Customer Relationship Manager

Microsoft•Il, IL

About The Position

The Customer Relationship Manager builds and coaches customer, partner, and internal stakeholder engagement strategies. The role identifies and influences customer technical, business, and executive stakeholders; synthesizes customer and industry insights; and aligns Microsoft solutions and cross-cloud capabilities with customer objectives. As a trusted advisor, the manager develops strategic roadmaps, plans customer-facing program reviews, prioritizes complex engagements, and aligns stakeholder expectations to support customer success. The role leads customer relationship management and delivery programs, connecting Microsoft technology to industry and business outcomes. It anticipates and mitigates blockers—including security and compliance risks—to customer consumption and operational health, mobilizes resources, and supports long-term adoption and value realization. It also brings industry and technical expertise to help customers shape their technology vision and transformation plans.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sociology, Psychology, Computer Science, or a related field, and at least 2 years of experience in customer success, solution delivery, practice management, customer-facing consulting, or portfolio management; or equivalent experience.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sociology, Psychology, Computer Science, or a related field, and at least 5 years of experience in customer success, solution delivery, practice management, customer-facing consulting, or portfolio management; or equivalent experience.
At least 1 year of relevant work experience within the customer’s industry.
Microsoft or competitor-equivalent certification in relevant technologies, such as Azure or Microsoft 365.
ITIL Foundation certification or equivalent service management certification.

Responsibilities

Synthesize team and industry insights about customer business and IT objectives, working with other account team leaders.
Apply industry expertise to influence customer priorities and contribute to shared account plans that support security, resiliency, and business transformation objectives.
Coach teams to develop support, security, and consumption delivery programs, using industry trends and program progress to identify priority areas for customer environmental health.
Share relevant industry trends and Microsoft practices with customers.
Identify, navigate, communicate with, and influence customer technical, business, and executive stakeholders, including partners.
Guide conversations that help customers achieve business objectives through their Microsoft investment; map internal roles to customer priorities and maintain internal stakeholder relationships.
Lead executive-level business value conversations and coach others to communicate effectively with and challenge customers, with a focus on security and resiliency.
Serve as a trusted advisor to customer and partner stakeholders by connecting Microsoft technologies to industry and business outcomes.
Build and coach stakeholder engagement strategies and promote healthy, strategic relationships across customer, partner, internal, and technical teams.
Lead the definition of business outcomes across large stakeholder groups and align Microsoft strategy with strategic customers’ business priorities.
Develop and deliver strategic roadmaps, program plans, and customer-facing reviews; prioritize complex engagements and align stakeholder expectations to customer outcomes.
Improve delivery management methodologies, processes, and tools to mitigate risks to customer operational health.
Anticipate and mitigate customer blockers and risks, including security and compliance risks, and develop deliverable programs of work aligned with customer and Microsoft priorities.
Orchestrate delivery resources, lead account-team delivery program reviews, and manage escalations and communications for customer delivery programs.
Align customer objectives with the current and future Microsoft portfolio of work and feed improvements into organizational and customer success strategies.
Agree on long-term approaches to adoption of Microsoft technology and services, incorporating security and aligning with customer goals.
Link Customer Success Plans to account plan priorities and develop bookable programs of work.
Influence customer strategic decision-making and drive transformation toward improved operational health and security.
Develop methods to identify, monitor, and mitigate consumption blockers; mobilize resources to accelerate consumption, drive innovation, and improve customer experience.
Own ambiguous consumption targets and their achievement, and challenge customers to achieve greater success.
Partner with customers and senior executives to understand business priorities, identify trends and consumption opportunities, develop long-term strategies, and position large-scale programs that drive value across the portfolio.
Align Microsoft solutions and cross-cloud capabilities—including Azure, Security, Modern Work, and Dynamics—with customer needs and priorities.
Use industry and technical expertise to advise customers, secure Microsoft’s position against competitors, and connect customer business objectives to technology.
Use knowledge of customer technology platforms and Microsoft’s roadmap to guide customer vision from conception through value realization.
Adapt strategies, plans, and solutions to market and business insights.