Microsoft Strategic Practice Director (Plano, TX)

CSP / NCE / Azure / M365 / AI

The Opportunity

We are seeking a strategic, customer-facing leader to drive Microsoft cloud growth within a Cloud Solution Provider and partner-led services organization. This role serves as the primary advisor on Microsoft strategy, aligning customer business objectives with Microsoft’s evolving cloud ecosystem across Microsoft 365, Azure, Security, Copilot, and Azure AI.
The ideal candidate combines business strategy, presales leadership, Microsoft partner expertise, funding program navigation, and operational rigor. This person should look and feel like a high-caliber former Microsoft-facing partner leader or Partner Development Manager profile: someone who can engage Microsoft field sellers and PDMs, shape customer opportunities, translate partner programs into revenue, and turn designations, incentives, and GTM investments into actual growth. Internal role examples and partner-facing materials show this kind of role must bridge partner relationships, co-sell execution, technical positioning, and business accountability.
This is not a pure alliance role and not a pure presales role. It is a hybrid operator role spanning Microsoft relationship management, GTM development, customer-facing solution strategy, funding and incentive orchestration, and business reporting.

Why this role exists

To be effective with Microsoft, a partner needs far more than a reseller motion. Internal Microsoft practice material highlights the need for broad subject matter expertise, fast access to specialists, strong partner relationships, and the ability to move quickly on customer opportunities.
The person in this role will help Technologent:

• maximize the value of the Microsoft reseller and services relationship
• improve CSP and NCE commercial execution
• align deals to funding and incentive eligibility
• shape Microsoft GTM motions across M365, Azure, Security, Copilot, and AI
• create better visibility into pipeline, margin, attribution, and performance
• strengthen field alignment with Microsoft sellers, PDMs, and partner teams

Key Responsibilities

1. Microsoft relationship and strategic advisory

• Act as the trusted advisor to customers and internal sellers on Microsoft cloud strategy, licensing, roadmap alignment, and partner motion
• Own and manage the Microsoft partner reseller relationship, including cadence, escalation, opportunity alignment, field mapping, and joint planning
• Drive alignment with Microsoft field teams, Partner Development Managers, account sellers, and strategic partner resources
• Translate Microsoft priorities such as AI, security, cloud migration, Copilot, and Azure modernization into actionable customer strategies
• Help determine when Technologent should lead directly versus leverage delivery or licensing partners

2. Go-to-market leadership

• Develop and execute joint GTM strategies across Microsoft solution areas:
  • Modern Work: Microsoft 365, Teams, Copilot
  • Security: Defender, Sentinel, Entra, Purview
  • Azure: Infrastructure, migration, modernization, data platform
  • Azure AI and Copilot ecosystem
• Build repeatable solution motions for migration, modernization, AI adoption, security transformation, and managed services
• Develop GTM messaging, campaign themes, talk tracks, seller enablement content, and strategic positioning
• Translate Microsoft solution play priorities into practical field motions

3. Presales and customer engagement

• Lead strategic presales calls, workshops, and executive discussions with enterprise and mid-market customers
• Shape solution direction, business cases, and Statements of Work tied to Microsoft cloud adoption
• Position value-based outcomes such as cost optimization, security posture improvement, cloud modernization, AI transformation, and recurring managed services
• Support account teams with licensing strategy, funding alignment, partner selection, and commercial positioning
• Act as an escalation point for complex Microsoft opportunities requiring cross-functional coordination

4. Microsoft funding and incentive navigation

• Identify, align, and secure Microsoft funding programs including ECIF, Co-op, Azure credits, CSP incentives, Azure Accelerate, etc. for customer engagements
• Work directly with Microsoft stakeholders to nominate opportunities and unlock funding
• Build funding-led deal strategies that reduce customer friction and accelerate sales cycles
• Align SOWs, milestones, and engagement scope to Microsoft funding eligibility requirements
• Track funding usage, governance, proof of execution, and performance against Microsoft targets
• Establish repeatable internal process for deciding which funding vehicles can be stacked and which cannot

5. Partner program and incentive optimization

• Ensure optimal use of CSP, Partner Center, Microsoft Commerce Incentives, and related co-sell and attribution structures
• Drive correct attribution models including CPOR, DPOR, and PAL to maximize incentive eligibility, designation progress, and partner benefits
• Track Microsoft incentive performance across Azure consumption, M365 growth, Copilot adoption, co-op usage, and program compliance
• Maintain deep fluency in Microsoft Solutions Partner designations, advanced specializations, solution play eligibility, and Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program benefits
• Help the business package opportunities so they qualify for multiple aligned motions without violating program rules

