Description
Position Summary
The Microsoft Cloud Azure Service Manager will be responsible for managing and ensuring the overall operational health, continuity, and service experience of assigned Microsoft Azure partners within the distributor ecosystem.
The role will act as a dedicated service and operational owner for strategic partners, conducting regular business and technical health checks, maintaining Partner Center hygiene, proactively identifying risks, and coordinating with internal and Microsoft stakeholders to ensure that partners' Azure services remain healthy, compliant, and uninterrupted.
The ideal candidate will possess strong knowledge of the Microsoft Partner Center, Azure services and subscriptions, cloud operations, billing and provisioning processes, and partner lifecycle management.
Key Responsibilities
1. Dedicated Partner Service Management
Act as the primary service management contact for a defined set of strategic and high-value Azure partners.
Build strong operational relationships with assigned partners and understand their Azure business environment, consumption patterns, subscriptions, customers, and operational requirements.
Conduct regular partner service reviews and health check meetings.
Develop and maintain an overall Azure Partner Health Dashboard covering operational, commercial, and service-related parameters.
Proactively identify potential service risks and ensure timely corrective actions.
2. Azure Business Health & Hygiene
Conduct periodic health checks of partner Azure environments and business operations.
Monitor key hygiene parameters, including:
Azure subscription status
Billing and payment health
Consumption and usage trends
Expiring subscriptions or commitments
Partner Center account hygiene
Customer and subscription mapping
Required administrative access and permissions
Azure plan and billing configuration
Potential service suspension or disruption risks
Ensure all assigned partners maintain high standards of operational hygiene and compliance.
Identify gaps and work with partners to close them within defined timelines.
3. Service Continuity & Issue Prevention
Proactively monitor and identify situations that may impact the continuity of Azure services.
Work closely with internal operations, billing, finance, technical support, and Microsoft teams to prevent service disruptions.
Ensure timely resolution of issues related to:
Azure subscription provisioning
Service suspension
Billing discrepancies
Payment-related issues
Partner Center administration
Customer subscription management
Access and permission-related challenges
Own the end-to-end coordination and escalation process for critical partner issues until resolution.
4. Microsoft Partner Center Management
Demonstrate strong working knowledge of the Microsoft Partner Center portal and associated cloud operational processes.
Support partners in maintaining proper Partner Center hygiene and administration.
Review partner account configurations and identify potential operational risks.
Guide partners on best practices related to:
CSP and Azure customer management
Subscription administration
Azure Plan management
Customer lifecycle management
Partner relationships and access
User roles and permissions
Billing and invoicing processes
Stay updated on Microsoft Partner Center changes, policies, processes, and operational requirements.
5. Partner Health Reviews & Governance
Establish a structured cadence for:
Weekly operational reviews for critical partners
Monthly partner health checks
Quarterly business and service reviews
Maintain a Partner Health Scorecard covering key operational and service parameters.
Track open actions, risks, escalations, and resolution timelines.
Present regular service health updates to internal leadership and relevant stakeholders.
Develop corrective action plans for partners with recurring operational or hygiene challenges.
6. Cross-Functional Coordination
Work closely with internal teams, including:
Azure Business Development
Cloud Operations
Technical Support
Pre-Sales
Finance and Credit
Billing Operations
Partner Management
Microsoft Alliance and Vendor Teams
Act as the central coordinator for partner service-related escalations.
Ensure clear ownership, timely follow-up, and closure of partner issues.
7. Escalation & Incident Management
Manage critical service escalations for assigned partners.
Ensure appropriate prioritization and timely escalation to internal or Microsoft support teams.
Track incidents through to closure and provide regular updates to stakeholders.
Conduct root cause reviews for recurring or critical operational issues.
Recommend preventive measures to minimize future service disruptions.
8. Reporting & Continuous Improvement
Develop and maintain dashboards for:
Partner Health Status
Open Service Issues
Escalation Aging
Subscription and Billing Health
Azure Consumption Trends
Hygiene Compliance
Risk Indicators
Identify recurring partner challenges and recommend process improvements.
Contribute to the development of standardized Azure operational processes, SOPs, and best practices.
Drive automation and simplification initiatives to improve the partner service experience.
Required Skills & Competencies
Technical & Product Knowledge
Strong understanding of Microsoft Azure products, services, and cloud concepts.
Strong hands-on knowledge of the Microsoft Partner Center portal.
Understanding of the Microsoft CSP ecosystem and Azure operational lifecycle.
Knowledge of Azure subscriptions, Azure Plan, billing, provisioning, and customer management.
Understanding of cloud service continuity and incident management.
Ability to interpret Azure consumption, subscription, and operational data.
Familiarity with Microsoft support and escalation processes.
Functional Skills
Strong partner relationship and stakeholder management skills.
Excellent problem-solving and analytical abilities.
Strong ownership and ability to manage issues end-to-end.
Ability to work across multiple internal teams and external stakeholders.
Excellent communication and presentation skills.
Strong reporting, dashboard, and data analysis capabilities.
Ability to manage multiple partner accounts and priorities simultaneously.
Education & Experience
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
3–8 years of relevant experience in Microsoft Cloud, Azure operations, cloud support, service management, CSP operations, or partner management.
Experience working with a Microsoft Distributor, Indirect Provider, CSP, System Integrator, or Managed Service Provider will be preferred.
Experience managing strategic partners or enterprise customer service operations is desirable.
Certification Requirements
The candidate should hold, or be willing to obtain, relevant Microsoft Azure certifications.
Preferred certifications include:
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) – Mandatory baseline knowledge.
Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) – Highly preferred.
Additional Azure or Microsoft Cloud certifications will be an advantage.
