Sales Specialists Manager

Overview
Are you curious and deeply passionate about technology and sales, and ready to tackle complex challenges in a dynamic environment in the era of AI? Are you passionate about empowering public sector customers to achieve more with technology and help them succeed in their digital transformation? If so, we invite you to join our France team as a Solution Sales Manager for Cloud & AI for Public Sector  at Microsoft. In this role, you will be at the forefront of innovation, working on cutting‑edge projects that leverage the latest cloud and AI technologies to drive meaningful impact for citizens and public services. Join us and be part of a team that thrives on collaboration, creativity, and continuous learning. Microsoft believes that public sector organizations have a unique opportunity to transform society at scale. From central government and agencies to local authorities, healthcare institutions and education, these organizations are reinventing how they deliver secure, trusted and efficient services to citizens. With Microsoft Cloud, we aspire to empower every public sector organization to innovate and modernize on our platform, while meeting the highest standards of security, compliance and digital sovereignty.

Responsibilities
Customer Engagement & Deal Execution

• Lead the sales team responsible for driving Cloud & AI revenue across Public Sector accounts, ensuring disciplined execution of the end‑to‑end sales cycle (prospection → qualification → deal shaping → closing).
• Ensure teams adhere to Microsoft sales methodologies (including AI‑enhanced sales frameworks) to qualify opportunities, accelerate deal velocity and improve win rates.
• Orchestrate complex deal cycles involving public procurement, multi‑stakeholder governance, and compliance constraints typical of the French Public Sector.
• Coach sellers on how to engage, influence and secure executive alignment with C‑level decision makers (CEO, CIO, CTO/CDO, Business Line Leaders) to land Microsoft Cloud value propositions.
• Drive competitive positioning, ensuring the team can clearly articulate differentiators against hyperscalers and specialized competitors.

Sales Leadership & People Management Microsoft managers deliver success through empowerment and accountability by Modeling, Coaching and Caring:

• Model: Embody Microsoft leadership principles, customer obsession, integrity, and inclusiveness.
• Coach: Set clear revenue targets and performance expectations, support deal strategy, help sellers adapt, learn and improve continuously.
• Care: Attract, develop, and retain great sales talent; understand individual motivations; and support team members' career growth.

Concrete expectations:

• Build a strong, high‑performing sales culture: discipline in forecasting, usage of tools (MSX, CRM), robust pipeline management.
• Establish a consistent coaching rhythm (1:1s, forecast reviews, opportunity strategy sessions, joint customer engagements).
• Help sellers strengthen their executive communication skills—ensuring compelling, outcome‑focused conversations with Public Sector leaders.

Sales Strategy & Pipeline Management

• Own Cloud & AI revenue results for the Public Sector territory: pipeline health, forecasting accuracy, bookings, consumption growth, and renewal performance.
• Guide teams in building and maintaining high-quality pipelines with sufficient coverage, leveraging data (propensity, consumption trends, renewal risk, competitive signals) to prioritize and optimize effort.
• Lead regular pipeline and forecast reviews with internal stakeholders, ensuring data‑driven decision making and early risk identification.
• Ensure disciplined execution of sales plays aligned with Microsoft's Cloud & AI priorities (modernization, data & AI, digital sovereignty, cybersecurity, app innovation, etc.).
• Drive whitespace analysis and identify new growth vectors across French Public Sector segments (ministries, agencies, collectivités, healthcare institutions, education networks, etc.).

Account Strategy & Cross‑Team Collaboration

• Partner closely with Account Executives (AEs) to strengthen account strategies and ensure Cloud & AI sales motions are fully embedded in Public Sector account plans.
• Collaborate with Customer Success, Marketing, Partner teams and industry specialists to maximize impact, support strategic engagements, and ensure value realization for customers.
• Foster strong collaboration with the partner ecosystem (GSIs, local integrators, software vendors, start‑ups) to drive differentiated, customer‑aligned solutions.
• Ensure storytelling, customer references, and ecosystem success stories are captured and shared to fuel future wins.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business, Economics, Management, Engineering, or any relevant field — OR equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years of experience in complex enterprise sales, ideally in cloud, software, digital transformation, or technology markets.
• 8+ years leading sales teams, including field sellers and/or virtual teams in competitive, high‑stakes environments.
• Demonstrated experience selling to Public Sector or regulated industries, with strong understanding of procurement cycles, governance, and compliance requirements.
• Proven ability to manage large opportunities and multi‑million‑euro deal cycles involving multiple stakeholders.
• Strong executive presence and communication skills; ability to simplify complex value propositions and engage Public Sector leadership.
• Data‑driven mindset applied to forecasting, pipeline analysis, and revenue planning.
• Fluency in French and English.

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.

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