Customer & Partner Engagement Manager

Microsoft is a leading technology company focused on empowering every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. The Customer & Partner Engagement Manager role is responsible for maximizing the impact of executive interactions with customers and partners, driving strategic engagements that lead to significant business outcomes.

Responsibilities:

• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve customer and partner engagement strategies aligned to team goals and objectives.  Build and run a consistent engagement framework that improves how executive interactions are prioritized, prepared, and followed through
• Prioritize executive time with the right customers and partners, ensuring engagements are strategic, timely, and impactful
• Manage the rhythm for executive-sponsored accounts, including engagement plans, strategic customer insights, and efficient tracking of actions for business impact
• Ensure each engagement is grounded in clear objectives, relevant business context, defined decision points, and desired outcomes
• Plan and support customer and partner visits, ensuring engagements address critical priorities for both Microsoft and the customer
• Translate executive commitments into structured action plans, drive accountability, and ensure timely follow-up with account teams and stakeholders
• Maximize customer, partner, and field engagements during domestic and international travel, aligning with local teams and stakeholders on site visits, leader preparation, and follow-up actions
• Support a global leader by working effectively across markets, time zones, and cultures
• Work directly on complex sales deals with customers, demonstrating a understanding of deal structuring, negotiation, and closing
• Provide guidance and support to field and sales teams on best practices for deal execution throughout the sales cycle
• Offer innovative solutions that expand the scope and value of sales opportunities while aligning to customer needs and Microsoft’s strategic objectives
• Collaborate across teams, apply sound business judgment to frame tradeoffs, risks, and decision paths in high-stakes deal and engagement scenarios
• Provide clear problem framing and recommended paths to resolution for complex, high-visibility issues
• Coordinate and drive to closure customer issues and actions directed to the leader, conducting due diligence, organizing resources, and engaging the right owners or subject matter experts for resolution
• Cultivate and nurture relationships with internal stakeholders, customers, and partners
• Coordinate and prioritize with account teams on executive engagement strategy, including requests for senior leadership involvement
• Influence stakeholders across teams to align on engagement priorities, narrative, and desired outcomes for executive interactions
• Actively participate and collaborate with the broader Customer & Partner Engagement community across Microsoft
• Actively participate and collaborate across the Senior Leader’s Office with the willingness to step in and support broader Office priorities as needed
• Generate the operational rigor that enables effective customer engagements in collaboration with related teams and individuals
• Ensure alignment with field landing strategy and priorities for smooth execution and capability building
• Drive insights and recommendations that strengthen engagement strategy, improve the leader’s decision making, and optimize use of resources
• Introduce repeatable practices that improve consistency and quality without adding unnecessary overhead
• Drive program management excellence, managing multiple projects simultaneously and adapting plans in a fast-paced, evolving environment

Requirements:

• 5+ years' experience in customer- or partner-facing roles in field sales, executive engagement, business operations, or related commercial roles, OR equivalent experience
• Proven ability to drive cross-functional alignment and operate effectively in a matrix environment, including program and project management skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities and drive disciplined follow-through
• Experience supporting executive-level customer and partner engagements tied to strategic accounts and business outcomes; strong judgment and commercial acumen to assess risk, connect work to priorities, and guide decisions in a fast-paced environment
• Executive presence with ability to build trust and influence globally across cross-functional stakeholders, operating independently while aligning diverse perspectives to drive effective engagement outcomes
• Working knowledge of Microsoft's commercial business, customer landscape, and partner ecosystem
• Ability to synthesize customer, partner, and field signals into actionable recommendations that strengthen engagement strategy and execution
• Comfortable operating autonomously and in ambiguity; able to move quickly and make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment
• Experience building practical frameworks or playbooks that improve engagement effectiveness (with familiarity using data or AI tools to enhance insights and execution)
• Willingness to step in to cover for other Office colleagues by taking on activities or initiatives not directly related to the customer engagement portfolio