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Director Cloud Solution Architect

Microsoft · Posted Oct 19

Software, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and hardware services

India, Karnataka, BangaloreFull-timeOnsiteDirector/Executive12+ years₹80.0L–₹1.4Cr yearly36 applicants
SoftwareCloud ComputingArtificial IntelligenceConsumer ElectronicsInformation TechnologyPublic Company
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About the role

The Customer Success Unit brings together deep technical expertise and customer success leadership to help customers achieve business outcomes and realize value from their Microsoft investments, with data and AI at the center of that transformation. As the Cloud Solution Architect (CSA) Manager – Data & AI, you will lead, coach, and develop a team of Cloud Solution Architects working across Microsoft's Data & AI portfolio, including Microsoft Fabric, Azure Databricks, Azure SQL and Cosmos DB, Power BI, Azure AI Foundry, Azure OpenAI, and agentic AI solutions. The role focuses on translating customer business challenges into data and AI architectures, removing technical blockers, driving operational readiness, and accelerating consumption and usage growth.

What you will do

  • Coaches the team on operating to required operational excellence and proven practice standards across all engagement stages, activities, and tools of record (e.g., pipeline updates, consumption tracking, time tracking).
  • Leads the team in orchestrating across Microsoft account teams, specialists, partners, and customer teams to deliver on-strategy Data & AI outcomes and increase customer and partner satisfaction.
  • Oversees the team in anticipating and managing business and technical risks for data and AI workloads — including data quality, data governance, model performance, cost, and Responsible AI considerations — applying governance principles to identify, communicate, and minimize risk.
  • Leads the team in delivering solutions in line with company methodologies (e.g., value-based deliverables [VBDs], architecture design sessions, technical validation, training), ensuring proven patterns are followed so customers are operationally ready to run data and AI workloads in production.
  • Coaches the team on guiding customers toward well-architected (secure, resilient, governed, AI-ready), cost- and performance-optimized data platforms and AI solutions that increase retention and expansion opportunities.
  • Drives the team to proactively identify cross-solution opportunities for Data & AI consumption, usage, and Unified expansion (including Enhanced Solutions) — such as data estate modernization, analytics migration to Microsoft Fabric, generative AI and agentic applications, and Copilot extensibility — based on clear business value to the customer.
  • Guides the team on articulating the value of Unified and partnering with account teams to build consumption plans aligned with the right Data & AI services. Leads feedback to the Unified Delivery team on Data & AI VBDs to refine and further develop content.
  • Leverages change management proven practices (or engages the change management team) to help customers drive long-term organizational adoption of data and AI solutions, including data literacy and AI adoption.
  • Drives the team on anticipating, identifying, escalating, and mitigating blockers — such as data readiness, platform limits, capacity and quota, security reviews, and skills gaps — to accelerate deployment, value realization, and consumption.
  • Leads the team to capture opportunities in appropriate systems and tools, working collaboratively across the organization in alignment with Microsoft's Customer Engagement Model.
  • Coaches the team to focus on customer and partner experience through efficient delivery and a seamless, connected customer experience; drives realization of customer conditions of success.
  • Leads the team in anticipating and resolving customer dissatisfaction through customer confidence calls, and in executing strategies to improve experience, value realization, and speed of transformation.
  • Supports the team in translating customer business problems into Data & AI solutions aligned with Microsoft's platform strategy — explaining how they meet business outcomes and return on investment (ROI) goals through proofs of concept, minimum viable products (MVPs), and rapid prototypes, relative to competitive offerings.
  • Coaches the team on building trusted relationships with technical decision makers (TDMs) up to the C-suite — including Chief Data Officers (CDOs), Chief Data & Analytics Officers, Chief AI Officers, CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs — and bridging understanding between TDMs and business decision makers (BDMs).
  • Elevates engagements with CXO stakeholders on data governance, data privacy, security, compliance, and Responsible AI requirements, engaging additional subject matter experts where deeper expertise is required.
  • Leads the team in acting as the voice of the customer, sharing feedback, insights, success stories, and technical input with Engineering, Product, and internal communities. Coaches the team on identifying patterns across customers to develop actionable insights and on presenting business cases that influence product roadmaps and bug-fix prioritization.
  • Actively orchestrates initiatives, leveraging an expansive knowledge of the Data & AI partner ecosystem to select and champion the most qualified partners for complex customer projects.
  • Collaborates with Global Partner Solutions (GPS) stakeholders and Partner Technology Specialist (PTS) leadership to translate Data & AI opportunities into action, fostering technical and solution coherence across Microsoft partner and sales ecosystems.
  • Concentrates on identifying and prioritizing opportunities that align with the organization's strategic revenue and consumption goals, directing partner and sales support through proofs of concept and technical pre-sales guidance.
  • Model: Live our culture. Embody our values. Practice our leadership principles.
  • Coach: Define team objectives and outcomes. Enable success across boundaries. Help the team adapt and learn.
  • Care: Attract and retain great people. Know each individual's capabilities and aspirations. Invest in the growth of others.
  • Leads the team in identifying gaps through delivery and connecting patterns across business and technology areas to drive improvements to products, intellectual property (IP), and practices that enable Data & AI solutions to scale across customers.
  • Coaches the team on contributing to Microsoft's structured frameworks and methodologies (e.g., Cloud Adoption Framework for data and AI, Well-Architected Framework, Responsible AI Standard).
  • Leads the team in contributing to and building reusable IP — reference architectures, accelerators, and solution patterns — especially where no IP exists yet (e.g., generative AI, AI agents, Copilot extensibility, RAG, and real-time intelligence scenarios).
  • Enables the team to lead and assemble virtual teams (v-teams) around Data & AI technologies and customer challenges, sharing insights with technical communities across the field using knowledge of Microsoft architectures and the competitive landscape (e.g., Snowflake, AWS, Google Cloud).
  • Drives recognition for Microsoft Data & AI solutions by leading and encouraging the team's participation in internal and external events (e.g., Ignite, Build, Fabric Community Conference, Tech C...

Skills used in this role

Microsoft FabricAzure DatabricksAzure SQLAzure Cosmos DBPower BIAzure AI FoundryAzure OpenAIAzure AI SearchCopilotRAGGenerative AIAI AgentsSnowflakeAWSGoogle CloudData GovernanceData PrivacyResponsible AI

Benefits and support

  • Compensation and benefits are detailed in the job posting

About Microsoft

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Microsoft

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Microsoft Corporation is a multinational technology company that develops, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products, services, and hardware devices. Best known for its Windows operating systems, Microsoft 365 productivity suite, and Xbox gaming consoles, the company has expanded heavily into enterprise cloud computing via Azure and advanced artificial intelligence solutions. As one of the world's most valuable public enterprises, it empowers individuals and businesses globally through innovative digital transformation.

Industry
Software
Company size
228,000+ employees
Founded
April 4, 1975
Location
Redmond, Washington, USA
Funding stage
Public Company

Leadership

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Satya Nadella

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

AH
Amy Hood

Chief Financial Officer

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Brad Smith

Vice Chair and President

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