Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more, and we believe this mission has never been more important. It guides work across the company to recognize the enormous opportunity and responsibility to ensure that the technology we create benefits everyone on the planet, as well as benefiting the planet itself.

To fulfill this mission, the Corporate, External, & Legal Affairs Department (CELA) has an immediate opening for a Business Program Manager Specialist in the Public Affairs team based in Redmond, WA. This person will play a crucial role in shaping the future of how information is shared and utilized across our organization. We are looking for an individual with an extraordinary aptitude for breaking new ground in the field of Knowledge Management through operational excellence, innovative and disciplined approaches to process and workflow, and a passion for new ideas and inventing new ways of working by pushing the boundaries of cutting-edge technologies, including but not limited to Generative AI.

Responsibilities

Program Planning & Design

• Performs program research and reviews feedback from internal users and stakeholders to identify pain points and future opportunities for impact. This helps to prioritize the features and experiences that support our end users and success criteria.
• Identifies and scopes opportunities to develop systems and programs impacting the broader Public Affairs organization.
• Works with global cross-functional stakeholders to design complex technology experiences and systems from initiation to delivery through the management of operational requirements. Supports design and deployment of solutions and reporting needed to manage and track the ongoing initiatives.
• Owns and/or partners with others in driving business impact across the organization by tracking and defining success criteria and performance metrics (e.g., Objectives and Key Results [OKRs], Key Performance Indicators [KPIs] such as quality, adoption, usage, impact, effectiveness).
  
  

Program Excellence & Execution

• Drive the architecting, development, and execution of the day-to-day rhythm of business (ROB) and team operations.
• Works across various teams, global upper-level internal stakeholders, and subject matter experts to ensure a shared understanding and alignment of objectives, priorities, and resources, as well securing buy-in, ensuring a collective commitment to success.
• Develops robust systems and streamlined processes to bolster team efficiency and effectiveness, with a keen focus on scalability. Communicates and disseminates successful outcomes to share within the larger organization, empowering all to leverage best practices for enhanced process and operational excellence.
  
  

Program Management

• Contributes to and leads a portfolio of projects including the project plan, design strategy, timelines, milestones, performance metrics, and/or resources needed for complex projects.
• Leads strategic system and operational design initiatives, aligning people, processes, and technology.
• Identifies process gaps and inefficiencies, leads the development of strategies and systems for optimization.
• Acts as a subject matter expert for large, critical projects, providing direction to teammates or cross-functional project teams. May also act as a project lead across countries and team lines.
  
  

Program Evaluation & Improvement

• Contributes to monthly business reviews (MBR), and runs rhythms regularly to identify what is working and what is not and makes improvements accordingly.
• Utilizes data analytics and research to make informed decisions, identifying pain points and uncovering opportunities for program optimization through comprehensive analysis.
• Supports programs through the implementation of Change Management (CM) tools, processes, and frameworks, ensuring buy-in and adoption of the new program or changes. Shares expertise to promote the program and system within the larger organization.
• Develops robust systems and streamlined processes to bolster team efficiency and effectiveness, with a keen focus on scalability. Communicates and disseminates successful outcomes to share within the larger organization, empowering all to leverage best practices for enhanced process and operational excellence.
  
  

Other

• Stays abreast of developments in AI and leverage AI technologies to enhance Knowledge Management processes.
  
  

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, Finance or related field AND 4+ years’ work experience managing cross-functional and/or cross-team projects.
• OR equivalent experience.
• Experience in UX implementation for knowledge management systems.
  

Additional Or Preferred Qualification

• Experience in negotiating and group facilitation skills.
• Highly collaborative and the ability to lead through ambiguity.
• The capacity to thrive in an international, diverse, and fast-moving environment.
• Strategic and critical thinking capabilities, organizational excellence, and outstanding process discipline.
• Skill in balancing long-term strategy with time-sensitive demands.
• Experience with developing rapport with team members and company-wide partners.
• Experience in adapting to and thriving in a constantly evolving organization.
• Experience working with design thinking/user centered design methodologies
  
  

Business Program Management IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $91,800 - $178,800 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 $117,900 - $195,000 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

#CELA

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.