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 the retail channel and our partners’ critical ability to deliver the best customer experience when selling devices and Office together and acts as our overall consumer lead.  Retail continues to transform rapidly, and Office is expanding our value proposition to reach more customers via increased cloud benefits.  The Sr Office Category Manager - Retail will have the opportunity to collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders inside of Microsoft across sales, marketing, finance, operations as well as external retail partners. The talented individual will lead Office category management for our retail channel.  If you are interested in shaping the future of Office for millions of customers and hundreds of partners on a global scale, this is the role for you!

Responsibilities

• Simplify, design, manage and execute global retail strategies and programs through our phase of growth.
• Lead program design with buy-in from key stakeholders and incorporate field/partner feedback to optimize and scale.
• Drive simplicity for customers and partners with both compliance and legal alignment to protect Microsoft and our teams
• Partner closely with finance and operations to manage and monitor large investment pool to maximize return on investment
• Manage and deploy programs maps in conjunction with sales excellence to manage and to minimize need for field exceptions as much as possible
• Where warranted work quickly with field teams and sales excellence to operationalize program exceptions required to unlock local execution at partner level.
• Partner closely with team members to establish goals and track pilots in managed retail to help our teams learn, grow and scale more effectively around the world.
• Land execution of program transformation worldwide for managed retail
• Align strategy with LT for go forward program design
• Design implementation path in conjunction with field input
• Partner with category ops manager to execute with field teams with rigor and remove obstacles
• Lead framework and storytelling for cross-functional global Microsoft team on vision, goals, strategies and tactics for consumer and retail channel.
• Collaborate with Business Group, channel sales and marketing teams to ensure consumer messages land consistently and clearly at all key internal stakeholder beats including START, SMM, WW Sales Summit and more.
• Ensure clean external facing communication and framework are delivered for key beats including partner pitch decks after SMM, CES, EBC meetings, specific program transformation materials and more.
• Lead overall consumer strategy across channels including our geo-cluster approach to markets.
• Manage tradeoffs and transitions to execute our consumer geo-cluster attach strategy, focusing on which channel and products are best to lead with in each market
• Refine and document geo strategies to maximize customer acquisition and build path to the cloud over multi-year path
• Reduce complexity where possible focusing on largest opportunities and stop programs with low ROI either financially or operationally.
• Be accountable for overall performance of managed retail channel worldwide
• Provide commentary, insight, actions and help needed through all RoB activities
• Recommend tradeoffs for risks/opportunities globally to maximize the global business.
• Track performance of strategic initiatives like retail coverage motions, targeted bundle opportunities and our transition to Extra Time vs $s off.

Qualifications

• Communication: Excellent and concise communicator with ability to leverage challenger sales model to describe situation and tension, and clear path to overcome and address opportunities.
• Analytical Problem Solving: Identifies trends in data to provide perspective and business solutions. 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.
• 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.
• 8+ years’ experience in consumer electronics industry, retail category management, or like business.  Experience with software and subscriptions a plus.
• Experience planning and executing large initiatives or programs with high $ investments that drive business results.
• Drive deliverables, set and manage timelines, structure and scope complex problems and routinely inform stakeholders across business units
• Outstanding 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.