Business Strategy-Continuous Improvement
Microsoft
With more than 45,000 employees and partners worldwide, the Customer Experience and Success (CE&S) organization is on a mission to empower customers to accelerate business value through differentiated customer experiences that leverage Microsoft’s products and services, ignited by our people and culture. We drive cross-company alignment and execution, ensuring that we consistently exceed customers’ expectations in every interaction, whether in-product, digital, or human-centered. CE&S is responsible for all up services across the company, including consulting, customer success, and support across Microsoft’s portfolio of solutions and products. Join CE&S and help us accelerate AI transformation for our customers and the world.
The Global Customer Success (GCS) organization, an organization within CE&S, is leading the effort to enable customer success on the Microsoft Cloud by harnessing leading, AI-powered capabilities and human expertise to deliver innovation solutions that accelerate business value, drive operational excellence and nurture long term loyalty.
As part of the AI Transformation and Continuous Improvement team within Global Customer Success (GCS), the Business Strategy-Continuous Improvement you will lead strategic initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, accelerate digital maturity, and embed a culture of innovation across the organization. This role focuses on reengineering processes for AI-first environments, applying Lean Six Sigma methodologies, and driving measurable improvements in performance and customer outcomes. You will collaborate closely with field leaders, operations, engineering, and data teams to design and implement scalable solutions, optimize KPIs, and ensure adoption through structured change management and capability building. Success in this role requires a blend of analytical rigor, transformation leadership, and the ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment where ambiguity is the norm and impact is expected.
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
Strategic Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence
• Champion Lean and Six Sigma or similar methodologies to drive enterprise-wide efficiency, reduce waste, and optimize end-to-end workflows.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives using advanced tools such as SIPOC, DMAIC, and Value Stream Mapping to deliver measurable quality improvements and defect reduction.
• Facilitate high-impact workshops, root cause analyses, and structured problem-solving sessions to accelerate performance gains.
AI-Enabled Process Innovation
• Architect AI-first process reengineering strategies, moving beyond automation to fundamentally redesign workflows for scalability and intelligence.
• Integrate cutting-edge technologies—including Microsoft Copilot, predictive analytics, and Power Automate—to enhance operational decision-making and streamline execution.
• Collaborate with stakeholders and role owners to embed AI capabilities into core business processes.
Digital Transformation & Change Leadership
• Spearhead transformation programs aligned with strategic business objectives and customer-centric outcomes.
• Design and implement change management frameworks to ensure stakeholder alignment, adoption, and long-term sustainability of improvements.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to on digital maturity and organizational readiness.
Capability Development & Culture Building
• Develop and deliver enterprise-level Lean Six Sigma or similar training programs, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Mentor emerging leaders and teams through structured learning paths, hands-on coaching, and experiential learning.
• Promote agile experimentation and iterative improvement using frameworks such as Plan-Do-Check-Adjust (PDCA).
Performance Management & KPI Optimization
• Define and operationalize key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with strategic goals and drive accountability.
• Leverage AI and analytics to monitor, refine, and elevate performance metrics across functions.
• Conduct post-implementation reviews and success audits to ensure sustained impact and continuous feedback loops.
Qualifications
Required/minimum qualifications
- Master's Degree in Business Administration or related field AND 3+ years marketing, strategy, business planning, consulting, banking, finance, economics, and/or partner organization experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Liberal Arts, Computer Science, or related field AND 4+ years marketing, strategy, business planning, consulting, banking, finance, economics, and/or partner organization experience
- OR equivalent experience.
Additional or preferred qualifications
- Master's Degree in Business Administration or related field AND 6+ years marketing, strategy, business planning, consulting, banking, finance, economics, and/or partner organization experience.
- OR Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Liberal Arts, Computer Science, or related field AND 8+ years marketing, strategy, business planning, consulting, banking, finance, economics, and/or partner organization experience
- OR equivalent experience.
- 3+ years experience in Strategy, Management Consulting, and/or Finance.
- Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-wide process improvement initiatives using Lean Six Sigma or similar methodologies, with a track record of measurable impact on cost, quality, and cycle time.
- Six Sigma Black Belt certification (or equivalent), with hands-on experience in statistical analysis, structured problem-solving, and process optimization at scale.
- Proven ability to facilitate executive-level workshops, conduct detailed efficiency and gap analyses, and implement structured, data-driven action plans.
- AI & Technology Leadership
- Deep expertise in integrating Microsoft AI technologies (Copilot, Azure AI, Power Automate, predictive analytics) into business processes for measurable impact.
- Experience architecting and implementing AI-first process redesigns, moving beyond automation to create intelligent, adaptive workflows.
- Familiarity with AI governance, data integrity, and ethical deployment practices in operational contexts.
- Transformation & Change Management
- Demonstrated success leading digital transformation initiatives aligned with strategic business goals, delivering tangible outcomes in customer experience, operational efficiency, and employee engagement.
- Deep experience in organizational change management, including stakeholder engagement, communication planning, resistance mitigation, and adoption measurement.
- Strong leadership presence with the ability to mentor, coach, and upskill teams in Lean Six Sigma, Agile, and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Executive Communication & Influence
- Exceptional executive-level communication skills, with a proven ability to translate complex technical concepts and transformation outcomes into compelling narratives for senior audiences.
- Demonstrated influence skills, with a history of driving alignment and impact at scale in organizations similar to Microsoft Customer Success.
- Skilled in visualization and storytelling techniques that clarify strategic impact, build alignment across stakeholders, and support informed decision-making at the leadership level.
- Performance Management
- Expertise in KPI design, optimization, and governance, including the use of dashboards, scorecards, and post-implementation reviews to ensure sustained performance and continuous feedback loops.
- Additional certifications in Agile, Project Management (PMI, PRINCE2), ITIL, or Prosci/ADKAR change management frameworks.
- Experience designing and delivering enterprise-level Lean Six Sigma training programs and structured learning paths.
- Practical application of advanced process design, including the ability to reimagine workflows from the ground up to fully leverage digital technologies, unlock new efficiencies, and drive scalable innovation.
- Strong business acumen with the ability to build and interpret ROI models, effort estimates, and impact assessments.
- Comfortable operating in ambiguity and driving clarity through structured analysis and storytelling.
- Experience building business cases for business / technology initiatives with measurable outcomes and stakeholder buy-in.
Business Strategy IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $106,400 - $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 $137,600 - $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.