Senior Principal, Analyst - Microsoft Licensing (Location: Remote - Texas)

Are you passionate about helping clients maximise the value of Microsoft licensing? Are you curious about the future of this vendor as digital transformation accelerates? If so, Gartner offers you a platform to share your expertise and engage with senior-level clients worldwide. You'll collaborate with some of the brightest minds in the industry in an intellectually stimulating environment.

Why Gartner Business and Technology Insights is a Great Fit for You

• You thrive in a team setting, valuing expert insights, bold ideas, and intellectual courage.

• You constantly seek to learn and discover emerging trends in technology licensing and contracting.

• You pursue personal growth through team collaboration and consensus-building.
   

If this sounds like you, Gartner may be your next career move. Our culture is built on collaboration, integrity, and objectivity, valuing creativity and innovation. As a Gartner analyst, you’ll not only help clients solve complex licensing challenges and achieve their goals but also expand your own impact and career. We work hard and reward success with outstanding opportunities.
 

About the Role

You will develop leading insights and advice on Microsoft Licensing for our Sourcing, Procurement, and Vendor Management clients, as well as IT leaders. You'll share your expertise through published research, client conversations, presentations, teleconferences, and meetings. Up-to-date knowledge of Microsoft’s commercial programmes, contracting models, pricing, and discounting is essential, along with a vision for how Microsoft Licensing and mega vendor negotiations will evolve globally and regionally.
 

Main Responsibilities

• Engage daily with senior-level clients via phone, video conference, on stage at Gartner events, or face-to-face meetings—helping them solve complex challenges and improve business outcomes.

• Research markets, practices, and trends, producing written insights for Gartner clients.

• Create strong insights and positions on software and cloud pricing and contracting, focusing on Microsoft and, ideally, other major providers like AWS and GCP.

• Write clear, actionable research documents.

• Deliver high-quality advice through various media channels.

• Predict developments in Microsoft Licensing, support clients in negotiation and vendor management, and guide vendors in market positioning.

• Stay current with software, SaaS, and cloud licensing developments and related areas, such as application services agreements.

• Provide timely peer review and mentorship to team members.

• Participate in research community meetings and collaborate with peers.

• Establish thought leadership in research positions across analyst teams.

• Respond to client queries and deliver presentations in person or virtually.

• Support the sales organisation to retain and grow the business.
   

Qualifications and Skills Needed

• Deep expertise in Microsoft Licensing, including negotiation and trends in software and cloud services.

• Knowledge of the global market and Microsoft’s competitive landscape with resellers.

• Excellent written skills, experience in publishing and a passion for writing is a plus. 

• Strong verbal communication skills and public speaking is desired.

• Experience with other major software vendors and cloud providers like Google, Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, or ServiceNow is preferred.

• Keen understanding of how technology and business trends affect software and SaaS contracting and costs.

• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural, global team.

• Exceptional analytical skills, applying models and patterns to draw and defend conclusions; strong business and financial acumen is required.

• Minimum of 5 years in SaaS/Cloud contract negotiations, technology procurement, category management, vendor management, or software asset management—within a buyer organisation, outsourcer, consultancy, or reseller.

• Recent hands-on experience negotiating with Microsoft (within the last 12 months), with preference for larger, complex deals.

• Strong background negotiating with other major software vendors and cloud providers.

• Experience with compliance risk assessment and management in software audits, especially with Microsoft, is an advantage.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required; Master’s degree preferred.

• Willingness to travel occasionally (up to 25%), both regionally and globally.

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Who are we? 

At Gartner, Inc. (NYSE:I