Windows Specialist Manager

Overview With a vision to build and sell Microsoft AI‑powered platforms, cloud services, and devices through a rich partner ecosystem, the Windows and Device Sales (WDS) organization brings together sales, technical expertise, and partners to help customers achieve real business outcomes with Microsoft technology. WDS plays a critical role in shaping and delivering the endpoint platform that powers modern, secure, and AI‑enabled work. WDS works across Microsoft’s commercial ecosystem, including OEMs, silicon partners, distributors, resellers, and services partners - to drive Windows platform adoption, protect and grow share, and ensure customers realize long‑term value from their device and endpoint investments. This role contributes to a multi‑billion‑dollar business and plays a direct role in defending and expanding Windows as the enterprise endpoint platform, enabling customers to modernize their environments, adopt AI‑driven workflows, and build confidence in Windows as the foundation for future innovation. As a Windows Specialist Manager, you will lead a team of Windows Specialists who help Microsoft’s largest and most strategic customers define, defend, and modernize their Windows endpoint strategy in an era shaped by AI, security threats, and rapid platform competition. You will set direction, coach talent, and drive execution through your team while ensuring Windows remains the foundational platform for secure, AI-driven work. In this role, you will manage team performance across high-impact, time-bound customer engagements where Windows platform decisions are at risk or strategically critical. You will help your team articulate differentiated Windows value across security, resiliency, management, and AI workloads; orchestrate partners and internal teams; and convert lighthouse wins into repeatable evidence that scales across industries and partners, while also engaging directly with customers. This opportunity will allow you to build and develop a high-performing Specialist team, strengthen executive-level customer impact through others, and play a visible leadership role in protecting and expanding Microsoft’s commercial footprint in priority accounts. Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.  Responsibilities • Lead and manage a team of Windows Specialists, setting clear goals, operating rhythms, role clarity, and accountability for business outcomes, customer impact, and execution quality. • Hire, onboard, coach, and develop employees, building capability in consultative selling, Windows platform strategy, technical credibility, customer engagement, partner orchestration, and executive communication. • Drive team execution against strategic priorities, including Windows adoption, competitive defense, revenue growth, pipeline progression, lighthouse wins, and customer value realization. • Role model and coach high-impact customer engagements, engaging directly with customers where appropriate and guiding Specialists through discovery, envisioning, proof, value realization, stakeholder alignment, and executive-level conversations with CIO, CTO, CISO, and AI transformation leaders. • Lead cross-functional orchestration and stakeholder management, partnering with account teams, engineering, marketing, OEMs, silicon partners, distributors, resellers, and services partners to remove blockers and scale repeatable motions. • Build an inclusive, high-performing team culture, creating an environment grounded in growth mindset, customer obsession, collaboration, respect, integrity, and accountability where employees can do their best work. • Manage performance, talent, and succession planning, using clear goals, regular coaching, feedback, employee engagement insights, and development plans to strengthen capability and improve team impact over time. Qualifications Required/minimum qualifications • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Business Administration, Information Security, or related field AND 6+ years of experience in enterprise technology, consultative selling, Specialist sales, business leadership, or transformation-focused roles • OR equivalent experience. Additional or preferred qualifications • Master's Degree in Business Administration (i.e., MBA), Information Technology, or related field AND 12+ years experience of experience in enterprise technology, consultative selling, Specialist sales, business leadership, or transformation-focused roles • OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, Information Security, or related field AND 15+ years of experience in enterprise technology, consultative selling, Specialist sales, business leadership, or transformation-focused roles • OR equivalent experience. • 5+ years people management experience and leading and managing a team of direct reports. • Proven leadership experience building, coaching, and developing high-performing teams, with a track record of driving accountability, talent growth, and business results through others. • Demonstrated ability to build trusted advisor relationships and lead executive-level engagements with CIO, CTO, CISO, procurement, and business decision makers, influencing strategic technology decisions and outcomes. • Experience leading complex, cross-functional opportunities by aligning account teams, partners, engineering, and customer stakeholders to remove blockers and achieve business objectives. • Well-developed business and technical acumen, with the ability to translate complex platform, security, management, and AI concepts into clear business value, transf…