Counsel, CELA Compliance & Ethics Team

The Microsoft Corporate, Legal and External Affairs (CELA) organization seeks a highly motivated, experienced Legal Counsel attorney to join the Governance, Training, and Culture (GTC) team in CELA’s Compliance & Ethics organization. Microsoft is committed to corporate responsibility and integrity, and sets high standards for ourselves and our partners to advance trust with our customers, governments, investors, partners, representatives, and each other. GTC advances this commitment by fostering a culture of ethics and trust through its support for our w orld class compliance program.

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.

In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities

The attorney in this role will focus on supporting GTC’s regulatory, governance, and training programs. Responsibilities include:

• Serving as a trusted advisor and strategic business partner by providing counsel and actionable advice on a broad range of multi-faceted, interdependent, and complex legal compliance issues with Microsoft-wide impact. Facilitate development of creative solutions to complex issues through innovation and proactive compliance.
• Collaborate with compliance teams across the company to implement programs to increase efficiency and continuous improvement of Microsoft’s compliance community. This includes operating program standards, risk assessment enhancements, aligning compliance processes, and enhancing risk mitigation plans, as well as assessing compliance performance and effectiveness.
• Help enable our businesses to achieve their most important strategic goals through thoughtful policy implementation and support of related internal controls. Conduct risk assessments to support policy development and continuous improvement of requirements and controls. Assist in designing solutions through generative AI to efficiently provide guidance and advice to enable sound decision-making with integrity.
• Identify and anticipate regulatory requirements and other issues (e.g., geopolitical, country, reputational) and opportunities facing Microsoft, in order to support the development or improvement of compliance program design, strategies and solutions, including assurance mechanisms to continuously improve the compliance program. Support regulatory governance design and implementation for in-scope compliance risk areas.
• Partner with Learning Lead to design, deliver, and support training programs that advance trust and a healthy culture of compliance and ethics, including risk-tailored anti-corruption training and leadership training.
• Proactively partner across internal groups to develop and advocate policies and best practices related to legal and regulatory issues; foster communication, collaboration, and the sharing of best practices; proactively investigate and identify tools and processes in use across the company to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
• Significantly improve decision making by leveraging key stakeholders, including Microsoft senior executives, and by simplifying and summarizing highly complex/multi-dimensional issues into actionable strategies and recommendations.
  
  

Other

• Embody our culture and values
  
  

Qualifications

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate Degree or Equivalent International Degree
• OR Completion of a Legal Apprenticeship.
• Active license to practice law in a jurisdiction and capable of meeting admission requirements in relevant jurisdiction.
• 3+ years experience as a practicing attorney
• OR equivalent practice of law.
  

Additional Or Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with U.S. and international regulatory requirements and expectations for corporate compliance programs, including the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
• Ability to creatively solve problems with a focus on achieving results that both benefit our business and maintain the trust of our customers and partners.
• Experience in proactively partnering across internal groups to develop and advocate policies and best practices related to legal and regulatory issues.
• Demonstrated ability to work efficiently and collaboratively, meet deadlines and balance multiple responsibilities.
• Effective communication skills.
• Deep curiosity about Microsoft’s products and services.
• A drive to get precise and complete information to make informed decisions.
• Sound and practical business judgment, ability to think strategically, and desire to establish a “trusted advisor” relationship with key stakeholders.
• Desire and ability to work with diverse, global teams.
  
  

Legal Counsel IC3 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $101,200 - $194,800 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 $130,000 - $213,200 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

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, 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 and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.