Director Business Strategy

MicrosoftUnited StatesOn-siteFull-timePrincipal, 12–15+ yearsListed 1 hour ago

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About this role

<b>Overview</b><br><p>Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions-Core (MCAPS) accelerates customer outcomes and business growth. By uniting product, engineering, marketing, sales, customer success, and partners around a common customer mission, we help customers realize value faster and turn innovation into measurable business impact. Through deep technical expertise and differentiated go-to-market execution, we win competitively, capture market share, and scale repeatable growth motions. We differentiate through value creation - delivering world-class, AI-powered customer experiences that accelerate adoption, strengthen loyalty, and create sustainable competitive advantage, driving growth that outpaces the market.</p><p>MCAPS-Core AI Business Solutions (ABS) is at the forefront of Microsoft's AI transformation, helping organizations become AI-powered businesses. We bring together Microsoft's AI platform, customer expertise, and end-to-end execution capabilities to accelerate adoption, drive transformation, and deliver measurable business outcomes. From Copilot and AI agents to AI-powered business processes, we work at the intersection of innovation and impact, helping customers reimagine how work gets done and realize value faster. By combining deep technical expertise, customer insight, and a relentless focus on outcomes, our team is shaping the future of work for millions of people around the world. We are united by a shared mission: turning the promise of AI into real value for customers, partners, and Microsoft.</p><p>Microsoft is at the forefront of the AI revolution. Microsoft 365 E7 (ME7) is our hero AI suite, bringing together Microsoft 365 E5, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Agent 365 and Microsoft Entra Suite so organizations can give every employee secure, governed AI in the flow of work and scale agents across the business. The AI Business Solutions strategy team builds the go-to-market strategy for this moment with corporate stakeholders, equipping the field for our customers' transformative success. </p><p>As a Director of Business Architecture for Microsoft 365 E7 in AI Business Solutions Strategy, you will be accountable to develop and deliver the sales strategy and execution plan that enables the field to achieve the company's ME7 revenue and seat goals, in collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders across AI Business Solutions and Security. Partnering with leadership in Engineering, Marketing, Sales and Finance, this role is critical to making ME7 the next growth engine for AI Business Process: winning a higher share of wallet by connecting Copilot, agent management and security value to customer outcomes. You will be a visible advocate for the field and will be counted on to represent the voice of customers to our corporate function leaders.</p><p>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.</p><br><br><b>Responsibilities</b><br><p><strong>Sales Strategy Leadership </strong></p><p>Develop and drive the Microsoft 365 E7 sales strategy in the Enterprise segment to achieve worldwide revenue and seat goals, leading multiple projects and programs across organizational boundaries and functions, and defining plans, goals, deliverables, feedback, resource balancing and timing expectations. </p><p>Design the ME7 field execution motion and land it with field sellers, Global Black Belts and GTM managers, including account targeting, the ME5-to-ME7 upgrade path and effective orchestration through MCEM. </p><p>Proactively identify and address complex roadblocks to ME7 revenue, such as licensing, deal construction, and security and agent governance readiness. Open and drive improvement initiatives across groups, including inbound product roadmap, project plans, business recommendations and monetization impact.  </p><p>Support resolution of product escalations from customers and the field across Microsoft 365 Copilot, Agent 365 and the Microsoft 365 E5 security stack, in partnership with ABS team and Engineering, and use the voice of the customer to influence Engineering's roadmap toward the largest monetization opportunities. </p><p><strong>Cross-Functional FY Business Planning </strong></p><p>Build and own the annual ME7 business strategy plan, collaborating with key internal teams (e.g., Finance, Marketing, Engineering, Security and Field Sales) to meet the solution area's ambitions. Manage and cultivate relationships with leaders across AI Business Solutions and Security (Director, GM and CVP level) and act as an advisor to senior leadership on ME7 market awareness to inform strategic sales planning decisions. </p><p>Demonstrate influence across partner types (SI, CSP and ISV), aligning partner offers, incentives and practice building with the ME7 motion, and drive alignment toward common goals while challenging the status quo. </p><p><strong>Sales Insights, Readiness, and Activation </strong></p><p>Define and report the ME7 success measures, such as revenue and seats, but also health measures like pipeline, conversion rates, renewal upsell and contribution