Overview
Microsoft’s Brand & Advertising team is building world‑class creative and production capabilities to deliver high‑impact, globally scaled brand and campaign work. We are seeking a Senior Director of Production to lead end‑to‑end production across film, video, digital, social, experiential, and emerging formats, while modernizing how production operates in an AI‑accelerated, in‑house model. This is a rare opportunity to define the production engine behind one of the world’s most influential brands—at a moment of real transformation.
The Senior Director of Production will play a critical role in helping Microsoft move faster, work smarter, and deliver more impactful creative work by bringing production leadership in house and into the core of the creative process. This role is both strategic and hands‑on; owning production excellence today while architecting the future of how Microsoft produces creative work at scale, with speed, craft, and fiscal rigor.
Responsibilities
What You’ll Do
Production Leadership & Strategy
- Own the global production vision and execution for Microsoft’s in‑house advertising agency, spanning brand campaigns, product launches, always‑on content, and special initiatives as well as production relationship with external AORs and production companies
- Define and evolve modern production models, including hybrid in-house/external partnerships and direct‑to‑production‑company workflows
- Serve as the production authority across creative, strategy, media, legal, and finance partners
Operational Excellence
- Build and lead best‑in‑class production processes, to realize assets at scale. From approved concepts to production of finished, market-ready assets across all formats and channels.
- Establish production governance, cost controls, and risk management practices by internalizing expertise historically held by external agencies
- Production planning, vendor management (studios, post-production, photographers), TV/video production, digital adaptation at volume, OOH production, social asset output, asset QA and final delivery. Ensure all work is delivered on time, on budget, and to brand standards, across a complex global stakeholder ecosystem
Team & Capability Building
- Lead, mentor, and grow a high‑performing production team, including senior producers, producers and coordinator
- Partner closely with Creative, Design, Campaign leadership and Operations to ensure seamless, integrated delivery
- Set clear roles, expectations, and career paths that attract top‑tier production talent into an in‑house environment
Innovation & AI‑Enabled Production
- Champion the integration of AI‑powered tools and workflows into production, enhancing speed, iteration, and scalability while protecting craft and brand quality
- Partner with creative and ops leaders to test, document, and scale new production methodologies
- Ensure responsible, compliant use of AI in collaboration with legal, privacy, and brand governance teams
Creative Partnership
- Act as a trusted partner to senior creative leadership, balancing ambition with feasibility and executional excellence
- Participate in key creative and production decisions including vendor selection, director selection, and production approach
- Uphold a high bar for craft, storytelling, and execution across all formats
Who You Are
- A senior production leader with deep experience delivering complex, high‑visibility advertising work at scale
- Equally comfortable setting strategy and rolling up your sleeves to solve production challenges in real time
- A builder who is energized by creating new models, teams, and ways of working inside a large organization
- A calm, credible leader who thrives in fast‑moving, cross‑functional environments
- Passionate about the future of production, including the thoughtful use of emerging technologies and AI
Qualifications
Minimum Qualification:
10+ years experience in professional production environment (e.g., lighting, shooting, audio recording, web production, writing), post-production environment, or broadcasting (e.g., local news)
- OR equivalent experience
Preferred Qualifications:
- 15+ years of experience in advertising production, with leadership roles in in‑house agencies, creative agencies, production companies, or equivalent environments
- Proven experience leading large, multidisciplinary production teams and managing significant budgets
- Deep expertise across video, film, digital, social, and global asset production and localization
- Understanding of modern production economics, vendor models, and contract structures
- Experience integrating new tools or technologies (including AI) into creative or production workflows is strongly preferred
Video Production M6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $163,000 - $296,400 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 $220,800 - $331,200 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.**