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Job Details
Posted date: Dec 15, 2025
Category: Partner Marketing
Location: Multiple Locations, Multiple Locations
Estimated salary: $201,600
Range: $130,900 - $272,300
Employment type: Full-Time
Work location type: 0 days / week in-office – remote
Role: Individual Contributor
Description
OverviewGlobal Channel Partner Sales (GCPS) vision is to build and sell intelligent cloud, AI and agentic solutions with partners, empowering people and organizations to achieve more.
The Global Partner GTM, Programs, & Operations (GGPO) organization within GPS brings together the go-to-market strategy, programs, and platforms to accelerate growth and improve partner experience across all partner segments.
As the Director of Partner Activation & Sales Strategy Enablement for Cloud & AI Platforms, you will lead the launch of all new and updated products/services in this solution area. You own end-to-end accountability of the Cloud and AI Platform including planning and executing each launch, orchestrating across senior leaders and teams—Azure engineering, Cloud/AI product marketing, business planning, operations, SME&C solution area leaders and teams, and across GCPS—Planning & Investments, GGPO and Global Channel Sales—to ensure partners and internal roles are fully enabled, aligned, and activated for success.
You will manage the launch calendar for Cloud & AI Platforms, ensuring each launch has clear objectives and readiness milestones. A critical part of this role is collaborating across leadership and your team to shape compelling partner value propositions and “win” formulas that clearly demonstrate how partners can build growing, profitable businesses while delivering customer success. By driving a seamless, well-coordinated partner go-to-market motion from initial planning through sales activation, you accelerate partner success and fuel Microsoft’s cloud growth.
Responsibilities
Launch Planning & Management: Own the end-to-end launch program for the Cloud & AI Platforms solution area, including managing the launch timeline/calendar and translating product launch plans into clear partner activation plans with defined milestones and outcomes. Ensure each new offering has a comprehensive partner readiness plan from pre-release through General Availability.Internal Orchestration: Coordinate across internal stakeholders (e.g. Azure engineering, Cloud & AI product marketing, business planning, operations, SME&C solution area teams) to align launch goals and deliverables. You are the Azure Partner Strategy leader, driving cross-functional teams to execute their parts on time and resolving any roadblocks, so that all launch elements (training, bill of materials, tools, programs) arrive together for partners.Internal Partner Sales Enablement: Ensure internal partner-facing teams are prepared for each launch. Provide programmatic enablement for all POD operating model roles including Partner Development Managers, Partner Marketing Managers, Partner Solution Specialist, Partner Solution Architects, etc. via training, guidance, and playbooks. By launch, these roles know how to identify target partners, coach them on the new Cloud/AI offerings, and support them in early customer engagements.Partner Readiness & Activation: Drive partner readiness for new Cloud & AI launches by delivering the necessary training and content. Lead creation of partner-facing launch materials (kits, decks, FAQs, demo scripts, etc.) with respective organizational leaders and promote awareness through webinars or community calls. Ensure the partner value proposition is clearly defined and that partners understand how to position, license, and sell the offering to customers. Licensing & Program Alignment: Ensure each new offer is aligned to the proper licensing vehicles and partner programs. Work with commercial licensing leaders so that the product can be transacted seamlessly via Enterprise Agreements, Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC), Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) channel, etc., with any necessary pricing or SKU setup in place. In parallel, coordinate with the Planning & Investments and MAICPP program teams to adjust partner incentives, enablement or program requirements so that partners are motivated and rewarded for selling the new solution. This ensures partners have both the operational means and financial drivers to drive the launch.Solution Strategy Leader: Represent the end-to-end Partner Cloud and AI Platform strategy and execution in senior leader forums including rhythm of the business and fiscal year planning while influencing the commercial strategy to ensure it is representative of the partner business strategy and key metrics.Feedback & Continuous Improvement: Monitor partner engagement and performance during and after each launch and drive a feedback loop for improvement. Gather input from partners and internal teams on what’s working and what isn’t (e.g. readiness gaps, licensing friction, customer uptake). Track key success metrics (e.g. # of partners trained, partner-led deals, consumption growth) and report progress to senior leaders. Use insights and market research to recommend changes – whether updating training content, refining the value prop, or influencing the product roadmap – to improve partner outcomes and incorporate lessons learned into future launch plans.
Qualifications
Required/minimum qualifications
Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Business Development, Business Management, Communications, or related field AND 7+ years sales, marketing, or business development experienceOR equivalent experience.Additional or preferred qualifications
Advanced Education: MBA or relevant master’s degree is a plus, adding strategic business training to your skill set.Experience in Microsoft Ecosystem: Prior experience working at Microsoft, or within Microsoft’s partner ecosystem (e.g. at a Microsoft partner company or on Microsoft partner programs) is advantageous. It will help you navigate internal processes and understand available partner resources (programs, incentives) more quickly.Change Leadership: Demonstrated ability to drive organizational change or roll out new initiatives across a broad audience including senior leaders to individual contributors. For example, experience leading the adoption of a new program or tool among sales or partner teams.Market Insight: Understanding of the competitive cloud and AI landscape (AWS, Google, etc.) and current industry trends. This helps in crafting differentiated partner strategies and value propositions.
Partner Marketing IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $130,900 - $251,900 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 $165,600 - $272,300 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
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.
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