As a Solution Area Specialist for the Cloud and AI Platform solutions area, you will be working with Japan Global Accounts in the APAC region focused on Financial/Banking/Manufacturing and Automotive institutions.
The Solution Area Specialist is a trusted advisor who leads the design and execution of the customer’s commercial strategy and negotiation, selling the right commercial solution at the right time and ensuring every deal is compliant and profitable for Microsoft. You will be responsible for revenue generation and growth, deal making and as the lead negotiator, for the negotiation strategy as you develop trusted relationships with key stakeholders and peers. As a sales and negotiation professional, you are unafraid of conflict. With a positive attitude and a passion for working with customers and partners, you are comfortable speaking at all organizational levels, from the senior leaders to the procurement / purchasing teams. You will make choices for the customer based on their commercial strategic needs. As a strategic player you will be able to analyze data to identify trends, risks and opportunities. In-depth and strategic understanding of Microsoft Support, licensing programs and contracting is essential, however not required.
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.
Responsibilities
Customer Engagement
Leads the sales strategy tailored to each customer's security priorities, showcasing Microsoft's dedication to secure, AI-powered transformation and addressing their specific needs within the customer success plan, fostering long-term partnerships through AI-driven insights. Leads partner teams and resources, and fosters lasting relationships that activate co-selling strategies and drive partner attach to each opportunity through every stage in the sales lifecycle. Leads partner organization connections (i.e. GPS) that lead to enduring relationships, shared gains, partner health and alignment with execution plans to accelerate customer value realization at scale.
Assesses and qualifies sales opportunities following sales frameworks and guidelines, ensuring alignment with AI-enhanced sales methodologies and best practices. Leads strategy development for driving and closing complex, high-value opportunities. Partners across organizations (e.g., Account Team Unit [ATU], CSU, ISD, GPS) to drive deal orchestration and ensure seamless handoffs throughout the deal lifecycle. Advances best practices to gain customer trust, secure deals, and strategically mitigate risks to enhance sales activities across the market.
Sales & Pipeline Management
Strategically analyzes business and emerging opportunities to enhance the customer portfolio and drive customer innovation. Integrates technology (e.g., AI sales agents, automation, Power Platforms) to accelerate growth across assigned domain. Employs comprehensive analysis of propensity, renewal, consumption, and usage data to refine and execute sales strategy. Manages optimization of partners assigned to each account and/or opportunity to ensure seamless handoffs with other teams (e.g., Global Partner Solutions [GPS], Customer Success Unit [CSU], Industry Solutions Delivery [ISD], Partner) throughout the deal lifecycle.
Leads sales pipeline reviews with internal senior stakeholders to drive forecasting accuracy and meeting sales targets, ensuring the use of AI-powered analytics and forecasting tools to enhance precision. Coaches others on and maintains sales and/or consumption pipeline hygiene to enable tracking to achieve assigned sales metrics using all available tools, resources, and processes Coaches others on and leads to achieve usage and/or consumption pipeline hygiene targets to actively monitor adoption trends, identify opportunities for intervention, enabling customers to realize the value of solutions purchased, drive expansion, and ensure healthier, more predictable renewals.
Sales Strategy
Leads discussions with senior stakeholders and decision makers for high-value customers to identify, qualify, and accelerate sales opportunities. Serves as a key point of contact for, and partners with internal senior stakeholders within and across organizations to strategically drive customer success. Proactively engages with account teams to align the customer's artificial intelligence (AI) transformation vision with their business priorities and success objectives. Ensures the integration of security principles in customer interactions, opportunity, and pursuits to maintain trust and compliance standards.
Leads collaborations with others on whitespace analysis and leverages expertise to identify and capitalize on business opportunities and market gaps within the assigned market domain, utilizing AI-driven market intelligence tools to assess trends and insights. Integrates and translates market intelligence, trends, and insights to inform team strategy. Refines and evolves the established market analysis approach to ensure proactive alignment with strategic directives and emerging market trends.
Synthesizes evaluation of the solution area(s) and market to strategically align sales plays with complex customer priorities and outcomes, incorporating AI-driven predictive analytics to forecast future market needs. Drives cross-functional collaboration to propose and prioritize solutions and strategies that drive customer business objectives. Proactively identifies and addresses gaps, setting the direction for market engagement and sales execution.
Leads partnerships with others cross-organizationally and guides the development of solutions to enable AI- and cloud-driven transformations for existing and new customers within the region, emphasizing the integration of cutting-edge AI technologies and cloud services. Crafts and refines strategies and engages with customers to distinguish Microsoft’s offerings in the competitive landscape. Acts as a subject matter expert and trusted advisor for customers and drives the adoption of technologies and solutions that align and advance their strategic goals and drive digital transformation.
Qualifications
Required/minimum qualifications
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, Information Security, or related field AND 6+ years experience in technology-related sales or account management OR equivalent experience.
- 6+ years of experience selling cloud-based solutions.
- 6+ years of experience selling to large enterprise global accounts.
- Experience in negotiations and in deal making.
- Experience with App innovation, Data & AI and/or Infrastructure technical skills.
Preferred qualifications
Master's Degree in Business Administration (i.e., MBA), Information Technology, Information Security, or related field AND 8+ years experience in technology-related sales or account management OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, Information Security, or related field AND 12+ years experience in technology-related sales or account management OR equivalent experience.
- 6+ years solution or services sales experience.
- Experience with the Financial/Banking, Manufacuring, Automotive Industry customers.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.
Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.
