. You will own the customer relationships, shape technical strategy around AI, data and cloud, and drive multi-year account plans across U.S.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and 10+ years in an industry and/or driving digital transformation OR Master's Degree and 9+ years in an industry and/or driving digital transformation OR 13+ years in an industry and/or driving digital transformation.
• 6+ years experience making recommendations to mid-to-senior level executives.
• 8+ years experience closing large, complex agreements/deals.

Responsibilities

• Owns the strategic account plan for a leading marketing, advertising, and communications company (primary focus), while driving the U.S. strategy for two global energy and utilities customers in partnership with the global account teams.
• Drives pipeline, forecast, revenue and consumption targets using the Microsoft sales methodology, and runs joint account governance with the customer and partners.
• Leads the extended Microsoft team (industry experts, technical specialists, solution architects, Customer Success) and partners to deliver big bets and new business.
• Builds partner co-sell and joint solutions to scale outcomes.
• Builds trusted relationships with executive, business and technical decision makers (CIO, CTO, CDO, CISO, Chief AI/Data Officers).
• Brings in Microsoft technical resources and product groups for envisioning sessions, proofs of concept and technical validation.

Skills

Strategic account management

Executive communication

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Master's Degree

Job description

Strategic Account Director United States, New York, New York

Work site: 2 days / week in-office
Travel: 50-75%
Profession: Sales
Discipline: Strategic Account Management
Role type: Individual Contributor
Employment type: Full-Time

Overview

Three global leaders. One unique role. You’ll lead Microsoft’s U.S. relationship with three strategic customers, with primary focus on one of the world’s leading Advertising & Marketing Services companies, while also driving strategy across two global leaders in energy and utilities industry. We're looking for someone who combines a seller's business sense with a technologist's credibility. You'll own the customer relationships and also shape the technical strategy that turns AI, data and cloud ambitions into results. You'll work hand in hand with our global account leadership and technical strategy teams in Paris, France. Together, you'll run one connected strategy across both sides of the Atlantic for three of Microsoft's most strategic French-headquartered customers.

Responsibilities

Account Management

• Owns the strategic account plan for a leading marketing, advertising, and communications company (primary focus), while driving the U.S. strategy for two global energy and utilities customers in partnership with the global account teams.
• Drives pipeline, forecast, revenue and consumption targets using the Microsoft sales methodology, and runs joint account governance with the customer and partners.
• Leads the extended Microsoft team (industry experts, technical specialists, solution architects, Customer Success) and partners to deliver big bets and new business.
• Builds partner co-sell and joint solutions to scale outcomes.

Customer Engagement

• Builds trusted relationships with executive, business and technical decision makers (CIO, CTO, CDO, CISO, Chief AI/Data Officers), and sets up a regular executive rhythm of business focused on value and return on investment.
• Is credible in technical conversations. Understands the customer's technology estate, data landscape and AI roadmap, and maps them to Microsoft's AI, data, cloud and security solutions.
• Brings in Microsoft technical resources and product groups at the right time for envisioning sessions, proofs of concept and technical validation. Advocates for the customer's roadmap needs.
• Challenges customer thinking with new ideas, manages competitive risk and captures customer wins as references.

Industry Knowledge

• Understands marketing, media and advertising, and/or energy and industrial technology. Positions Microsoft solutions in that context, for example AI and agents for creative and media workflows, and data, IoT and sustainability for energy and industry.

Sales Excellence

• Builds value-based business cases and cross-solution strategies that link business goals to Microsoft technology.
• Drives upsell, cross-sell and consumption growth, and agrees on success measures with the customer, including adoption.
• Works with Customer Success to anticipate risks and protect customer satisfaction. Keeps the stakeholder map up to date, including technical sponsors

Qualifications

Required/minimum qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree AND 10+ years 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 9+ years experience working in an industry (e.g., financial services, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, government, education, technology) and/or driving digital transformation OR 13+ years experience in working in an industry (e.g., financial services, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, government, education, technology) and/or driving digital transformation OR equivalent experience.
• 6+ years experience making recommendations to and/or collaborating with mid-to-senior level executives.
• 8+ years experience closing large, complex agreements/deals.

Other Requirements

• This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States that does not now or in the future require employer sponsorship.

Additional or preferred qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree AND 13+ years 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 11+ years experience working in an industry (e.g., financial services, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, government, education, technology) and/or driving digital transformation OR equivalent experience.
• Experience discussing cloud, data and AI solutions with technical decision makers such as the CTO, CDO and engineering leaders.
• Track record of working alongside technical teams (solution architects, technical specialists) to shape and close complex deals.
• Experience managing a portfolio of strategic accounts at the same time, and setting priorities across them.
• Comfortable working with global account teams and leaders across time zones, especially Europe.
• Experience with advertising, media, marketing, or MarTech industries; OR experience with energy, utilities, or sustainability industries.
• History of growing multimillion-dollar relationships through new workloads, consumption and partner-led motions.
• Effective executive presence with C-suite stakeholders, and experience building multi-year account plans.
• Experience co-selling with partners or system integrators.

Strategic Account Management IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $133,000 - $222,700 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $170,300 - $239,800 per year.