Program Manager

Description

As a rapidly growing global provider of IT solutions, we’ve expanded from Seattle to Sydney and beyond – with reach in over 80 countries around the world. Today’s top brands count on Zones and our world-class partners – Microsoft, Apple, Cisco, Dell, Lenovo, and more – to transform their enterprises.To support this transformation, Zones offers products and services across four Solution Environments:Workplace Modernization, Network Optimization, Data Center Transformation, and Security Fortification.

At Zones, work is more than a job – it's an exciting career immersed in an inventive, collaborative culture. If you’re interested in working on the cutting edge of IT innovation, sales, engineering, operations, administration, and more, Zones is the place for you!

Position Overview

As the Program Manager for Microsoft Loans & Giveaways (Samples), you will be responsible for managing the Loans & Giveaways Program and the integrated, online Zones catalog of Microsoft Surface and other Microsoft Hardware sample products. This will include designing and implementing a Loaner/Library program to support Microsoft’s goals while helping to define strategies that help to ensure the program is successful and profitable.

Duties include spearheading integration with Microsoft’s systems (GLIMR and others) and creating and managing catalog content and communications with Microsoft stakeholders. In partnership with the Microsoft Catalog and Standards Manager at Zones, you will also be responsible for customer-specific item creation and management along with inventory management for high run-rate items to meet delivery SLAs while minimizing aged inventory.

In this role, you will be developing and managing relationships with key stakeholders and teams at Microsoft to maximize the footprint and awareness of the Zones L&G Process. You will support the Microsoft Sales and Support Teams as the subject matter expert for all L&G products, processes and procedures.

Key Responsibilities

• The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• The Program Manager, Microsoft Loans & Giveaways is primarily responsible for:
• Create and manage relationships with key Microsoft customer groups
• o Identify and profile teams with Samples needs
• o Meet with key stakeholders to identify pain points and areas for improvement
• o Proactively communicate order/project issues and program changes as applicable
• Manage relationships with key vendors, both OEM and distribution
• o Establish rapport via concise communication and thorough follow-up
• o Negotiate special pricing on behalf of Zones and Microsoft
• o Facilitate evaluation samples and OEM meetings as applicable
• Customer-specific item creation and setup
• o Work closely with Product Information Management for item creation and ongoing management of upfront customer-specific special pricing or backend rebates
• o Understand and define supply chain process per manufacturer and have item trade agreements set up accordingly
• o Manage end-of-life product announcements and transitions
• Product content and pricing management for Microsoft Samples catalog items (Zones website)
• o Add and remove Samples products and product categories via cases and in conjunction with Zones Ecommerce team
• o Set sell pricing in Dynamics CRM based on contract and with guidance from Sales Operations Team
• o Work closely with Ecommerce team on custom catalog content updates via cases and direct communication and collaboration

Inventory Management

• o Work together with Standards Catalog Manager in all inventory management tasks
• o Review and analyze sales-out and run-rate reporting via Dynamics AX to identify high run-rate items and need to stock high run-rate Samples products
• o Review run-rate history for existing stocked products and manage to meet SLAs and minimize inventory
• Open Order Management for Samples products
• o Review open orders regularly to insure SLAs are met
• o Identify constrained and EOL products and communicate significant delays and EOL/replacements/alternatives directly to end users and/or stakeholders
• Serve as the subject matter expert
• o First resource for Microsoft Support Team for Samples issues
• o Primary contact for Purchasing and Ecommerce teams on Samples products
• Weekly activity reports to Sales Support and Operations Management teams
• o Products removed
• o Products added
• o Current projects and status
• We are seeking candidates with the following experience and skills:

Education

• BA/BS in business, purchasing, marketing, merchandising, materials management, or related field required

Required Experience

5+ years required of experience in related field, preferably purchasing, inventory management, sales and customer service related

Sales and/or Purchasing experience with Dynamics CRM and Dynamics AX a plus

Strong customer service skills and commitment to meet or exceed customer requirements

Excellent organization skills and process expertise

Ability to lead across departments to achieve a single objective

Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and meet aggressive deadlines

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Ability to negotiate, influence and persuade

Analytical with excellent problem-solving skill

Ability to work with little or no supervision

Some local travel requirements

While we’re committed to providing top-tier solutions, we’re just as committed to supporting our own team. Our employees enjoy a variety of comprehensive benefits, including medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, a 401(k) plan with matching provision, paid time off, and much more. And as a Minority Business Enterprise, a Corporate Plus member of the Northwest Minority Supplier Development Council, and an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, our community is just as diverse.

At Zones, work is more than a job – it's an exciting career immersed in an inventive, collaborative culture. If you’re interested in working on the cutting edge of IT innovation, sales, engineering, operations, administration, and more, Zones is the place for you!