About this role
Client Experience Transformation, CRM Strategist (Microsoft Dynamics Product Strategist) - Vice President/Director
About BlackRock
BlackRock's purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, our clients turn to us for the solutions they need when planning for their most important goals. As of June 30, 2023, the firm managed approximately $9.4 trillion in assets on behalf of investors worldwide!
About Client Experience
Our mission within the Client Experience (CX) organization is to make it easier for clients to do business with BlackRock, making service so simple it becomes a source of alpha. We have a dedicated Client Experience Transformation function, which is responsible for understanding the needs of our clients and colleagues and evolving our transformation strategy and roadmap and delivering across people, process and technology initiatives with key partners across the entire enterprise. A critical part of our client experience vision is the continued evolution of our enterprise CRM, Microsoft Dynamics, which enables 4,000+ sales, service, investment and other client-facing teams to deliver for our clients.
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Your role
The Microsoft Dynamics Product Strategy Lead will sit within Client Experience (CX) Transformation which works to accelerate progress towards our CX mission by influencing, orchestrating and delivering on our transformation agenda, specific to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Strategy. This is a new role that that will be responsible for helping to accelerate and scale the delivery of core CX technology. You will partner closely with stakeholders and business partners to understand and align business needs to the current and future needs of the Microsoft Dynamics Platform. You will have a small team that will partner with specific business groups to consult on how to best leverage the product to achieve their business goals. Experience with Microsoft Dynamics is essential. Additionally, stakeholder management, relationship management, communication skills and consultative skills are critical. This role is pivotal in driving the development, enhancement, and management of our Dynamics product and a proven track record in product strategy and cross-functional collaboration is required.
Team Management & Core Responsibilities
- Manage team of Microsoft Dynamics Product Strategist who will be aligned to a specific business group(s)\
- Serve as subject matter experts in aligned areas of business and partner with the business to translate business problems into detailed requirements for the Microsoft Dynamics Platform, identifying where custom development is not needed and a solution could be achieved via existing functionality or business configuration
- Develop detailed requirements for business specific functionality needs and work across the team to identify potential areas of synergy or enterprise solution opportunities as opposed to business specific design
- Work closely with Dynamics Product Owners, Client Data and Integrations team to ensure delivery of the product, keeping stakeholders and partners informed along the way
- Implement and continuously improve the operating model to enhance the partnership with business stakeholders and product owners and other key partners (e.g. Client Data), driving excellence across the team
- Champion change management techniques and playbook to drive adoption of new capabilities with business partners and users
- Lead Quarterly Business Health Checks with business stakeholders to review operating model, Dynamics Priorities and user feedback to identify areas of opportunity
- Support Business Owners with managing Backlog in Bright Idea Platform
- Identify and prioritize product features based on business objectives, technical feasibility, and customer impact, ensuring alignment with overall firm strategy
Tech Leadership
- Bring vision and thought leadership to the evolution of our CRM platform, partnering closely with Aladdin, CX Transformation and business partners
- Develop clear understanding of the key business problems leaders across the firm are solving for and serve as a thought partner for how to leverage Microsoft Dynamics or other CX technologies to address any gaps or opportunity areas
- Conduct market research and analysis to identify trends, competitive landscape, and customer needs, thereby translating insights into actionable product strategies
- Partner with Microsoft Dynamics Governance lead to ensure the Roadmap items have a clear business case with well-defined success metrics
- Review user feedback & adoption metrics and success KPIs to identify potential opportunities for improvement or narrative around success and value delivered via the Dynamics platform
Talent Management & Development
- Foster an inclusive and high-performing culture, with an emphasis on coaching & skill development to ensure strong Microsoft Dynamics expertise, expert relationship management skills and strong communicators
- Proactively develop the team identifying skills gaps, training/upskilling opportunities, and organizational inefficiencies
- Drive connectivity between Dynamics Product Strategy pillar and Dynamics Product Owners, Engineering & Support pillars
Your experience
- 7-10+ years working in a role focused on CX/customer/CRM or product strategy and/or program management, business or digital transformation programs; Past management consulting experience or experience implementing new CRM technologies is a plus; Experience working with Microsoft Dynamics is required
- Proven track record of building & leading teams that manage a wide range and diverse set of global stakeholders focused on enterprise technology initiatives; Experience navigating a complex matrix of stakeholders and global teams in multiple time zones
- Strong background in evolving a technology product vision, consulting on the product, and leading requirements gathering, design, and implementation
- Excellent communication skills and a strong ability to influence both technical and non-technical audiences at varying degrees of seniority
- A passion for talent development and experience managing teams (directly and/or indirectly through project work)
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build rapport with team members - proven experience in a collaborative role within a team environment; Ability to collaborate effectively across teams and influence stakeholders
- Demonstrated sense of curiosity and the courage to ask tough questions
- You have a creative and analytical mind, can explore options and synthesize these into conclusions
- Excellent project management skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously
- Experience executing change management skills (and proven success developing and executing resistance strategies) to drive a change in behaviors, operating models, or new technology adoption
- Strategic thinker with a customer-centric approach and a passion for delivering innovative solutions
- Certification in Dynamics products (e.g., Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Fundamentals) is a plus
- Experience in service design methodologies (persona, customer journey, service blueprints) and translating into technical solutions is a plus
- Experienced in the 'lifecycle of Change' and ideally the nuances of BlackRock
Our benefits
To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of employee benefits including: retirement investment and tools designed to help you in building a sound financial future; access to education reimbursement; comprehensive resources to support your physical health and emotional well-being; family support programs; and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.
Our hybrid work model
BlackRock's hybrid work model is designed to enable a culture of collaboration and apprenticeship that enriches the experience of our employees, while supporting flexibility for all. Employees are currently required to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with the flexibility to work from home 1 day a week. Some business groups may require more time in the office due to their roles and responsibilities. We remain focused on increasing the impactful moments that arise when we work together in person - aligned with our commitment to performance and innovation. As a new joiner, you can count on this hybrid model to accelerate your learning and onboarding experience here at BlackRock.
About BlackRock
At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being. Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children's educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress.
This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment - the one we make in our employees. It's why we're dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive.
For additional information on BlackRock, please visit @blackrock | Twitter: @blackrock | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock
BlackRock is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to age, disability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation and other protected characteristics at law.