Responsibilities

Understanding Startup Technical Environment and Needs 

• Identifies and evaluates industry trends (startup industry verticals, information technology [IT] industry), gathers startup insights (e.g., feedback around technical preferences, environments, business needs, competitive landscape), and maps architecture and digital transformation solutions to startup business outcomes. Adapts business models, plans, and solutions to insights. 
• Acts as the voice of the startup by driving new feedback, gaps, blockers, insights, resources, etc. across territories to track, add, and prioritize, using established channels (e.g., UAT/TFT). Represents the startup to internal teams (e.g., Engineering) to shape products and services by providing insights across the territory. 

Architecture Design and Deployment 

• Leverages and champions an existing architecture approach to achieve Microsoft's agreed commitments to the startup. Proposes and develops new solutions to scale across multiple startups while demonstrating the business case and presenting alternative scenarios. 
• Uncovers, aggregates, and synthesizes data about startup business, complex technical requirements and issues (e.g., involving great length or tenacity to resolve), and various technical strategies being proposed. addresses them with win-win technical architecture(s) and demonstrates and proves the capability and business value of those solutions through design collaboration sessions with the startup. 
• Applies broad technical, industry, and enterprise knowledge to architecture projects to meet business and information technology (IT) requirements and resolve identified constraints. shaping and enhancing startups' requirements. 
• Leads startups that implement technical architecture(s) to enable a breadth of highly advanced and complex solutions. Provides thought leadership for technical architecture design, development, and deployment and supports/drives the startup throughout pre-sales and/or implementation. 
• Anticipates, identifies, and removes technical blockers (e.g., changing configurations, sample coding) through regular technical reviews and check ins to accelerate architecture implementations. Anticipates and routes non-technical issues for removal by the appropriate party.  
• Adapts methodology and applies governance to identify, communicate, and minimize business and technical risks (e.g. Well-Architected Framework, Enterprise Scale Landing Zone, Cloud Adoption Framework). Defines startups conditions of success, adheres to quality assurance, and calculates risks while designing and/or delivering solutions. 

Practice Development 

• Connects gaps and patterns across business and technology areas and drives changes and improvements to existing intellectual property (IP), technologies, and/or processes that enable solutions to scale across customers. drives sales and consumption, as well as IP re-use and best practice sharing. Develops and contributes to the company stock of structured frameworks and methodologies. 

Trusted Advisor 

• Develops and expands existing impactful relationships with startups, technical decision makers (TDMs), and business stakeholders (to the extent that the startup will call for consultation without being prompted). Provides direction to TDMs and builds the bridge between TDMs and business decision makers (BDMs). Influences partners in technical and architectural areas. 
• Creates and sustains constructive tension and trust with startups by respectfully challenging their decisions and/or areas where they might do more and encouraging them to consider alternative architectures and approaches. 
• Leads the adoption of Microsoft architecture technologies based on analysis/differentiation of Microsoft and competitor products to influence the industry-wide direction for specific architecture(s). 

Thought Leadership 

• Leads virtual teams around technologies and startup challenges by sharing ideas, insight, and strategic, technical input with technical teams, internal communities across the field, and the larger virtual team across Microsoft using knowledge of Microsoft architectures and their context in the competitive landscape. Acts as a mentor to multiple peers and leads initiatives to improve processes and drive efficiency. 
• Participates in external architect community events (e.g., conferences, seminars, technical meetups, Webcasts, blogs, hackathons) and shares learnings with internal team. Acts a mentor to junior colleagues by educating them on technical and non-technical concepts and sharing best practices. Demonstrates deep industry knowledge and drives recognition for Microsoft solutions through presentations and engagements with external audiences.  

Startup Usage 

• Leads architecture design, resiliency reviews, and technical optimization across multiple applications for the startup, resulting in production deployment application and increased startup business value. Leads initiatives to ensure that the startup's environment and applications are well-architected. 

Other 

• Embody our culture and values 

Qualifications

Required Qualifications 

• Technical architect, technical consulting, design and implementation, and/or technical sales experience
  • experience in technology solutions, practice development, architecture, consulting, and/or cloud/infrastructure technologies  AND Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field
  • OR Master's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field AND 5+ years experience in technology solutions, practice development, architecture, consulting, and/or cloud/infrastructure technologies 
  • OR equivalent experience. 

Preferred Qualifications: ​ 

• Extensive Technology related sales and coaching architecture 
• Experience working with or selling Azure or similar solutions preferred. ​ 
• Experience driving change management or technical adoption required Collaboration. Ability to generate trust, build alliances, and orchestrate interdisciplinary teams to the benefit of startups required. ​ 
• Thought leader with executive presence, including the ability to hold CxO and BDM level discussions, exceptional interpersonal, verbal, written and presentation skills required. ​ 
• Experience working in R&D environments and/or technically enabling startups on cloud solutions. 
• Desire to work in a cooperative environment where one’s growth potential is supported by one’s abilities and attitude. ​ 
• Results-Oriented: Motivated by Startup success and strong cross business collaboration required. ​ 
• Organized: Solid time management skills and ability to work independently or under supervision with a high level of integrity required ​ 
• Execution: Strong experience leading and executing on Technology Visions.   ​ 
• Proven experience developing a high-performance team through continuous coaching, and inspiration. 
• Understanding of Cloud Platforms and the ability to engage with startup technical leadership as a trusted adviser. Requires the ability to articulate and present the business value of Microsoft’s Apps & Infra and/or Data & AI related cloud solutions and have firm understanding of Microsoft’s strategies and products relative to major competitors.​ 
• Have one of the following Associate Certifications: Azure Database Administrator Associate, Azure Data Engineer Associate Certified, or Azure Administrator Certified, or prepared to attain certification within 3 months.    ​ 
• Preferred Cloud Specialization in one of key areas: Data & Analytics, App Innovation & AI, Infrastructure & Security 
• Ability to identify new technical and business trends and needs and serves as the customer's voice into Microsoft. ​ 
• Experience using Microsoft Office Suite applications; Dynamics CRM or other CRM experience is a bonus. ​ 
• Passion for cloud technologies and changing the world.