Full-Time Public Sector ATS – Abuja Job – Microsoft Nigeria

The Account Technology Strategist (ATS) is part of the Microsoft Technical Sales Profession, aimed to:

‘Enable the Business & IT goals of our Customers, by delivering Business value with the Microsoft Platform, thus securing long-term Sustainable Growth for Microsoft!’

How does the ATS role add value?
The ATS is an Customer aligned Relationship Resource with the following Core Responsibilities:

1. Gather a 360° Customer Insight profile, incl. IO, IT and Application Platform, and the Partner and Competitive landscape.
2. Build Trusted Technology Relationships with the TDM, in particular with the CIO, CSO, CTO and their direct reports.
3. Drive Realized Platform Value, by driving a Deployment and Adoption Strategy, and orchestrating Resources from the STU (SSP/TSP), Microsoft Services and Partners for Execution.
4. Initiate Growth by Competitive Displacement, by building a qualified competitive pipeline, initiating Capability Led (IO) Conversations, supporting Application Platform (BGA/AGA) Engagements, and leveraging the Microsoft Account Planning process.

The ATS has 3 distinct sales motions:

1. Deployment: The ATS owns the Deployment Strategy, and drives a customer validated Deployment Plan, supported by STU, Microsoft Services and Partners.
2. Capability Led Selling (IO): The ATS initiates the IO Conversation (leveraging IO Discovery) as a Trusted Technology Relation to the TDM (in particular the CIO, CSO and CTO), and supports STU resources (SSP/TSP) in driving competitive opportunities.
3. Application Platform Selling (APO): The ATS supports Application Platform BGA and AGA engagements, owned and orchestrated by AM and SSP Platform.

How is the ATS role unique from other roles?

The ATS role is unique in:
a. Its focus on Long-term Sustainable Growth.
b. Its in-depth knowledge of Customers’ IT environments.
c. Its ability to build long-term Trusted Technology Relationships, and have solid and meaningful strategic Technology conversations.
d. Its broad knowledge of the entire Microsoft Enterprise Platform, and the ability to map IT to the Customer Business needs and priorities.
e. Its ability to qualify and initiate competitive opportunities and work with Microsoft and/or Partner resources to grow the Microsoft Infrastructure and Application Platform.

What business results is this role accountable for? What are the key initiatives/ challenges facing this role over the next 6 months to 3 years?
The ATS is responsible to build a trusted relationship with customers, realize Platform Value resulting in long-term sustainable growth. Key driver is to make sure customers deploy and adopt the Microsoft Platform and get true Business Value.

In what ways and levels does this role affect Microsoft: department-wide impact, division-wide impact, domestic only, worldwide, etc.?
The ATS is a relationship resource aligned with local and/or global customers.
The impact an individual ATS has is limited to the customers that the ATS is assigned to and as the ATS is a long-term resource, tenure in role and assigned customers is advised.
On a WW scale the WW ATS community is a key resource (like no other role within Microsoft) to secure a long-term sustainable business for Microsoft!

What are the key decisions that this role makes? What is the importance of these decisions? On what decisions would this role need to defer to its manager or customer?
As a relationship resource the ATS should aspire to be seen by the customer as a trusted advisor; building credibility by driving IO maturity conversations, IT roadmap strategies and relevant mapping to existing (sometimes competitive) IT infrastructure , business needs, priorities and strategies.

To what extent is the role responsible for the strategy, design, development, rollout or implementation of programs, products and/or services?
The ATS role is responsible for building a holistic 360° IT and IO profile of the customer, based upon which the AM and ATS build their long-term Account Plan Strategy; including short-term revenue and deployment targets and long-term growth goals.

What collaboration is required for the ATS?
The ATS works very closely with multiple stakeholders, within Microsoft and with Partners:
ATU Manager and Account Manager on Account Strategy.
STU Resources (SSP/TSP) on Capability Led Selling and short-term revenue opportunities.
Microsoft Services, including Service Executive, Premier (TAM) and Advisory & Architecture Services (ITAP), on Deployment & Adoption.
PTU & Partners on deployment and implementation projects.
Industry Resources on Solution Selling Opportunities.
Product Groups on Roadmaps, TAPS and POC’s.

Experience: 3-5 years of related experience
What type of supervisory or management experience would be necessary to fulfill the job requirements, if any?
No supervisory or management experience is required. Extensive experience in working within teams is required. Experience in Project Management is recommended.
Education: Bachelor’s Degree
Professional training/certification in:
Sales and Partner management, complex sales training (i.e. Miller Hyman, Spin, Michael Bosworth, Holden, etc.), sales methodologies (equivalent to MSSP),
Broad evangelism through events (presentation skills),
Effective marketing tactics,
CRM (Siebel or other).