Overview
The Commercial Executive is a strategic negotiator within Microsoft's Enterprise Commercial organization, responsible for leading deal-making, negotiation, and collaboration activities to drive revenue growth and customer success.This role acts as a trusted advisor on commercial activities and contracting, leading internal and external sales through commercial construct and deal value proposition, while optimizing the right level of investment and customization. The Commercial Executive plays a key role in supporting AI transformation across accounts, maximizing business opportunities with new offerings (such as Copilot), and ensuring compliant, on-time deal execution. As a trusted advisor, the CE crafts and negotiates commercial solutions that are both compliant and profitable, aligning customer needs with Microsoft's business goals.
The role involves leading deal-making processes, optimizing customization through price and non-price concessions, defining complex negotiation strategies, and building trust-based relationships with stakeholders across customer, partner, and internal teams. The CE serves as a lead point for escalations and negotiations, develops and models commercial options, drives creative and transformative deal strategies, and continuously seeks revenue growth opportunities through up-selling and cross-selling — with a strong focus on supporting AI Transformation in every account (Copilot and new offerings).
Success is measured by impact on customer commercial strategy, achievement of quota and consumption targets, timely renewals, and compliant deal execution.
Responsibilities
Deal Making
- 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 that vary based on deal lifecycle and AI (Copilot and new offerings).
- Create and manage the commercial plan / contribute to the account plan for strategic accounts, mapping how to maximize qualified medium-to-complex commercial opportunities.
- Analyze customer commercial opportunity history, including discounts, concessions, and consumption across the territory.
- Anticipate and verify upcoming renewals; lead renewal processes with account teams to maximize on-time revenue and recapture rate.
- Construct compliant commercial solutions to maximize renewals.
- Identify renewal opportunities during account planning; inform strategy, coach sellers, accelerate adoption, and address deal blockers.
- Close eligible workloads and expiring contracts
- Adopt Deal Agent and adhere to Tranche Framework when launched.
- Take all relevant steps to ensure deal execution is successful.
Negotiation
- Define and negotiate complex commercial terms; lead the strategy for the negotiation approach by engaging with stakeholders.
- Partner with leaders when negotiating complex commercial terms, in collaboration with the account team and deal manager.
- Understand stakeholders and priorities; leverage formal negotiation strategies, anticipate potential vulnerabilities, understand customer measurement of value, and define walk-away positions.
- Consult with leaders on rhythm of negotiation team planning and reporting to stakeholders.
- Act as Trusted Advisor and Negotiation SME for deals negotiated by AEs or other stakeholders.
- Drive accountability for negotiation outcomes.
- Ensure adherence to commercial solutions policy for deal execution, including regulatory laws, local market principles, company policies, and guidance for consistent deal making.
- Prioritize "configuration" over "customization" in deals of all sizes; validate that a deployment plan is in place.
Collaboration
- Develop trusted relationships with key customer stakeholders, partners, and Account Teams to help customers deliver their business goals and achieve Microsoft revenue targets.
- Demonstrate in-depth and strategic understanding of Microsoft licensing programs and contracting.
- Collaborate with Internal and Partner teams.
- Understand and apply the Sales Cycle Framework; share accountability with the account team to drive Security and Usage; structure deals to drive usage.
- Consult with leadership and account team to ensure customer and teams are aligned on the value proposition of commercial programs.
Compliance & Other
- Embody Microsoft's culture and values.
- Model integrity and ethical behavior daily; full adherence to company policies and processes.
- Complete 100% of required Compliance Trainings by due date.
- Cooperate with audits, investigations, and remediation actions; proactively identify and escalate role-inherent risks.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree in Business Management, Information Technology, Law, Marketing, Finance, Communication, Education (or equivalent) or related field AND 5+ years of sales and negotiation experience (or related work / internship experience) OR 7+ years of sales and negotiation experience OR equivalent experience.
- 5+ years of experience with deal strategy, deal execution, and contractual negotiations.
- 5+ years of experience in customer-facing commercial roles and presenting to C-Level executives.
Preferred Qualifications
- Seasoned sales and negotiation professional, unafraid of conflict.
- Positive attitude and passion for working with customers and partners.
- Comfortable speaking at all organizational levels — from CxO to procurement / purchasing teams.
- Strategic, long-term thinker, able to analyze data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
- Team player and collaborative — high-performing individualists will not succeed in this role.
- In-depth and strategic understanding of licensing, cloud principles and contracting.
- Ability to simplify complex legal and commercial constructs.
- Proficiency in consultative selling.
Key Skills & Habits
- Strong commercial acumen and judgment.
- Industry knowledge and ability to leverage competitive analysis to craft commercial solutions.
- Understanding of the MCEM Framework and sales process compliance.
- Ability to de-risk revenue in peak periods through on-time renewal rigor and early/right submission.
- Active interest in corporate governance and compliance.
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
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.**