6. Financial reporting and business operations

• Own financial reporting and operational visibility for all Microsoft business
• Report on bookings, renewals, pipeline, Azure Consumed Revenue, M365 attach, Copilot adoption, funding secured, incentive yield, and margin performance
• Create executive-ready scorecards for Microsoft reseller, services, and incentive performance
• Monitor profitability of Microsoft business across licensing, services, partner fees, and incentive recovery

7. Cross-functional leadership

• Collaborate with delivery, cloud engineering, operations, and marketing teams to ensure execution continuity
• Enable internal sales and technical teams on Microsoft programs, incentives, GTM priorities, and funding plays
• Create feedback loops to improve packaged offerings, SOW quality, nomination readiness, and seller motions
• Act as the connective tissue between sales, finance, partner operations, Microsoft field, and delivery
• Cultivate and manage network of Microsoft delivery partners

Required qualifications

• 7 to 12+ years in the Microsoft ecosystem, including CSP, SI, MSP, distributor, or Microsoft partner-led motions
• Deep expertise in:
  • Microsoft 365 and Security
  • Azure IaaS, PaaS, and AI
  • CSP and NCE licensing models
  • Microsoft incentives, Partner Center, and co-sell motions
• Demonstrated experience leading customer-facing presales engagements and executive-level discussions
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft partner economics, including rebates, growth accelerators, co-op, and attribution
• Strong operational discipline with the ability to own reporting, governance, and business reviews
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, especially in creating GTM messaging, internal enablement, and executive-ready strategy content

Preferred qualifications

• Former Microsoft employee or similar background in a Microsoft-facing channel role such as Partner Development Manager, Partner Technology Strategist, or equivalent partner growth role
• Microsoft Solutions Partner designation exposure and/or advanced specialization familiarity
• Experience securing ECIF or similar Microsoft funding programs
• Familiarity with Azure AI, Copilot, Copilot Studio, Azure AI Foundry, and data platform workloads
• Strong relationships with Microsoft field or channel teams
• Experience in a technology integrator, reseller, or partner-led services organization
• Copilot knowledge strongly preferred

Ideal candidate profile

The strongest candidate will operate at four levels:

• Partner leader Can manage Microsoft, distributor, and strategic partner relationships with credibility and urgency
• Customer-facing strategist Comfortable in front of customers, sellers, and executives; able to shape solution direction and commercial strategy
• Incentives operator Understands how to package deals so they qualify, how to stack incentives correctly, and how to keep attribution, POE, and compliance clean
• Business manager Owns the numbers, reports the business accurately, and improves margin, velocity, and predictability

Measured outcomes

• Growth in Azure Consumed Revenue
• Increased Microsoft 365 and Copilot adoption
• Successful utilization of Microsoft funding programs
• Pipeline acceleration and improved deal velocity
• Expansion of managed and recurring Microsoft services
• Improved Microsoft incentive capture and attribution coverage
• Better seller readiness and stronger GTM consistency
• Stronger visibility into the financial performance of the Microsoft business

What success looks like in 12 months

• Microsoft reseller and services motions are clearly organized and measurable
• Field sellers know when and how to engage this role
• Funding is no longer opportunistic; it is systematic
• Attribution is cleaner across Azure and M365 motions
• Microsoft business reviews are data-backed and executive ready
• GTM content exists for core Microsoft plays instead of being rebuilt each time
• The organization is visibly better at turning Microsoft programs into revenue, margin, and pipeline

Technologent is an Equal Opportunity Employer -- EEO/AA Employer/Vet/Disabled -- for reasonable accommodations, please contact us at hr@technologent.com

Technologent is a Global Provider of Edge-to-Edge℠ Information Technology Solutions and Services for Fortune 1000 and SMB companies. We offer a unique blend of business practices that are aligned to solve for top CIO concerns. Our core competencies focus on data center infrastructure, business continuity, data protection, service automation and orchestration, continuous intelligence, monitoring, connectivity, collaboration and cybersecurity. These practices are supported by our professional services, digital transformation services and financial services offerings. By providing custom solutions and services designed to fit your business needs, we enable your organization to be more agile, responsive and competitive. Technologent empowers your company to ascend to the next level in IT.

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