to Copilot NPSA goals, partnering with business, platform and tools experts so Sales and Partner teams can drive the business forward. </p><p>Collaborate with key stakeholders across Microsoft (e.g., SE&amp;O, GTM, GPS and CSU) to keep plays, platforms and tools current. Act as a business conduit to internal and external stakeholders, adjust plans when required to exceed business outcomes, and communicate ME7 updates to field sales across regions. </p><p><strong>Sales Landing </strong></p><p>Act as a subject matter expert to define ME7 landing strategies across Microsoft sales and GTM communities, including sales plays, seller guidance, the licensing and deal-making playbook, business value tools, trials and proofs of concept. Collaborate with field and corporate leaders on cases for change, lead and adjust plays to achieve business outcomes, and address high-level escalations with feedback to the product team. </p><p>Coach the field on the most efficient ways to craft ME7 deals using the full extent of Microsoft resources (e.g., offers, Agent Factory, forward deployed engineering and business value workshops), and enable sellers to target high-propensity accounts. </p><p><strong>Problem Solving and Insights </strong></p><p>Synthesize findings into insights across ME7 projects, including implications that inform go-to-market objectives, and use executive presence to influence decisions. Develop recommendations and provide thought leadership (e.g., sales trends, implications of competitor moves and solution area gaps) on future growth opportunities and strategic issues. Create frameworks and methodologies to drive problem solving and insights, and share best practices with peers.</p><br><br><b>Qualifications</b><br><h3 class="fui-Subtitle2 fui-Text ___16wcc8n fk6fouc fod5ikn faaz57k fl43uef fpgzoln ftgm304 f6juhto f1gl81tg f2jf649 f15tpi3i">Required/minimum qualifications</h3><div>Master's Degree in Business Administration or related field AND 4+ years marketing, strategy, business planning, consulting, banking, finance, economics, and/or partner organization experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Liberal Arts, Computer Science, or related field AND 6+ years marketing, strategy, business planning, consulting, banking, finance, economics, and/or partner organization experience OR equivalent experience.</div><div><h3 class="fui-Subtitle2 fui-Text ___16wcc8n fk6fouc fod5ikn faaz57k fl43uef fpgzoln ftgm304 f6juhto f1gl81tg f2jf649 f15tpi3i">Additional or preferred qualifications</h3><div>Master's Degree in Business Administration or related field AND 8+ years marketing, strategy, business planning, consulting, banking, finance, economics, and/or partner organization experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Liberal Arts, Computer Science, or related field AND 12+ years marketing, strategy, business planning, consulting, banking, finance, economics, and/or partner organization experience OR equivalent experience.</div><div>4+ years experience in Strategy, Management Consulting, and/or Finance.</div></div><p>OR equivalent experience. </p><p>Deep understanding of enterprise AI and security technologies, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, AI agents and agent governance, identity and security suites (e.g., Microsoft 365 E5 and Microsoft Entra), LLMs, agent protocols (MCP, A2A) and orchestration frameworks. </p><p>Experience building go-to-market strategy for suite or bundled offers, including licensing, pricing and packaging, upgrade motions and deal structures. </p><p>3+ years of experience across partner sales, partner development or channel marketing. </p><p>3+ years' experience handling market data and analytics or business intelligence development. </p><p>The passion and expertise to analyze and decompose complex business problems and design toward an improved outcome. </p><p>Domain expertise in generative AI and the main players in the market, including the competitive advantages of each solution, and an understanding of take-out and defend deal strategies. </p><p>Strong soft skills: persuasion, influence without authority, storytelling and simplification. </p><p>Ability to understand the strategic implications of change, train cross-functional teams, and provide leadership to overcome barriers and achieve results through individual and broader team efforts.</p><p>Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and / or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings: Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire / transfer and every two years thereafter.</p> <br><br><p>Business Strategy IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $130,900 - $251,900 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 $165,600 - $272,300 per year. </p><p></p> <p>Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:<br><a href="https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay">https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay</a></p><br><p>This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.</p><br><hr><br><p>Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about <a href="https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/accessibility.html"><b><u>requesting accommodations.</u></b></a></p>