Partnership and Alliance Manager - Microsoft

The Microsoft Partnership & Alliance Manager, United Kingdom serves as the regional alliance leader responsible for driving 3Cloud/Cognizant's Microsoft partnership strategy, execution, and field engagement across the UK market. Reporting to the Senior Director – Alliances, this role owns the local rhythm of business with Microsoft and channel stakeholders, translates global alliance priorities into country-level execution, and ensures disciplined follow-through across co-sell, pipeline, funding progams, and go-to-market motions. This role requires a high degree of independence, judgment, and self-starting execution given the responsibility for an entire country region and the need to operate across a significantly different time zone from U.S.-based leadership Responsibilities Regional Alliance Leadership & UK Market Ownership

• Serve as the primary Microsoft Alliance lead for the United Kingdom region, owning country-level priorities, execution cadence, and stakeholder alignment.
• Translate global alliance strategy into actionable UK market plans across 3Cloud and Cognizant Sales, Delivery, Marketing, and Microsoft field engagement.
• Operate as a senior representative of the Alliance organization in the UK, exercising sound judgment and independent decision-making when leadership is not immediately available. Microsoft Relationship Management & Field Engagement
• Build and manage productive working relationships with Microsoft UK field sellers, partner teams, account teams, and relevant channel stakeholders.
• Facilitate Rhythm of Business engagements with Microsoft and channel field leaders to drive brand awareness, pipeline visibility, and opportunity progression.
• Act as an escalation point for Microsoft-related partner engagement needs in the UK, coordinating with internal leadership where executive support is required. Funding Strategy, Co-Sell & Pipeline Execution
• Lead UK execution of Microsoft funding programs, co-sell motions, and partner incentives, ensuring alignment to priority opportunities and revenue goals.
• Partner with Sales to identify, attach, and maximize Microsoft funding and co-sell support across active and future opportunities.
• Maintain disciplined tracking of pipeline, funding, partner activity, follow-ups, and outcomes in Salesforce and relevant Microsoft partner systems. Go-To-Market & Sales Readiness
• Partner with Sales, Marketing, Delivery, and Alliances leadership to operationalize Microsoft-aligned GTM campaigns, events, and field enablement in the UK.
• Equip internal teams with guidance on Microsoft programs, field priorities, incentive structures, and co-sell motions to improve execution quality. Alliance Operations & Process Ownership
• Identify operational gaps, process bottlenecks, and execution risks across UK alliance activities, and recommend improvements that increase scalability and consistency.
• Document repeatable processes, governance expectations, and best practices for regional Microsoft alliance execution.
• Prepare materials, updates, and insights for internal alliance reviews, pipeline discussions, executive briefings, and recurring leadership cadences. Stakeholder Coordination & Independent Execution
• Work directly with clients, Sales, Delivery, project managers, and partner stakeholders to coordinate Microsoft engagement and navigate escalations as needed.
• Serve as a trusted execution partner to the Senior Director – Alliances, providing timely updates, clear recommendations, and concise decision support.
• Maintain cross-functional alignment despite time-zone differences, proactively communicating status, risks, dependencies, and required decisions. Job Requirements
• Demonstrable track record of success in an alliances, partner management, business development, sales operations, Microsoft ecosystem roles
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Technology, Marketing, Operations, or related field preferred; equivalent experience will be considered.
• Experience working within or alongside the Microsoft partner ecosystem, including co-sell, field engagement, partner programs, incentives, or cloud services motions.
• Demonstrated ability to operate independently, manage ambiguity, and make sound decisions while working across geographies and time zones.
• Strong executive presence with excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Experience using CRM and partner management systems; Salesforce experience preferred.
• Strong analytical problem-solving ability with attention to detail, process discipline, and comfort managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Passion for cloud technologies, Microsoft solutions, and continuous learning.
• Some travel required