GDS Microsoft Partner Program Specialist - Assistant Director

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Role Title: GDS Microsoft Partner Program Specialist

The opportunity

The Microsoft Partner Program Specialist will support the governance, operational management, value realization and continuous improvement of EY’s Microsoft alliance partner program ecosystem from Argentina. Hands-on Microsoft Partner Center knowledge is the defining capability for this role and will be the primary criterion used to screen, interview and evaluate candidates. The role will work closely with Microsoft Alliance Leadership, Operations, Finance, Go-to-Market (GTM), Service Lines, Business Development and Microsoft-facing stakeholders to translate partner program priorities into structured processes, accurate reporting, actionable insights and measurable business outcomes.

This role is focused on strengthening how EY manages and optimizes Microsoft partner program activities, including benefits, incentives, eligibility, utilization, compliance, documentation and governance. The individual will help establish operating rhythms, maintain program trackers, support decision forums, monitor key performance indicators and provide portfolio-level visibility that improves transparency, accountability and leadership decision-making.

The successful candidate will act as a dependable connector across alliance, finance, operations and business stakeholders, ensuring partner program activities are executed consistently and aligned to broader Microsoft alliance objectives. The role will support process standardization, issue tracking, stakeholder follow-through and continuous improvement initiatives that enhance program effectiveness and the overall stakeholder experience.

Leveraging automation, analytics and AI-enabled productivity tools, the role will help modernize partner program management by improving reporting quality, increasing operational efficiency, strengthening benefit realization and generating practical insights that support planning, governance and business growth. Through disciplined execution and strong attention to detail, the role will contribute to maximizing the value of EY’s Microsoft partnership.

Your key responsibilities

• Support the Partner Program Management function for the Microsoft Alliance by coordinating program benefits, incentives, eligibility, investments, marketplace/co-sell priorities and related alliance growth activities.
• Maintain operating models, governance routines, KPI trackers, executive review inputs, escalation logs and control mechanisms for Microsoft partner programs.
• Own and administer Microsoft Partner Center as the role’s primary operational responsibility, including account and organization profiles, program enrollments, agreements, user access and role-based permissions, location and tenant associations, incentives and benefits workspaces, referrals/co-sell, marketplace-related configurations, access troubleshooting and supporting audit trails, in coordination with authorized administrators and control owners.
• Translate Microsoft alliance priorities into structured execution plans, program trackers, eligibility logs, utilization summaries, partner updates, portfolio views and compliance-ready documentation.
• Monitor program performance across funding utilization, benefits realization, investment governance, incentive tracking, specialization readiness, risk indicators and leadership reporting.
• Prepare executive-ready dashboards, business updates, decision materials, portfolio summaries and governance inputs that support leadership reviews and prioritization discussions.
• Coordinate with stakeholders across EY Microsoft Alliance, Finance, Operations, GTM, Service Lines, Business Development, Markets and Microsoft-facing teams to align priorities and drive timely follow-through.
• Support governance forums, working sessions and leadership reviews by maintaining decision logs, action trackers, RAID logs, issue registers and follow-up mechanisms.
• Identify dependencies, policy constraints, partner requirements, execution risks and commercial implications; recommend practical mitigation steps and escalate issues where required.
• Support revenue-enabling motions by improving program-backed enablement, partner value realization, investment return, pipeline visibility and alliance operating effectiveness.
• Standardize repeatable processes across regions and teams while adapting execution support to local stakeholder needs and global Microsoft Alliance requirements.
• Partner with reporting and analytics teams to develop Power BI dashboards, structured scorecards, trend analysis and actionable insights for leadership reviews.
• Use Microsoft Copilot, Power Platform, Fabric, workflow automation and AI-enabled productivity tools responsibly to streamline reporting, summarize updates, identify risks and improve decision quality.
• Ensure program documentation, controls and reporting outputs align with EY policies, Microsoft program requirements, audit expectations, data privacy standards and quality guidelines.
• Contribute to team capability by creating reusable templates, improving documentation, sharing best practices and promoting insight-led continuous improvement.

Skills and attributes for success

• Strong experience in alliance operations, partner programs, ecosystem support, strategic PMO, commercial operations, business reporting, transformation support or governance operations.
• Good understanding of Microsoft partner ecosystem themes, including incentives, Solution Partner designations, specializations, marketplace, co-sell, cloud, Data and AI, security, business applications and program investment frameworks.
• Microsoft Partner Center administration is the mandatory core requirement and primary evaluation criterion for this role. Candidates must demonstrate current, hands-on capability across account settings, organization and legal profiles, program enrollment and agreement status, Microsoft Entra ID-linked user provisioning, role-based permissions and workspace access, identifiers and tenant/location associations, incentives and benefits, referrals/co-sell, marketplace workflows, activity logs, compliance controls and access troubleshooting. Candidates without demonstrable hands-on Microsoft Partner Center experience should not progress beyond initial screening.
• Ability to support operating models, KPI frameworks, governance routines, executive reporting packs, portfolio views and decision materials for senior stakeholders.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management and follow-through skills in a matrixed, cross-geo environment.
• Analytical and financial acumen, with comfort interpreting utilization, investment, program performance, pipeline influence and business impact data.
• Ability to manage ambiguity, competing priorities, high-impact requests and sensitive business information with maturity, accuracy and ownership.
• Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office tools, including Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint and Power BI; familiarity with Power Platform, Fabric and reporting automation is preferred.
• Ability to apply AI-enabled tools responsibly for status reporting, executive summaries, insight generation, automation, content acceleration and productivity improvement while following EY guidelines.
• Strong attention to detail, documentation discipline, process mindset and commitment to continuous improvement.

