Overview
As a Solution Area Specialist focused on the retail industry, you will be responsible for driving digital transformation and business value for retail customers by aligning Microsoft’s cloud and AI solutions with their strategic priorities. You will engage directly with customers and partners to understand their business challenges, identify opportunities, and deliver tailored solutions that improve operational efficiency, customer experience, and competitive positioning.
Qualifications
Required/minimum qualifications
1. Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, Information Security, or related field AND experience in technology-related sales or account management OR equivalent experience.
2. Proficiency in both spoken and written communication in English and German
Additional or preferred qualifications
3. Master's Degree in Business Administration (i.e., MBA), Information Technology, Information Security, or related field AND strong years experience in technology-related sales or account management OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, Information Security, or related field AND 5+ years experience in technology-related sales or account management OR equivalent experience.
4. Solid solution or services sales experience.
5. Familiarity with retail technologies such as POS systems, ERP, CRM, and e-commerce platforms.
6. Experience in delivering solutions for customer personalization, inventory optimization, and workforce enablement.
Responsibilities
Customer EngagementEnsures each customer understands Microsoft's commitment to secure, AI-powered transformation and aligns the customer’s related priorities to the customer success plan, fostering long-term partnerships through AI-driven insights. Ensures partner teams, resources and relationships are activated, driving co-selling strategies and partner attach to each opportunity early in the sales lifecycle. Ensures connections with the partner organization (i.e. GPS) to drive share, partner health, that aligns with execution plans to accelerate customer value realization at scale.Assesses and qualifies sales opportunities following sales frameworks and guidelines, ensuring alignment with AI-enhanced sales methodologies and best practices. Assists in strategy development for pursuing and closing deals. Collaborates across organizations (e.g., Account Team Unit [ATU], CSU, ISD, GPS) to contribute to deal orchestration and handoffs throughout the deal lifecycle with minimal guidance. Utilizes best practices to gain customer buy-in, secure deals, and manage risks to support sales activities across the solution area.Sales & Pipeline ManagementParticipates in sales pipeline reviews with internal stakeholders to drive forecasting accuracy and meeting sales targets, ensuring the use of AI-powered analytics and forecasting tools to enhance precision. Maintains sales and/or consumption pipeline hygiene to enable tracking to achieve assigned sales metrics using all available tools, resources, and processes. Drives usage and/or consumption pipeline hygiene to actively monitor adoption trends, identify opportunities for intervention, enabling customers to realize the value of solutions purchased, drive expansion, and ensure healthier, more predictable renewals.Assesses business and emerging opportunities in context of provided feedback to contribute to the enhancement of the customer portfolio and support customer innovation initiatives. Utilizes technology (e.g., AI sales agents, automation, Power Platforms) to support growth within the assigned domain. Reviews propensity, renewal, consumption, and usage data to help inform sales strategy prioritization. Coordinates with partners assigned to each account and/or opportunity to assist in handoffs with other teams (e.g., Global Partner Solutions [GPS], Customer Success Unit [CSU], Industry Solutions Delivery [ISD], Partner) throughout the deal lifecycle.Sales StrategyParticipates in discussions with stakeholders and decision makers for customers to identify and qualify sales opportunities. Collaborates with internal stakeholders to support and contribute to customer success. Collaborates with account teams to align the customer's artificial intelligence (AI) transformation vision with their business priorities and success objectives. Incorporates security principles in customer interactions, opportunity, and pursuits to maintain trust and compliance standards.Collaborates with others cross-organizationally and assists in the development of solutions that facilitate AI- and cloud-driven transformations for customers within their solution area. Utilizes existing strategies to help differentiate Microsoft's offerings in a competitive landscape. Leverages established guidelines to advise customers on technologies and solutions that align with their goals and drive digital transformation.Leverages whitespace analysis and partners with others to identify business opportunities within the assigned market domain, utilizing AI-driven market intelligence tools to assess trends and insights. Gathers and assesses market intelligence, trends, and insights with the team. Utilizes established market analysis approach to align sales strategies with market trends with minimal guidance.Assists in assessing solution area(s) and identifies trends to support aligning sales plays with customer demands, incorporating AI-driven predictive analytics to forecast future market needs. Collaborates across teams to suggest solutions that support customer business objectives.Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.Industry leading healthcareEducational resourcesDiscounts on products and servicesSavings and investmentsMaternity and paternity leaveGenerous time awayGiving programsOpportunities to network and connect