Overview
The Service Delivery Manager is accountable for end-to-end vendor delivery performance across VL operations, ensuring alignment to key business outcomes including quality, velocity, cost efficiency, and customer satisfaction . Acting as the central bridge between Microsoft, vendor partners, and cross-functional stakeholders, this role drives the transition from a reactive, transactional vendor model to a proactive, outcome-driven partnership. The SDM plays a critical role in enabling scalable delivery for a growing, high-complexity customer base by leading vendor governance, operational excellence, continuous improvement, and AI-enabled transformation initiatives.
Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
- End-to-End Vendor Delivery Ownership Own and manage end-to-end vendor delivery performance, ensuring adherence to SLAs, KPIs, and contractual commitments. Oversee daily execution, remove blockers, and act as the primary escalation point for complex delivery risks and issues.
- Vendor Performance Management & Governance Drive vendor performance through structured governance frameworks, including KPIs, SLAs, and scorecards. Lead operational and executive business reviews, ensure contract compliance, and implement corrective action plans to address performance gaps.
- Performance Insights & Reporting Deliver data-driven insights on quality, productivity, CSAT, throughput, and cycle time. Translate operational metrics into actionable insights and executive-level visibility on risks, trends, and improvement opportunities.
- Continuous Improvement (CI) & AI Enablement Lead initiatives to improve quality, productivity, and cost efficiency by eliminating waste and optimizing processes. Partner with Vendor Solutions to identify, implement, and scale AI and automation opportunities, ensuring strong adoption, measurable impact, and effective change management.
- Capacity Planning & Demand Alignment Align vendor capacity with forecasted demand, particularly during peak and quarter-end cycles. Partner with workforce management to optimize staffing, control costs, and enable scalable delivery models.
- Risk Management & Operational Governance Proactively identify and mitigate risks impacting delivery performance. Establish monitoring frameworks, escalation mechanisms, and ensure compliance with enterprise risk, audit, and governance standards.
- Supplier Governance & Contract Management Manage supplier relationships and governance across VL operations. Partner with Legal and Procurement on contract negotiations, renewals, and compliance, ensuring optimal commercial outcomes and adherence to security and regulatory standards.
- Corrective Actions & Issue Resolution Conduct root cause analysis for performance gaps, develop and execute corrective action plans, and track resolution progress to closure while escalating when necessary.
- Cross-Functional Leadership & Stakeholder Management Act as the central coordination point across vendor teams, sales, finance, engineering, and service design. Drive alignment on priorities, execution plans, and delivery timelines.
- Change Management & Transformation Lead vendor onboarding, transitions, and readiness initiatives. Ensure effective communication, training, and adoption of new tools, processes, and capabilities to minimize disruption and accelerate value realization.
- Global Operations & Supplier Lifecycle Management Manage supplier lifecycle across multi-time zone operations, ensuring consistent delivery standards, operational efficiency, and scalability.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- 10+ years in service delivery / vendor management
- Experience managing outsourced delivery partners, SLAs, KPIs, SOW, escalations
- Vendor governance and stakeholder management in matrixed environments
- Experience operating in global, high-complexity vendor ecosystems
- Proven track record driving delivery outcomes (quality, productivity, customer satisfaction)
- Strong communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills
- Bachelor’s degree
**Additional or Preferred Qualifications **
- Experience driving process improvements, automation, or AI-enabled transformation initiatives
- Exposure to commercial aspects of vendor management (contracts, cost optimization, negotiations)
- Experience translating operational metrics into insights for senior stakeholders
- Experience operating or transforming large-scale outsourced delivery models
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.**