Venture Capital Business Development Manager

Microsoft•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

The Venture Capital Business Development Manager is part of Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS)-Core and the Worldwide Enterprise Partner Sales organization. The role focuses on accelerating Microsoft Azure adoption among early-stage startups backed by venture capital firms and accelerators. It builds relationships across the investor ecosystem and helps portfolio startups access Microsoft resources, technical enablement, and global B2B market opportunities. The position works with venture capital firms, accelerators, incubators, startup founders, and Microsoft teams to identify promising startups, support their Azure adoption, and connect them to go-to-market opportunities. It also contributes market and portfolio insights, provides feedback on startup offerings, and supports recruitment and selection of high-potential startups.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Liberal Arts, Sciences, or a related field and at least 5 years of relevant work experience, or equivalent experience.
Relevant work experience may include investment banking, consulting, finance, marketing, corporate strategy, sales, venture capital, legal, business development, product management, project management, or software development.
At least 6 years of experience in the technology industry or in a technical role, such as IT or engineering.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Liberal Arts, Sciences, or a related field and at least 7 years of relevant work experience; or a Master’s/Advanced degree in Business, Sciences, or a related field and at least 5 years of relevant work experience; or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

Cultivate and manage strategic partnerships with venture capital firms, accelerators, and incubators to access their portfolio companies.
Serve as the primary point of contact for startups and investors to promote Azure adoption.
Identify high-potential startups in investor portfolios and guide them through Azure onboarding, technical enablement, and go-to-market acceleration.
Collaborate with internal teams to deliver tailored Azure benefits, including credits, technical support, and co-selling opportunities.
Partner with product, cloud, and go-to-market teams to align startup needs with Microsoft’s strategic priorities.
Organize and execute co-branded events, webinars, and investor roundtables to showcase startup success stories and Azure capabilities.
Conduct portfolio analysis and market research to identify trends, whitespace opportunities, and strategic investment areas.
Provide feedback to internal product and program teams to refine offerings for early-stage startups.
Source, conduct due diligence on, and select high-potential startups in partnership with fellow Recruit Leads.
Build relationships with founders and use startup ecosystem networks to expand recruitment reach.
Inform selection decisions through customer discovery, market research, third-party data, and insights from startups and enterprise customers.
Collaborate with M12, Business Development, Corporate Strategy, product groups, and customer-facing teams to assess opportunities and align recruitment efforts.
Use data and analytics to track OKRs, measure results, and refine recruitment approaches.