Senior Director, Partner/Vendor Alliances - Microsoft

About the Role
The Senior Director, Partner/Vendor Alliances is a leadership role responsible for supporting the development and management of strategic partnerships with external organizations. The primary objective of this role is to drive business growth, improve client experiences, and enhance the organization's competitive position through collaborative alliances. This role is responsible for developing comprehensive partner alliances strategies aligned with the organization's goals and objectives, including identifying potential partners, evaluating partnership opportunities, and defining partnership models.

Through effective management of a team of partner alliances specialists, this position works closely with sales and technical teams to ensure certification and enablement standards are maintained, and to develop joint investment opportunities aimed at strategically growing partnerships in alignment with organizational goals and objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the development of a comprehensive partner alliances strategy aligned with organizational goals and objectives, including identifying potential partners, evaluating partnership opportunities, and defining partnership models.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with strategic partners, manage partner performance, address issues or concerns, and ensure effective collaboration to achieve mutual goals.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities through partner alliances by assessing market trends, client needs, and leveraging partner capabilities to create innovative solutions and services.
• Provide direction and control strategic programs while contributing to the execution of executive engagements.
• Lead negotiation and execution of partnership agreements and contracts, ensuring favorable terms and conditions for the organization while achieving win-win outcomes for all parties involved.
• Track and measure the performance of partner alliances against established KPIs and targets, analyze data, identify areas for improvement, and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Collaborate with cross-functional business stakeholders (e.g., Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Operations) to align partner alliance activities with overall business strategies, including joint marketing campaigns, product integrations, and go-to-market strategies.
• Represent the organization in industry forums, conferences, and events to build brand awareness, establish thought leadership, and identify potential partnership opportunities.
• Oversee the coaching of the senior alliance management team to ensure alignment with current business drivers, organizational initiatives, and senior programs.
• Identify and mitigate potential risks associated with partner alliances by conducting due diligence, monitoring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and implementing risk mitigation strategies.
• Define and ensure the implementation of partner alliances policies, standards, and guidelines.
• Act as a strategic partner to partner alliances leadership and teams through consistent and valuable training and coaching that enables continuous improvement and revenue growth while addressing skills gaps.
• Serve as a change agent by providing advice, guidance, and support to drive the adoption of best practices in partner alliances management.

To Thrive in This Role, You Need to Have:

• Significantly vast strategic thinking ability to develop and execute a comprehensive partner alliances strategy aligned with organizational goals and objectives.
• Significantly vast relationship-building and collaboration skills to establish and enable strategic partnerships with external partners.
• A strong ability to foster trust and manage partner relationships to achieve mutual goals.
• A deep understanding of business development principles and the ability to identify and pursue new opportunities.
• Leadership skills to inspire an immediate team as well as cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders at all levels within the organization.
• Excellent communication skills to articulate complex ideas clearly and concisely.
• Strong negotiation and contract management skills to secure favorable terms and conditions in partnership agreements and contracts.
• Significant analytical ability to assess partnership opportunities, evaluate partner performance, and make data-driven decisions by analyzing market data and financial reports.
• Comprehensive understanding of the technology industry, including current trends, emerging technologies, and competitive landscapes.
• Adaptability to navigate and thrive in a rapidly changing business environment.

Academic Qualifications and Certifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in business, computer science, information technology, or a related field.

Required Experience:

• Significantly vast experience in a similar senior/leadership role, preferably in a global technology organization.
• Proven success in building and managing strategic partner alliances.
• Experience in operationally managing a partner/vendor alliances team.
• Go-to-market experience focused on driving business growth.
• Extensive experience in partner alliances management, business development, and strategic alliances.
• Prior experience within a global technology organization.

Workplace Type:
Hybrid Working