At Microsoft, we have a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. For the World-Wide Sales Team in the Consumer and Device Sales (CDS) organization, we are transforming the way we go to market across the globe and bring the latest Xbox, Surface, Office and Windows product to our customers. To enable this transformation, we need to put our ecosystem of products, solutions and services at the center for our partners and customers to drive product desire and advocacy.

The Office Category Management team has a goal to reach as many consumers and SMBs as possible around the world through various partner channels while bringing these customers on the journey to the cloud.  This role focuses on driving key transformation initiatives across both Consumer and SMB audiences and channels.  The Sr Office Category Manager - Growth Initiatives will have the opportunity to collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders inside of Microsoft across sales, marketing, finance, operations and others.  With a large global scale, the Office team is looking for a driven professional who can keep many projects on track with various stakeholders, remove obstacles and find efficiency to accelerate transformation, institutionalize learnings, and maximize business results.  If you are looking to help the multi-billion $ Office business in CDS accelerate to our next phase of growth at global scale, this is the opportunity for you!

Responsibilities

We are looking for a talented and driven individual to lead the execution, management and monitoring of strategic growth initiatives.  Primary responsibilities include

• Lead project team for key transformation initiatives including but not limited to recurring billing, retail coverage, extra time and end user fulfillment:
• Establish and run rhythms with regional teams and WW category mangers responsible for each channel to insure there is a clear path on specific initiatives down to country and partner level.
• Run consistent framework to allow scale to cross-functional teams including sales excellence, operations, finance and CELA.
• Track actions and dependencies closely to ensure each team stays on track for dependences.
• Find common learnings from each roll out to simplify process and improve speed to market for each initiative across functional teams.
• Collaborate closely with category managers responsible for each channel
• Align on strategic initiatives with peer group of category managers with emphasis on managed retail and other distribution and resellers
• Identify and document strategic priorities and guardrails for each initiative to insure execution and exceptions stay on strategy
• Insure appropriate forums for addressing any issues and blockers especially against strategic alignment to execute global programs in diverse field settings.
• Lead overall Office category pilots assessment
• Establish and codify framework for each pilot to capture specific goals and KPIs in advance of execution
• Own the learn/grow/scale framework for the Office team to have an inventory of projects being tracked against growth opportunities.
• Capture key learnings from pilots and identify common geo themes to connect local teams to accelerate sharing of what works and does not.
• Establish calendar of pilots to predictably close the loop
• Assessment and communication of pilots and transformation initiatives.
• Partner closely with finance and local teams to assess pilot initiatives against documented goals and KPIs
• Upon pilot assessment, work with peer category managers to identify if pilot initiatives should be expanded to other partners and markets using quantitative and qualitative assessment against strategy, goals and KPIs or stopped.
• Regular communication of pilots and transformation initiatives in form of regular emails (weekly/bi-weekly/monthly as appropriate) and regular SharePoint tracking for real time updates as needed for RoB and other leadership communication

Qualifications

Key Competencies:

• Project Management: Excellent and proven project management skills in a highly matrixed environment are critical.
• Communication: Strong and concise written and verbal communicator with ability to summarize at exec level deeply detailed projects.
• Analytical Problem Solving: Identifies trends in projects that can create opportunitis for scale.  Demonstrates an understanding of critical issues that need resolution before problems can be solved. Takes a structured and systematic approach to investigating and solving problems.
• Curiosity: Operating with a growth mindset to learn from various inputs and patterns and equally from successes and failures.
• Drive for Results: Sets clear and challenging goals for a portfolio of work and pursues them with enthusiasm and passion. Forecasts resource needs and timing throughout the course of a project and removes obstacles.
• Collaboration: Removes barriers by working with others around a shared need or customer benefit. Able to maintain a broader perspective and identifies and evaluates opportunities to enhance the business through cross-group collaboration. Incorporates diverse perspectives to thoroughly address complex business issues
• Planning, Organizing and Executing: Understands business objectives and plans accordingly. Critically reviews multiple plans and adjusts as needed. Proactively communicates and addresses necessary trade-offs. Coaches teams and mentor’s others in planning, organizing and coordinating their work.
• Process Development and Simplification: Understand key business processes with drive to optimize so that the field has less internal commitments and more external partner facing time to land both short term performance and long term transformation initiatives.

Experience and Skill Required:

• 6+ years’ experience in consumer electronics industry, retail category management, project/program management or similar roles.  Experience with software and field global sales & marketing organizations a plus.
• Proven track record of managing multiple complex projects
• Drive deliverables, set and manage timelines, structure and scope complex problems and routinely inform stakeholders across business units
• Strong executive composure, cross- group collaboration and communications skills 
• Self-starter, highly motivated to overcome challenges and remain focused on the solution 
• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing or related field, or related experience. MBA a plus.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.