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Strategic Account Executive Manufacturing

Zurich, Switzerland (On-site)

Strategic Account Executive Manufacturing

5 Days ago • All levels • Business Development • Account Management

About the job

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Job Description

This Strategic Account Executive Manufacturing role at Microsoft Japan focuses on driving digital transformation for key clients, Hitachi and Canon. The role involves leveraging AI, Copilot, and security solutions to achieve business outcomes for both Microsoft and the clients. Responsibilities include engaging with senior-level executives, developing account plans, closing large complex deals, and collaborating with a large, multi-functional team. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in manufacturing, digital transformation, and working with senior executives, possessing strong sales and account management skills. They will need to build and maintain strong customer relationships, develop and implement account strategies, and leverage Microsoft's offerings to drive growth.

Must have:

Significant manufacturing industry experience
Digital transformation expertise
Senior executive engagement
Large deal closing experience
Account plan development and execution
Strong sales and communication skills

Good to have:

Understanding of Japanese business culture
Fluency in German

Perks:

Industry leading healthcare
Educational resources
Discounts on products and services
Savings and investments
Maternity and paternity leave
Generous time away
Giving programs
Networking opportunities

Overview

Join the Microsoft Japan Manufacturing Organization as a Strategic Account Manager, you will have the opportunity to drive transformation in partnership with our most strategic customers Hitachi and Canon with a focus on AI, Copilot and Security, to achieve both Microsoft and customer business outcomes.

Leveraging your large, multi-functional team across the breadth of the Microsoft solutions portfolio, engage at the most senior levels of your customer and bring industry-relevant solutions to help the customer adopt and embrace digital technologies.

With a proven history of driving growth in market share, achieving sales targets, customer obsession, and partner collaboration, this role will give the opportunity to leverage your extensive customer network and sales experience to execute against your customer’s account plan.

Microsoft’s Enterprise Account Team focuses on partnering with customers to achieve strategic goals. This team is responsible for providing a differentiated customer experience for our customers, delivering solutions that result in targeted business outcomes and driving revenue growth for Microsoft.

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.

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications

Significant number of years experience in working in the industry of Manufacturing and/or driving digital transformation
Bachelor's or Master's Degree OR equivalent experience.

Several years of experience making recommendations to and/or collaborating with mid-to-senior level executives.
Many years of experience closing large, complex agreements/deals.

Additional or preferred qualifications

Understanding of Japanese enterprise business culture is preferrable.
Fluent German is a plus.

Responsibilities

Competitive Knowledge

Leverages 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 leverages 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 growth of the account team.

Sales Excellence

Orchestrates high-impact solutions that enable digital transformation for assigned accounts and drive outcomes that create business value for customers. Owns the development of strategies that showcase the value added by Microsoft's innovative cloud offerings and ideas grounded on a deep understanding of industry trends and based on account needs and customer's expectations. Brings greater ecosystem together with the customer to discuss how to enrich customer's value to their customers.

Orchestrates the creation of long-term strategies aimed at building a level of loyalty that would be hard for competitors to overcome. Anticipates issues/risks on customer satisfaction, determines the root cause of problems, removes blockers, and establishes recovery action plan to improve customer's overall experience. Builds trust and loyalty with the customer by providing up-to-date insights, challenging the customer when necessary, and introducing innovative ideas relevant to the customer's business strategy. Enables customers to provide feedback directly to executives to help transform account space by establishing open communication channels for feedback, providing executive sponsorship, and providing direction to others to ensure customer feedback is addressed through One Microsoft approach.

Leverages understanding of customer business and engages Microsoft decision makers to drive customer's strategy, goals, and optimization. Engages and influences decision makers of the account (e.g., senior leaders, executives) to position Microsoft to increase customer's budget allocated to Microsoft, and tailor solutions that satisfy customers' Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Earns and maintains status as a trusted advisor to C-level business decision makers of the assigned account by bringing innovative ideas and leveraging industry experience. Mobilizes and mentors the account management team and relevant internal stakeholders with deep industry experience to build deep partnerships with decision makers of the assigned account. Leverages best-in-class sales and communication strategies and tools to meet business needs and identify new opportunities. Builds new relationships to create new opportunities and expand relationships within the customer.

Creates and qualifies new opportunities by identifying strategic opportunities (e.g., large, long-term) within accounts and guiding the customer on how to best identify new opportunities, leveraging deep customer and industry relationships and consultative selling skills. Drives new business opportunities across the team by creating a partner ecosystem, and empowers team members to find new opportunities by acting as a role model and by setting a clear vision and energy for the team to drive towards.

Account Management

Manages the development and application of a mature/dynamic multi-year customer account plan based on proven methodologies to manage a sustainable, long-term business portfolio. Leads 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.

Proactively solicits feedback on additional needs, products, and features to develop targeted strategies for customers. Demonstrates a understanding of the customer's business model to articulate growth opportunities, leveraging industry experience to shape ecosystem. Influences 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.

Proactively solicits feedback on additional needs, products, and features to develop targeted strategies for customers. Demonstrates a understanding of the customer's business model to articulate growth opportunities, leveraging industry experience to shape ecosystem. Influences 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.

Leads 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 account plans to grow sales and partner impact, leveraging deep relationships, influence, and industry experience. Collaborates across organization and partners in discussions to impact the broader ecosystem (e.g., passing legislation).

Proactively expands 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 management experience.
Orchestrates 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. Leads and coordinates a diverse team (e.g., industry experts) on plan execution (e.g., prioritization, delegation) and drives accountability to execute and deliver on account plans and grow the account, leveraging industry experience.

Customer Engagement

Proactively develops a comprehensive understanding of customer's business needs, priorities, strategies, and industry insights. Anticipates customer's needs to deliver new insights on their business strategy, and educate customers on ways to address them jointly. Shows long-term differentiated value for the customer, leveraging industry experience and guides internal colleagues on ways to develop deeper customer knowledge. Delivers solutions into overall long-term business strategy.
Proactively elevates stakeholder relationships and uses Microsoft sales strategies through multiple levels of the customer's organization to secure buy-in and execution. Expands strategic customer relationships to drive larger impact for the customer and spread into other areas of the organization.

Strategic Thinking

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

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

Industry leading healthcare

Educational resources

Discounts on products and services

Savings and investments

Maternity and paternity leave

Generous time away

Giving programs

Opportunities to network and connect

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