Account Executive - Startups

In SMC and Digital Sales, we have set out with the purpose to empower our customers through the unique value of the Microsoft cloud by building a globally-led, digital-first scale organization aligned with partners. Dedicated to one of the fastest growing customer segments, the Small, Medium, Corporate (SMC) and Digital Sales organization is committed to delivering the global digital scale engine for our business -- this is where you come in. As part of local subsidiaries or Digital Sales centers around the world, you will support a dedicated set of customers in identifying and achieving their business objectives through best-in-class digital engagement and partner co-selling. You will also have an opportunity to work cross-collaboratively while living our shared SMC and Digital Sales Culture priorities: Diverse and Inclusive, Wellbeing, Sustainability, Giving and Learning. If you have been described as customer obsessed and have a passion for digital-first solutions, we invite you to learn more about the SMC and Digital Sales organization and the value we deliver to our customers, partners, and one another, every day. 

Do you love working with Startups to achieve their business outcomes? The Account Director for Startups and ISVs is leading and orchestrating the One Microsoft team efforts to drive ambitious growth and wins with start-ups on the Microsoft Cloud Platform. With the aid of best-in-class sales processes, techniques, and technologies, you will be empowered to shape relationships for a strategic set of Microsoft's startups. You will serve as the point of contact for the startups across engagements helping to drive Microsoft's existing cloud & enterprise consumption.  This senior role will partner closely with our Microsoft for Startups teams and programs as well as additional members in Engineering, Marketing, Partners, Finance and Legal, Business Desk, across Microsoft. 

This is a unique opportunity for a bold, customer oriented, strategic thinker to help identify unique prospects and execute Microsoft cloud deals that drive significant publicity, competitive share, and revenue for the Microsoft Azure platform. This team at Microsoft is at the leading edge of our business and one of the fastest growing and most exciting groups in the Company. We operate like a “startup” within Microsoft and the team driving this initiative is incredibly entrepreneurial and high-performance. Senior leaders across Microsoft are making an incredible commitment to this initiative and we are rapidly scaling this program, looking for new talent to join our rapidly expanding team. 

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond. 

Startup Strategy: 

• Takes ownership in understanding startup business, needs, and strategy across all aligned accounts to drive startup success. Keeps up to date with startup information and industry trends through research (e.g., reads startup publications, speaks with direct reports and startup stakeholders). Consolidates, articulates, and tells an effective story around startup insights that influences future direction and priorities.  

• Guides Local team (Norway&Sweden) in identifying and articulating business value of role and solutions for startup organization. Customizes relevant startup stories and industry, competitive, and/or Microsoft best practices and cloud principles to support business outcomes. Coaches team in business value selling and promotes strategic thinking to ensure team capabilities. 

• Leverages best practices to guide startup strategy and future growth for Microsoft by cultivating startup affinity with Microsoft programs/solutions that drive impact for the startup and establishing Microsoft as a leader. Creates new reference cases for others and inspires and guides the team in doing so. 

• Models’ best practices and innovation in delivery of startup success plans to optimize startup value across accounts. Provides recommendations in defining success measures and promotes long-term startup success strategy with team. 

• Coaches team to build startup success plans and utilizes them to build industry/team plan, leveraging own expertise and hands-on experiences (e.g., success plan workshops). Aligns multiple engagement plans and leverages corporate resources dedicated to awareness improvement of high potential (e.g., Skills Learning platform). 

• Provides coaching and guidance on the importance of driving value for startups. Ensures teams conduct analyses into what startups are using versus needs. Engages with C-Suite executives to discuss where Microsoft solutions drive startup value. Prompts teams to explore available resources and programs to help grow, retain, and optimize consumption. Identifies resources (e.g., v-team orchestration, programs, incentives) and partner solutions to help startups derive value from existing Microsoft investments. 

Growth & Transformation Business Leader and Startup Advocate: 

• Proactively engage with the start-ups and Digital Cloud Solution Architects to accelerate revenue growth, drive business outcomes, while the goal of helping startups realize their full potential. 

Trusted Advisor: 

• Earn and maintain trust with startup founders by understanding their needs and addressing them with the right Microsoft solutions; operating with high empathy for founders to build mutually winning scenarios for startups as well as Microsoft. 

Deal Negotiator and Closer: 

• Lead negotiation with existing startups in mid to long-term planning to form a strategically constructed deal. Engage and negotiate internally with key stakeholders (e.g., product, engineering, finance, legal, sales, marketing) to move opportunities forward with. Coordinate with all necessary internal stakeholders in the deal to assure that the deal is closed successfully and in a compliant manner. 

Stakeholder Management: 

• Ensure high potential startups have access to the right resources across Co-sell, Architects, Engineering and Product Groups. 

Senior Sales Leader: 

• Ensure each startup has a valuable and strategic relationship with Microsoft; driving business growth and transformation through strategic thinking, sales execution, and influence. 

Strategic Thinker and Market Expert: 

• Accountable for identifying growth opportunities with high potential startups leveraging deep domain/industry knowledge to develop creative and innovative solutions for startups to improve optimization and workflow. Proactively demonstrates thought leadership, opportunities for improvement, best practices, and learnings internally and externally as appropriate. 

Other 

• Embody our culture and values