Solution Specialist

As a Solution Specialist - Data & AI you will be an expert within our Microsoft Customer & Partner Solutions organization (MCAPS) working with our customers to enable some of the most complex and innovative solutions, providing differentiated technical leadership and guidance along the way. You will collaborate with a team of technical, partner, and consulting resources to ensure that our solutions meet our customers’ needs.

We are seeking a Solution Specialist - Data & AI to join our team

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**:
Sales Execution
- Explore and assess the needs of strategic/high-potential customers. Articulate business value and long-term implications for customer business. Collaborate with internal teams, partners, and services to lead the proposal or development of solutions that align with customer and Microsoft priorities. Analyze market trends to identify opportunities for new solutions.
- Develop strategies for driving and closing strategic and/or prioritized opportunities. Collaborate with account teams to ensure alignment with the account strategy and plan. Lead deal execution with the deal teams across the organization. Coach others on the implementation of close plans (e.g., how to map timeline, engage the customer, get customer buy-in and commitment) to de-risk and drive predictable deal closure.

Scaling and Collaboration
- Lead the planning and execution of opportunities with resources and partners. Identify, leverage, and coordinate partners and resources across solution areas.
- Lead the sales orchestration with internal stakeholders and partners (e.g., Enterprise Operating Unit). Applies a holistic approach to build network across territories. Positions opportunities to promote collaboration and participation.

Technical Expertise
- Lead conversations and set up events within Microsoft. Mentor others and develop strategies for best practice sharing across subsidiaries. Contribute ideas that can be instituted across Microsoft.
- Post information or speak at external events, drive conversations with prospective customers/partners as a thought leader across solution areas.
- Lead the communication to provide feedback to other teams (e.g., sales, marketing, engineering) on future product trends or sales blocker.

Sales Excellence
- Build and transform new markets by leveraging technical and industry expertise, partners, and resources. Lead a team to explore business and emerging opportunities to optimize the portfolio and facilitate customer innovation.
- Manage the end-to-end business for strategic accounts across the organization. Lead forecasting for accounts and develops a portfolio and territory plan to drive intentional selling with on-strategy engagements in high propensity accounts. Mentor team members.
- Complete required training and obtain relevant product and role certifications aligned to the role and workload/industry. Proactively seek training, including information that adds to the understanding of customers' business, and share it with team members.

Other
- Embody our culture and values

**Qualifications**:
**Required/Minimum Qualifications**
- 5+ years technology-related sales or account management experience
- OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, or related field AND 5+ years technology-related sales or account management experience.

**Additional or Preferred Qualifications**
- 9+ years technology-related sales or account management experience
- OR Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, or related field AND 8+ years technology-related sales or account management experience
- OR Master's Degree in Business Administration (i.e., MBA), Information Technology, or related field AND 5+ years technology-related sales or account management experience.
- 6+ years solution or services sales experience.
- ** Prior work experience**in a Consulting/Solutions Sales position working with solutions that include data, analytics and artificial intelligence (AI)
- ** Data & AI Platform. **Understanding of Microsoft Azure Data & AI products. The position requires the ability to articulate and demonstrate the business value of Microsoft's solutions and have a firm understanding of Microsoft's strategies and products relative to major Microsoft competitors
- Experience leading large cloud engagements especially those involving Strategic Analytics & AI solutions, Data Platform modernization and migration.
- Understanding of partner ecosystems and the ability to leverage partner solutions to solve customer needs.