Senior Business Development Manager - Sell to

As a Senior Business Development Manager on the Frontier AI Partnerships team, you will shape strategy and drive execution for Microsoft’s most strategic and complex partnerships. This role sits at the intersection of business development, product, engineering, legal, security, and executive leadership, translating strategic intent into durable agreements, scalable operating models, and measurable outcomes.

You will lead high‑stakes negotiations, operationalize partnership commitments, and establish the operating rigor required to run a multi‑product, multi‑year collaboration at global scale. Success in this role requires exceptional judgment, executive presence, and the ability to operate with clarity and momentum in highly ambiguous environments. This is a high‑visibility individual contributor role with broad influence across Microsoft and our Frontier AI Partners.

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. 

Strategic Deal Execution & Negotiation

• Lead the negotiation and structuring of complex, high‑value partnership agreements, ensuring Microsoft’s commercial, IP, security, and long‑term strategic priorities are reflected in final terms.
• Own end‑to‑end “Sell To” deal execution for Frontier AI partners, including deal structuring (inclusive of commercial terms) renewals, amendments, and expansion motions across infrastructure. Act as the primary business owner for assigned partners, with end-to-end accountability across pricing, billing, capacity planning, contract terms, and operational execution.
• Influence build/buy/partner decisions by framing tradeoffs, risks, and long‑term value for executive stakeholders.
• Serve as a primary business development interface with senior partner counterparts, balancing relationship health with disciplined outcomes.

Cross‑Functional Orchestration

• Partner deeply with finance, engineering, legal, capacity and infrastructure supply teams, and product leadership to translate commercial agreements into executable operating models.
• Drive forecasting, financial modeling, and pricing analysis to support deal decisions, capacity commitments, and long‑range planning.
• Translate complex technical, legal, and commercial inputs into clear executive narratives and decision‑ready materials.
• Ensure decisions are captured, documented, communicated, and driven to closure.

Executive Communication & Insights

• Frame and drive executive decision-making on capacity allocation, risk tradeoffs, and long-term planning. Lead the creation of executive‑level dashboards, briefs, and presentations that convert data and discussion into accountability and action.
• Prepare and coach senior leaders for high‑stakes internal and external meetings with partners.
• Provide forward‑looking insights on partnership health, emerging risks, and strategic opportunities.

Thought Leadership & Team Impact

• Act as a trusted thought partner to senior leaders and peers, providing guidance on negotiation strategy, partnership design, and conflict resolution.
• Mentor and support teammates by sharing best practices, raising the bar on operating rigor, and modeling calm, high‑impact execution.
• Champion Microsoft’s culture and values, fostering trust, inclusion, and collaboration across teams and partners.

Partnership Operations & Governance

• Design and enforce governance models for Frontier AI Partnerships, including executive escalation paths, decision rights, and contractual guardrails.
• Identify operational risks early and proactively lead c