Strategic Account Director, Oil, Gas & Energy

Overview
As a Strategic Account Director in our Oil, Gas & Energy (OGE) business, you will connect complex customer environments with Microsoft solutions that unlock measurable business value and ROI for one of our largest strategic customers in the Energy industry. In this role, you will translate industry fluency, deep business acumen, judgment, curiosity, urgency, and interpersonal influence into outcomes that matter to senior executives and boards. You will own the account strategy, orchestrate cross-functional teams and solution specialists, and lead high-stakes, multi-year, transformational deals from vision through close.  You will manage a mature, multi-year customer plan grounded in industry trends, customer priorities, and Microsoft's cloud and AI innovation. You will navigate a complex, global Fortune 500 organization — unpacking business processes to surface ROI and building rapport, trust, and influence so you can ask for and win the business. You will anticipate issues that could affect customer satisfaction, remove blockers, and shape long-term strategies that grow both the customer's business and Microsoft's footprint, positioning Microsoft as a trusted advisor on the energy transition and the adoption of AI and cloud technologies across the customer's enterprise.  This role is open to candidates in the Midwest, with a strong preference for candidates based in the Chicago area.   At Microsoft, our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more guides how we partner with customers to deliver trusted, impactful solutions. With a growth-mindset culture, we innovate responsibly and measure success by shared progress — people, teams, and customers. Join us to do meaningful work that changes the world and helps shape what's next for everyone.

Responsibilities

• Manage the development and execution of a multi‑year, strategic account plan for our customer to build a sustainable, long‑term business portfolio, drive high‑value revenue growth, and open new opportunities aligned to goals, budgets, and forecasts.
• Orchestrate a diverse, cross‑functional account team and partner ecosystem, including industry experts and technical specialists, to execute complex sales motions, drive accountability to the plan, and deliver measurable business outcomes for customers and Microsoft.
• Build and deepen trusted relationships with senior leaders and C‑level executives, proactively engage them with differentiated insights, and use business cases to present compelling value propositions that connect Microsoft solutions to customer strategy, key performance indicators, and board‑level priorities.
• Proactively develop a comprehensive understanding of the customer’s strategy, business model, and competitive landscape, anticipate needs, and deliver industry‑relevant perspectives that shape long‑term digital transformation roadmaps and position Microsoft as a strategic advisor.
• Leverage industry and competitive knowledge to create and qualify new strategic opportunities and drive high-impact, cloud- and AI-led transformation initiatives that expand Microsoft's role across the customer's organization.

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree AND 10+ years experience working in an industry (e.g., financial services, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, government, education, technology) and/or driving digital transformation OR Master’s Degree AND 9+ years experience working in an industry (e.g., financial services, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, government, education, technology) and/or driving digital transformation OR 13+ years experience in working in an industry (e.g., financial services, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, government, education, technology) and/or driving digital transformation OR equivalent experience.
• 6+ years experience making recommendations to and/or collaborating with mid‑to‑senior level executives.
• 8+ years experience closing large, complex agreements/deals.

Other Requirements This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States that does not now or in the future require employer sponsorship. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree AND 13+ years experience working in an industry (e.g., financial services, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, government, education, technology) and/or driving digital transformation OR Master’s Degree AND 11+ years experience working in an industry (e.g., financial services, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, government, education, technology) and/or driving digital transformation OR equivalent experience.
• Experience selling enterprise technology solutions within the Energy industry, with a deep understanding of the industry’s business priorities and customer landscape.
• Experience navigating complex customer organizations and stakeholder environments, with the ability to identify decision-makers, build alignment, and advance strategic business priorities.
• Deep understanding of enterprise technology solutions, including cloud, AI, data, security, and business applications, with the ability to connect technology capabilities to customer business priorities and outcomes.
• Deep financial and business acumen, with experience leading discussions with executive and Board-level stakeholders on value realization, business case development, ROI, and the financial impact of strategic initiatives.
• Experience partnering across sales, solution, and technical specialist teams to develop and execute customer strategies.
• Effective customer-facing communication skills at the executive level with the ability to communicate effectively in both formal executive settings and relationship-building environments.

Strategic Account Management IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $133,000 - $222,700 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 $170,300 - $239,800 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

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.