Senior Commercial Executive (Education)

The Europe North Education Sales Account Team focusses on empowering customers on their digital journey. We are responsible for envisioning new possibilities for our customers, delivering solutions that result in targeted business outcomes and driving revenue growth for Microsoft. The Europe North Education Sales Account Team is a customer-facing team which provides strategic and technical deal-based engagement to drive solution selling and value-based outcomes with our Education Customers, spanning Higher Education & Research across Europe North, as well as K12 in some markets. 

You’ll join a team that sits at the centre of Microsoft’s mission to empower every Education and Research Institution to achieve more. In Europe North, you play a pivotal role in simplifying how these organisations acquire, deploy, and scale Microsoft technology, so they can stay focused on the students, communities, and missions they serve. You work alongside passionate experts who help you navigate complex impact driven customers, giving you the platform to shape commercial strategies that genuinely make a difference in the real world.  

The Commercial Executive is a trusted advisor who leads the design and execution of the customer’s commercial strategy and negotiation, selling the right commercial solution at the right time and ensuring every deal is compliant and profitable for Microsoft. You will be responsible for revenue generation and growth, deal making​ and as the lead negotiator, for the negotiation strategy as you develop trusted relationships with key stakeholders and peers. As a seasoned sales and negotiation professional, you are unafraid of conflict. With a positive attitude and a passion for working with customers and partners, you are comfortable speaking at all organizational levels, from the senior leaders to the procurement / purchasing teams. You will make the best choices for the customer based on their commercial strategic needs. As a strategic, long-term thinker, you will be able to analyze data to identify trends, risks and opportunities. In-depth and strategic understanding of Microsoft Support, licensing programs and contracting is preferred, and a minimum working understanding is essential . 

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.  

Deal Making

• Act as an expert to lead internal and external sales and management teams through commercial construct optimizing for the right level of investment and customization. Optimize deal customization leveraging price and non-price concessions. Identify business opportunities which vary based on deal life-cycle and artificial intelligence (AI). Take relevant steps to make sure deal execution is successful.

Negotiation

• Define, negotiate complex commercial terms and lead the strategy for the negotiation approach by engaging with stakeholders, for key deals.

Collaboration

• Develop trusted relationships with key customer stakeholders, partners, Account Teams in order to help our customers deliver their business goals and achieve Microsoft revenue targets.

Deep Proactive Engagement

• Acts as a trusted advisor to support subsidiary sales teams to determine how Education licensing and contracting should be changed to best meet customer needs. Contributes to teams by sharing knowledge, supporting the on-boarding of others in the same role and pro-actively seeking help.
• Collaborates with various sellers and business stakeholders in order to achieve revenue targets. Leverages critical resources (e.g., deal desk, sales support, partners, finance) to drive business outcomes. Orchestrates high levels of strategic conversations internally or externally. Pro-actively engages with others to align commercial strategy to customer needs.
• Leverages knowledge of Education customer business needs and Microsoft licensing policies to achieve revenue goals using ethical selling methods. Contributes to developing pricing scenarios and proposals. Develops Education industry knowledge and conducts competitive analysis to contribute to crafting commercial solutions.
• Leads internal sales and management teams through sales process optimizing for the right level of investment and customization.
• Helps other team members understand Microsoft/Education customer strategies and why they are important for accomplishing goals. Creates clarity in their work and encourages others to do the same. Ensures that their peers follow through on plans.

Mastering Key Skill

• Ensures adherence to commercial solutions policy for commercial deal execution, inclusive of regulatory laws and principles in local markets, company policies, and guidance for consistent deal making. Coaches sales team to ensure compliance. Maintains and ensures others' sales and negotiation strategies adhere to established guidelines, policies and legal standards. 

Required Qualifications 

• Extensive experience in sales and negotiation
  • OR Bachelor's Degree in Business Management, Information Technology, Law, Marketing, Finance, Communication, Education (or equivalent) or related field AND sales and negotiation experience or related work or internship experience
• Fluent or business level English language skills
• Experience in Education industry 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Fluency of business level in one of the Europe North language skills (Polish, Czech, Nordic languages, Hungarian, Dutch etc)

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.