Senior Business Development Manager Azure Dedicated & Networking

Microsoft is on a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Our culture is centered on embracing a growth mindset inspiring excellence and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each doing so we create life-changing innovations that impact billions of lives around the world. You can help us achieve our mission.

The Azure Core & Infrastructure Business Development team drives strategic partnerships inorganic growth opportunities and new business models across the foundational infrastructure that powers the Microsoft Cloud. We work closely with product and engineering leaders to determine where Microsoft should build buy partner or invest to accelerate the roadmap close critical product gaps improve platform economics and create differentiated customer value.

We are seeking a Senior Business Development Manager - Azure Dedicated & Networking to lead strategic partnerships and initiatives for Azure Networking . Azure Networking spans the physical and software-defined infrastructure platform capabilities and customer-facing services that connect secure deliver monitor and manage workloads at global scale. Its portfolio includes network foundations hybrid and multicloud connectivity application delivery network monitoring container networking AI infrastructure networking and the global network technologies that underpin Azure.

In this role you will: (1) develop a deep understanding of cloud networking AI infrastructure customer requirements and the industry landscape; (2) identify external technologies and partnerships that can accelerate Azure Networking priorities; (3) work with senior product and engineering leaders to formulate build buy partner and invest strategies; and (4) structure negotiate and execute partnerships that deliver measurable product business and customer outcomes.

You will focus on strategic opportunities across areas such as multicloud and hybrid connectivity AI and high-performance networking network observability and intelligent operations application delivery container and cloud-native networking network infrastructure and supply chain and emerging capabilities that improve Azures performance resiliency security cost efficiency and global reach.

This role requires a pragmatic strategist and deal leader who can operate across technical commercial and organizational boundaries. You will translate complex infrastructure needs into clear partnership theses influence senior stakeholders design innovative commercial structures lead negotiations and establish governance that converts signed agreements into delivered product outcomes.

The Senior Business Development Manager - Azure Dedicated & Networking role offers a unique opportunity to shape the networking foundation of the Microsoft Cloud and help make Azure the most efficient reliable secure and differentiated infrastructure platform for AI and enterprise workloads.

Partner Focus & Strategy

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive view of the cloud networking ecosystem including hyperscale cloud providers network technology vendors carriers colocation and interconnection providers silicon and optical suppliers network security companies observability platforms content-delivery providers and emerging infrastructure start-ups.
• Formulate partnership strategies that address product gaps accelerate engineering roadmaps improve cost or capacity expand Azures global reach and create differentiated customer value.
• Work with Azure Networking product and engineering leaders to evaluate build buy partner and invest options for priority initiatives.
• Develop compelling business and technical value propositions based on Microsoft partner and customer needs and secure stakeholder support for recommended opportunities.
• Identify opportunities across Azure Networkings major scenarios including network foundations hybrid and multicloud connectivity application delivery network monitoring and management container networking AI infrastructure networking and underlying physical and software-defined network platforms.
• Use customer signals market data industry analysis financial analysis and technical diligence to prioritize opportunities and recommend partners.
• Position Azures value proposition relative to hyperscale and specialized competitors and translate market insights into actionable partnership and product recommendations.
• Build and manage a high-quality opportunity pipeline balancing near-term product-gap deals with longer-term strategic initiatives.
• Synthesize complex technical commercial and market information into clear decision-oriented materials for senior executives.

Strategic Initiatives

• Develop and execute partnership strategies for high-priority Azure Networking initiatives including secure cross-cloud connectivity networking for distributed AI infrastructure high-performance network fabrics intelligent network operations observability container networking and application-delivery capabilities.
• Identify external technologies that can improve GPU utilization network performance reliability security deployment velocity or cost efficiency for AI and cloud workloads.
• Evaluate partnerships that extend Azure networking capabilities across customer datacenters other clouds edge locations third-party infrastructure and global connectivity ecosystems.
• Partner with engineering to define technical requirements integration models support boundaries service-level expectations and productization plans.
• Develop scalable business models and ecosystem approaches rather than one-off arrangements wherever possible.

Negotiation

• Lead complex deal opportunities across all approval and execution stages including Strategic Approval Approval to Negotiate and Final Go/No-Go.
• Represent Microsoft in senior-level partner interactions and lead negotiations involving technical integration commercial models intellectual property support obligations service levels security privacy compliance capacity and go-to-market commitments.
• Design durable deal structures that align partner incentives with Azure product adoption engineering delivery reliability customer value and long-term platform strategy.
• Lead cross-functional deal teams spanning product engineering finance CELA security privacy operations marketing sales and executive leadership.
• Anticipate negotiation risks and develop fallback positions escalation paths and creative alternatives that protect Microsoft while preserving strategic value.
• Drive negotiations to timely closure while maintaining high standards for decision quality documentation and stakeholder alignment.

Deal Management and Governance

• Develop and maintain workback plans decision logs milestones dependencies risk registers and executive communications for strategic initiatives and deals.
• Establish post-signature governance with partners and Microsoft stakeholders to ensure agreements translate into engineering delivery product integration launch readiness adoption and measurable business outcomes.
• Track partner performance against contractual technical operational and commercial commitments.
• Identify execution risks early escalate effectively and lead cross-functional resolution of blockers.
• Provide concise portfolio reporting on opportunity stage strategic value financial impact dependencies risks and next steps.

Other

• Embody Microsofts culture and values.
• Operate with integrity accountability a growth mindset and a commitment to inclusive collaboration.
• Contribute to the broader Azure Core & Infrastructure Business Development operating model portfolio priorities and team development.

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors Degree in Business Liberal Arts Sciences or related field AND 5 years relevant work experience (e.g. investment banking consulting finance marketing corporate strategy sales venture capital legal business development product management project management software development or related field) OR equivalent experience.

Additional or Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelors Degree in Business Liberal Arts Sciences or related field AND 7 years relevant work experience (e.g. investment banking consulting finance marketing corporate strategy sales venture capital legal business development product management project management software development or related field) OR Masters/Advanced Degree in Business Sciences or related field AND 5 years relevant work experience (e.g. investment banking consulting finance marketing corporate strategy sales venture capital legal business development product management project management software development or related field) OR equivalent experience

• Experience developing and executing strategic partnerships complex commercial agreements or cross-company initiatives in the technology industry.
• Working knowledge of cloud infrastructure and networking concepts such as virtual networks routing private connectivity hybrid networking load balancing application delivery network security observability software-defined networking or datacenter networking.

Business Development IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $106400 - $203600 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $137600 - $222600 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
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.

Required Experience:

IC