Director, Business Development

The Data & AI Business Development team is responsible for strategic partnerships, opportunity identification, and growth initiatives across Microsoft’s Data & AI portfolio. We are seeking a Director, Business Development to join the team driving AI partnerships and strategic initiatives, focused on commercial growth of Azure AI across AI Natives and Digital Natives Companies.   

In this role, you will:   

• Define and author commercial and ecosystem strategies in close collaboration with product and marketing teams including creative partnership constructs, business models, and GTM strategies   

• Expand the reach and relevance of the Microsoft AI platform, through meaningful engagements with leading partners and customers  

• Be knowledgeable on the AI space: follow the latest emerging AI news, develop technical / platform depth and have a systematic approach to identifying and executing against market trends   

• Demonstrate and live our values and principles of teamwork, curiosity, self-awareness, integrity, diversity and allyship  

 This work helps to develop partner strategies that enable commercial acceleration of our AI Platform.  

Partner & Customer Focus  

• Leverages internal and external network to develop new strategic relationships. Develops relationships as a trusted advisor with key stakeholders. Works cross-functionally on internal strategy and works with v-teams to deliver alignment on objectives and outcomes.  

• Articulates the value of Microsoft solutions, leveraging knowledge of customer and partner business priorities and/or drivers to influence decision making. Looks across opportunities to identify and address broad issues and trends.   

Market Signal  

• Develops processes and channels for information gathering and reporting, including synthesizing key insights and trends gathered from engagements for executive consumption.  

Partnership Strategy  

• Encourages customers and partners to apply and amend a value proposition in order to create a partnership. Influences internal stakeholders and partners and promotes the value of opportunities.  

• Positions the Microsoft value proposition versus competitors and works with stakeholders to influence the build/buy/partner decision to meet customer needs, leveraging knowledge of Microsoft and customer issues in conjunction with product/industry teams to establish a foundation for future opportunities in competitive situations through collaboration. Provides insight on industry and/or competitive trends and drives action based on insights.   

• Identifies and collaborates with a diverse set of stakeholders to develop plans to source deals that will accrue commercial value to the AI Platform. Identifies opportunities and strategy and maps target customers/partners. Provides input into recommendations on partners.  

• Formulates partnership strategy for products and businesses with input from relevant stakeholders. Active management of deal pipeline by identifying, promoting, prioritizing, guiding, and influencing processes that develop and deliver on pipeline opportunities and optimize resources..  

Negotiation  

• Represents Microsoft in key customer and partner interactions and recommends deal structures. Collaborates proactively to close opportunities and scale the business. Identifies opportunities for customized approaches. Resolves deal issues as an escalation point for less experienced colleagues. Provides coaching and support to less experienced colleagues as a go-to resource for negotiation.  

Deal Management/Governance  

• Develops plans for managing deals, including communications, and reporting with Microsoft stakeholders. Resolves blocking issues using known techniques.   

• Collaborates with customers, partners, and Microsoft colleagues to develop post-deal governance and ensure design, communication, and alignment in creation and implementation of execution plans across a portfolio of deals within a particular domain.   

• Ensures customers and partners are prepared for implementation.   

Other  

• Embody our culture and values 

Required Qualification