To qualify for the role, you must have

• Mandatory gateway requirement: demonstrable, hands-on Microsoft Partner Center administration experience in a complex partner organization. This capability is non-negotiable and will carry the highest weighting in candidate shortlisting, technical assessment and final selection.
• University graduate or postgraduate qualification; specialization in Business Administration, Finance, Technology, Engineering, Economics, Management or a related field would be preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in alliance operations, partner operations, PMO, program governance, commercial operations, reporting, business transformation or ecosystem support.
• Prior experience supporting Microsoft, technology alliances, partner programs, professional services organizations or global matrix environments would be preferred.
• Evidence of Microsoft Partner Center proficiency through specific examples of maintaining account and program configurations, coordinating user access and role assignments, monitoring enrollments and agreements, resolving access or configuration issues, and supporting incentives, benefits, referrals/co-sell, marketplace and compliance activities. Evaluation should prioritize the candidate’s depth of ownership, recency of experience, scale and complexity of the environment, problem-solving approach and understanding of controls.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional workstreams, maintaining governance routines, managing trackers and preparing stakeholder-ready reporting outputs.

Ideally, you’ll also have

• Microsoft credentials or training relevant to Partner Center, Cloud Partner Program operations, Security, Azure, Modern Work or Business Applications; Project/Program Management, Agile, Strategy, Portfolio Management, Business Analysis or Business Transformation certification would be an additional advantage.
• Hands-on exposure to Microsoft partner programs, marketplace/co-sell motions, investments, incentives, benefits realization, specialization readiness or partner-led governance models.
• Experience creating executive-ready dashboards, program scorecards, leadership review packs, portfolio summaries and decision support materials.
• Exposure to automation, workflow optimization, Power Platform, Microsoft Fabric, Copilot or AI-enabled productivity tools in an enterprise environment.

Technologies and Tools

• Microsoft 365 productivity and collaboration tools, including Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Word and PowerPoint, for stakeholder coordination, documentation and executive-ready communication.
• Microsoft Excel and Power BI for trackers, budget monitoring, KPI reporting, dashboarding, performance analysis and leadership updates.
• Microsoft Planner, Project, Lists or equivalent work management tools for milestone tracking, action logs, RAID management, approval workflows and dependency tracking.
• Microsoft Partner Center administration across account settings, organization and legal profiles, program enrollments, agreements, user management, Microsoft Entra ID-linked role and workspace permissions, identifiers, tenants and locations, incentives and benefits, referrals/co-sell, marketplace and AppSource, activity logs, access troubleshooting and compliance evidence.
• Power Platform, Microsoft Fabric, workflow automation and collaboration tools to improve program operations, data capture, feedback collection and reporting efficiency.
• Microsoft Copilot or other EY-approved AI-enabled tools for research, meeting summarization, stakeholder updates, content drafting, insight generation and productivity improvement, in line with EY guidelines.
• Location: India - Kochi, Trivandrum or Bengaluru preferred
• Working Hours: Aligned to Americas and Global Microsoft Alliance stakeholder coverage, especially for US ET or CT work timings; flexibility may be required for global leadership forums and cross-time-zone collaboration.

What we offer

EY Global Delivery Services (GDS) is a dynamic and truly global delivery network. We work across six locations - Argentina, China, India, the Philippines, Poland and the UK - and with teams from all EY service lines, geographies and sectors, playing a vital role in the delivery of the EY growth strategy. From accountants to coders to advisory consultants, we offer a wide variety of fulfilling career opportunities that span all business disciplines. In GDS, you will collaborate with EY teams on exciting projects and work with well-known brands from across the globe. We’ll introduce you to an ever-expanding ecosystem of people, learning, skills and insights that will stay with you throughout your career.

• Continuous learning: You’ll develop the mindset and skills to navigate whatever comes next.
• Success, as defined by you: We’ll provide the tools and flexibility, so you can make a meaningful impact, your way.
• Transformative leadership: We’ll give you the insights, coaching and confidence to be the leader the world needs.
• Diverse and inclusive culture: You’ll be embraced for who you are and empowered to use your voice to help others find theirs.

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