Are you someone who thrives on building strong relationships to positively influence and change people’s opinions? Do you enjoy using new social media channels as a means to communicate with influential people? Do you want to be part of the team that is responsible for promoting the world’s leading software as it evolves to embrace a new generation of users?
Microsoft customers look to outside experts such as Gartner, Forrester, IDC and others for advice on many of their technology purchasing decisions. Along with these established firms, a new breed of influencers is impacting how and when customers — from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses to parents — purchase Microsoft products. The difference between winning and losing sales is often impacted by what industry analysts and other influencers (bloggers, pundits and industry experts) write and say about Microsoft.
We are looking for a talented, enthusiastic analyst and influencer relations professional to lead communications programs for Microsoft’s flagship product — Microsoft Office. You will join an integrated team of communications professionals to create your own analyst and influencer relations program to educate and positively impact the opinions of key analysts and influencers. You will understand the value of building strong relationships and how to use those relationships to positively position Microsoft Office to these key influencers.
Specific responsibilities include:
- Managing the analyst relations (AR) program for Microsoft Office – developing the strategy and executing the plan to educate and influence leading analysts on Microsoft Office and competing alternatives.
- Identifying new influencers and developing a strategy and plan to educate and influence them on Microsoft Office and competing alternatives.
- Organizing and hosting analyst and influencer meetings with senior executives.
- Building and leveraging ongoing relationships with industry analysts and influencers to provide strategic guidance to product marketers and developers.
- Working closely with product teams to develop positioning and messages that result in positive analyst and influencer reports, blogs and reviews.
- Providing timely and relevant analyst information and analysis for executives as well as the engineering and marketing teams.
- Partnering with the public relations team to leverage positive analyst and influencer coverage and mitigate negative coverage.
- Collaborating with Corporate AR, fellow IW AR team members and a communications agency to effectively communicate the value of Office to analysts and influencers.
Success will require working closely with cross-group product experts, cross-group communications professionals and outside agency representatives. Candidates must be skilled and experienced in interacting effectively at all levels and able to represent Microsoft as a public spokesperson. Success will be measured by the candidate’s impact on analyst and influencer reports, blogs and coverage, building a strategic, thought-leading AR and influencer program and effective management of agency resources to achieve plan objectives.
Candidates should have a passion for technology, a track record of delivering results and a desire to conquer big challenges. The ideal candidate is a disciplined executor and strategic thinker with 10 or more years of marketing communications experience, including strong writing and verbal communications skills. An undergraduate B.A. or B.S. degree and analyst relations experience is required.
To apply please contact Theresa Larson, thlarson@microsoft.com
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