Overview
Come join the office of Microsoft Business Operations (MBO)! Our organization is a global organization that powers the operational backbone of Microsoft’s commercial and consumer businesses. We orchestrate the end-to-end lifecycle of product and program launches, revenue operations, enterprise risk management, and partner lifecycle services—ensuring Microsoft can transact, scale, and innovate with speed, trust, and compliance. MBO touches nearly every part of Microsoft’s business. We translate complex business problems into pragmatic, executable steps, enabling Microsoft to sell to new markets, launch products faster, and operate with agility and scale. Our organization leverages AI, process improvement methodologies and a growth mindset to drive continuous improvement and compliance.
We are hiring an individual contributor Business Manager for the office of Microsoft Business Operations (MBO). This is a critical role partnering with the leadership team of MBO and their teams to establish and drive alignment on key priorities and initiatives. This role is accountable for several critical functions including the strategic planning, business performance, Rhythm of Business (ROB) and operational & financial Excellence for this global team. The successful candidate for this position possesses an ability to lead through influence across teams and levels of seniority, demonstrates the discipline to seek clarity and deliver results in ambiguous situations, and is a self-starter with proven skills in driving key initiatives through engagement with internal partners. The candidate should have a solid process, business, and financial acumen across business management, communication, planning, data analytics, and business/performance management.
Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.
Responsibilities
Competencies
Strategic Clarity & Enterprise Thinking: Connects long-range strategy to execution; translates ambiguous priorities into clear direction, plans, and outcomes across the organization.
Execution Excellence & Operational Rigor: Drives disciplined execution through operating rhythms (ROB), clear accountability, and measurable outcomes; removes blockers and ensures follow-through.
Business & Financial Acumen: Applies data, insights, and financial understanding to drive decisions, trade-offs, and performance improvement.
Influence & Cross-Org Leadership: Leads without authority across stakeholders; builds trust, aligns priorities, and drives decisions in complex, matrixed environments.
Executive Communication & Storytelling: Synthesizes complex inputs into clear, compelling narratives to enable leadership clarity and decision-making.
Transformation & Change Leadership: Drives adoption of new ways of working (e.g., AI, processes, operating models); leads structured change across teams and stakeholders.
Organizational Effectiveness & Systems Thinking: Improves how the organization operates at scale—processes, governance, and cadence—to increase efficiency and impact.
Trusted Advisor Mindset: Acts as a strategic partner to leadership, providing independent, data-driven perspective and exercising sound judgment and discretion.
Key Functional Skills
Strategic planning (annual planning, long-range planning, workforce planning)
Rhythm of Business (ROB) design, orchestration, and execution
Program and portfolio management (cross-functional initiatives)
Performance management (OKRs, KPIs, scorecards, business reviews)
Financial planning and budget management (headcount, forecasting, resource allocation)
Data analysis and insights generation (Power BI, dashboards, metrics interpretation)
Executive communications (LT/XLT presentations, messaging, narratives)
Cross-functional stakeholder management (HR, Finance, Ops, Product)
Change management and adoption planning (process, org, and AI transformation)
Process design and continuous improvement (operating model, governance, workflows)
AI transformation enablement (basic familiarity with AI tools, adoption frameworks, use cases)
Meeting and event orchestration (business reviews, offsites, all-hands)
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree in Business, Operations, Finance, or related field AND 6+ years experience in program management, process management, or process improvement OR equivalent experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master's Degree in Business, Operations, Finance, or related field AND 8+ years experience in program management, process management, or process improvement OR Bachelor's Degree in Business, Operations, Finance, or related field AND 12+ years experience in program management, process management, or process improvement OR equivalent experience.
- Experience operating in a Chief of Staff, Business Manager, or Strategy role supporting senior executives in a global, matrixed organization
- Demonstrated track record driving enterprise transformation initiatives
- Experience designing and leading Rhythm of Business (ROB) frameworks at scale
- Strong understanding of AI transformation in enterprise environments
- Experience influencing and driving alignment across senior leadership (LT/XLT) in ambiguous, high-stakes environments
- 8–10+ years of experience in business management, program management, or strategy/operations roles
- Proven track record leading cross-functional initiatives with measurable business impact
- Demonstrated ability to lead and manage financial planning processes including budget development, headcount planning, and forecasting, with clear linkage to strategic priorities
Business Program Management IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $116,900 - $203,600 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $148,400 - $222,600 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about **requesting accommodations.**