Head of Partner Intelligence and Strategy

The Business Development team at Microsoft is responsible for accelerating the company's growth through the identification and execution of inorganic growth strategies including complex strategic partners, investments, and acquisitions .

The role of the Head of Partner Intelligence and Strategy is to develop deep partner expertise and insights into our key partners' businesses, understand the competitive landscape to inform and influence our product and partnerships strategy.

The role is an internal strategy role within Business Development and involves working closely with partner-facing business development teams along with product and strategy teams across the company.

Responsibilities:

People Management

• Managers deliver success through empowerment and accountability by modeling, coaching, and caring.

• Model - Live our culture; Embody our values; Practice our leadership principles.

• Coach - Define team objectives and outcomes; Enable success across boundaries; Help the team adapt and learn.

• Care - Attract and retain great people; Know each individual's capabilities and aspirations; Invest in the growth of others.

Research, Analysis, & Framing

• Guides others in conducting innovative market-based research by leveraging and interpreting information (e.g., financial statements, reports, analyses, stakeholder feedback, expert calls) around high-impact strategic questions, including researching within existing businesses and identifying new spaces for Microsoft; involves stakeholders as appropriate ; leverages analyses of others to synthesize information and challenges research of others. Owns framing for broad research projects, ratifying with executives; assists less experienced colleagues with framing as needed.

Problem Solving & Insights

• Synthesizes broad findings into insights across a division, including implications that inform business decisions on complex issues, leveraging executive presence to influence decisions and proactively driving solutions to high-impact strategic questions and unaddressed opportunities. Identifies and scopes expansive ideas for company strategy, often missed by others; leverages insights to develop recommendations and provide thought leadership (e.g., trend identification, implications of competitor moves ) around potential future growth opportunities and strategic issues for Microsoft. Sells value of new efforts to business partners and/or senior leadership. Guides team through development of frameworks and methodologies to drive problem solving and insights.

Communication

• Ensures clear communication of insights to senior business leaders (e.g., GM-level, CVP, EVP, CEO) and conveys clear viewpoints through written documents (e.g., memos, reports), clear change management processes, and influence models (e.g., meetings, presentations) through minimal iterations of feedback and vetting; builds end-to-end storylines and creates outlines across multiple projects for less experienced colleagues to leverage. Influences senior decision making by providing communications, challenging ideas, aligning around goals and objectives , and adapting messages to complex nuances as needed. Communicates value of new efforts to business partners and/or senior leadership.

Business Partner Relationships

• Builds a platform for the team to inform and influence both partnership and product strategies

• Develops close relationships with partner BD teams and strategic partner BD teams to develop and deliver market and partner insights

• Manages key points of contact with internal teams (e.g., Finance, Marketing, Engineering); manages and cultivates relationships with senior internal leaders (e.g., GM-level, CVP, EVP, CEO). Acts as an advisor to senior leadership as a domain expert within Microsoft , leveraging deep technical/product and business knowledge, market awareness, and subject matter expertise to inform strategic business decisions. Demonstrates influences through partners across multiple divisions. Provides career mentorship to less experienced colleagues outside of Strategy function and is sought out by others for guidance and education. Ensures opportunities for less experienced team members to develop business partner relationships. Identifies compelling projects and positions the team to carry them out.

Project Leadership

• Manages multiple Strategy projects and teams across organizational boundaries as a project lead through goals, deliverables, feedback, resource balancing, and timing expectations; proactively identifies complex roadblocks and address them. Initiates and drives multiple projects and topic areas including project plans, recommendations, impact, and syndication across groups. Leads cross-company initiatives as a lead member of virtual teams, demonstrating impact across numerous divisions. Identifies , evaluates, and proposes new project work/deals based on unmet needs. Advises others to indirectly lead projects.

Team Development

• Drives a positive, cohesive team culture across project and Strategy team; develops less experienced team members and peers. Mentors less experienced colleagues by providing coaching and apprenticeship; solicits feedback from internal partners and provides feedback to team members. Owns recruiting and onboarding efforts for Strategy team members by conducting interviews, making decisions on candidates, overseeing onboarding, supporting team member career transitions. Provides team leadership by identifying opportunities for improvement and driving the mission for the team. Acts as an inspirational mentor and thought leader to the entire Strategy team and broader Microsoft.

Specialty Responsibilities

• Develops and maintains an understanding of customers, competitors, partners, business models, market sizing, and industry trends; Develops an understanding of Microsoft's product portfolio, strategic priorities, competitive position, gaps, and potential opportunities;

Other

• Embody our culture and values

Qualifications:

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business , Liberal Arts, Sciences, or related field AND 12+ years relevant work experience (e.g., investment banking, consulting, finance, marketing, corporate strategy, sales, venture capital, legal, business development, product management, project management, software development, or related field)
  • OR equivalent experience.
• 5+ years people management experience
• 2+ years experience in Strategy, Management Consulting, and/or Finance

Additional or Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business , Finance, Economics, Liberal Arts, Computer Science, or related field AND 15+ years marketing, strategy, business planning, consulting, banking, finance, economics, and/or partner organization experience
  • OR Master's Degree in Business Administration or related field AND 12+ years marketing, strategy, business planning, consulting, banking, finance, economics, and/or partner organization experience
  • OR equivalent experience.
• 6+ years experience in Strategy, Management Consulting, including at a tech company, driving both partnership and product strategy
• 5+ years people management experience.

Business Development M6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $154,500 - $273,400 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 $199,600 - $299,400 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until October 14, 2024.

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. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. 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.

#BDSV