Overview

• We are looking to hire a Senior Leader as Customer Success Lead within South Africa, to steer the Customer Success team and be at the forefront of our customers’ digital transformation. 

The Customer Success Lead will: 

• Play a key role in helping our customers achieve digital transformation 
• Guide the Customer Success team collaboratively in driving change management, consumption and adoption activities with key Business Decision Makers and IT Decision Makers, helping reduce implementation risk, driving usage of existing solutions, and identifying new opportunities for Microsoft cloud in Infrastructure and Applications, Data and Analytics, Business Applications, and Modern Workplace 
• Enable customers to realize value from their investments, and create passionate advocates 
• Be key part of the regional customer-facing sales leadership; use knowledge to grow sales 
• Directly manage full time employees and/or vendor Customer Success Managers(CSM)/Cloud Solution Architects (CSA) that will cover Microsoft customers in territory 
• Create relationships with customers across assigned regions to fuel retention, growth, renewal advocac

Qualifications

• Proven people management experience.
• background in engineering and/or technology experience (e.g., technology field, Services, Consultant, Specialist Team Unit, Technical Sales, system integrators, developer, project manager, sales).
• Master’s Degree in Business Management, Engineering, or related field AND experience in technology leadership, consulting/ professional services, product strategy, business leadership, sales, or directly within
• Customer Success OR Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, Engineering, or related field AND  experience in technology leadership, consulting/professional services, product strategy, business leadership, sales, or directly within Customer Success OR equivalent experience.

Additional or preferred qualifications

• Experience in complex project management and/or customer account management (e.g., leading/orchestrating virtual teams).
• Experience in professional services, customer success, sales, and/or customer service.
• People management experience. 
• Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

Responsibilities

• We are looking for a passionate, forward-thinking, hands-on leader with exceptional operational discipline. This person will be very active in day-to-day coaching of his/her team, leading by example, ensuring that the team drive successful engagements that enable Customer Success.

Key responsibilities of the Customer Success Lead include:

Business Value

• Engage BDMs/ITDMs to ensure business value is obtained and new value opportunities are identified
• Evangelize Microsoft cloud roadmap
• Help customers optimize their investment
• Ensure customers achieve desired consumption/adoption targets by establishing intent and driving adoption; partner with other functions
• Build strategy, targets, and process

Customer Advocate

• Foster culture of customer-centricity, accountability, and collaboration.
•  Build strong client relationships
• Cultivate strong/active network of partners to drive consumption, deliver customer value
• Ensure customers are supported by partners by establishing a collaborative, customer-first relationship with partners
• Engage with appropriate Microsoft or Partner resources to ensure awareness and understanding of Customer Success organization and roles
• Advance customer interests by shaping the end-to-end customer experience
• Lead virtual team to be proactive, agile and responsive to “Voice of Customer”
• Grow account references, advocacy and loyalty for CSM/CSA practices

Technical Leader

• Be a credible and trusted advisor to customers on their technology and business needs
• Remove blockers via escalation, scoping, feedback and coaching
• Exhibit sound judgment
• Deliver high standards of technical excellence
• Be a credible industry spokesperson on customer success and technology
• Be sought out for thought leadership to influence actions/results at senior levels

Success Manager

• Customer Success discipline and accountability
• Ensure data collection
• Run regular ROB process, collect performance data and report performance to Global CSM/CSA Lead and Strategy Team
• Ensure CSMs/CSAs collaboration to deliver customer success plan
• Consistent coaching rhythm in place, following Customer Success Manager coaching framework
• Engage regularly with customers for feedback on CSM/CSA role
• Ensure execution of pipeline management, issue escalation, forecasting, and CS plans  

Orchestrator

• Drive integrated customer planning to ensure seamless hand-offs between internal customer facing organizations
• Enable collaboration within Microsoft
• Lead by example by bringing in other functions to act on Customer Success qualified leads or expansion opportunities
• Help Customer Success Managers & Cloud Solution Architect resources connect to relevant Microsoft stakeholders and build relationships across the enterprise
• Leverage knowledge of Microsoft to work across groups, influence stakeholders, resolve issues, and manage risk