Cloud Operations - Microsoft

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.