Director of Business Operations

Microsoft; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 131,000 - 304,000; Full time

Job summary

Microsoft is seeking a Director of Business Operations in the United States to lead the GCSO team, drive organizational rhythm and partner with the VP on strategic projects. The role emphasizes inclusive culture, strong project management, and deep operations expertise.

Responsibilities include running budgeting, headcount, and resource prioritization while shaping the business strategy and ensuring cross-organizational alignment across marketing, sales, engineering, and finance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in relevant field and 8+ years in related roles.
• Experience in financial management, business planning, operations, strategy or project management.
• Deep knowledge of business operations and data-driven decision making.

Responsibilities

• Oversee RoB – MMMs, WBRs, annual planning and prioritization; communicate priorities quarterly.
• Foster a rich team culture, enhance employee satisfaction and retention, drive high performance.
• Manage budgets, headcount and resource distributions; lead cross-functional initiatives.
• Lead organizational strategy and advocate for diverse and inclusive hiring practices.

Skills

People management

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Operations leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree in relevant field

Master's Degree in relevant field

Job description

Director of Business Operations

United States, Washington, Redmond

Job description

Profession: Business Operations

Discipline: Business Management

Role type: People Manager

Employment type: Full-Time

Work site: 3 days / week in-office

Travel: Less than 25%

This Director of Business Operations role is a key member of the Global Commercial Strategy & Operations (GCSO) Leadership Team and is responsible for managing all aspects of people and process operations for GCSO, supporting the organization’s VP and acting as a force multiplier.

As a key partner to the VP, this individual will play a key role in driving an inclusive team culture and psychologically safe environment to enable a high-performing organization. This individual will run the business rhythm and will also drive key strategic projects in collaboration with the extended leadership team. This person should also have depth advertising experience, deep project management capabilities, a solid grasp of business operations, a passion for culture and values, and a bias for action. Finally, this person will be a steward of our culture and collaboration across MSA and Microsoft.

This person will be an advocate for our team’s needs across the organization, including key stakeholders across marketing, sales, engineering, finance, and other organizations. Experience in business operations is required as well as unparalleled operational and organizational capability.

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.

Starting January 26, 2026, Microsoft AI (MAI) employees who live within a 50- mile commute of a designated Microsoft office in the U.S. or 25-mile commute of a non-U.S., country-specific location are expected to work from the office at least three days per week. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction.

Responsibilities

Operational Excellence:

• Manage organization’s RoB – MMMs, WBRs, annual planning, etc; Collaborate to prepare and communicate organizational priorities at the half, quarter, and monthly grains.
• Define a strategy that fosters a rich team culture, enhances employee satisfaction and retention, and drives a high-performing team.
• Manage key operational processes including budget, headcount, and overall resourcing and prioritization - including discussions and decision-making about optimal distributions.
• Personally drive complex or cross-functional business workstreams to enable organizational success – this could include major org initiatives, evolution in business strategy, support of new business lines and strategies.

Communication & Culture:

• Coach, care and model as a member of the GCSO Leadership Team and manager of the Business Management Team.
• Provide constructive feedback to the VP and Leadership Team in areas that opportunities exist.
• Drive VP and internal communications strategy and employee engagement plan for GCSO.
• Lead culture initiatives across organization including annual People Plan and Employee Signals response plan.
• Develop and lead programs/strategy to support diverse and inclusion efforts inclusive of hiring practices and employee and manager programs.

Organizational Alignment and Advocacy:

• Be a trusted advisor for the GCSO VP and Leadership Team. Be their eyes and ears of the organization helping to think through the best ways to optimize the inner workings of the organization to help achieve collective goals.
• Lead organization-wide engagements, such as all-hands meetings, learning days, offsites, etc.
• Drive valuable perspective, alignment and enablement across the GSO Leadership Team ensuring coordination and co-prioritization.
• Lead LT staff meetings, drive alignment across topics, and create a forum and facilitation for the leadership team to operate as effectively and efficiently as possible.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in relevant field (e.g., Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Management, Computer Science) AND 8+ years experience in financial management, business planning, operations management, strategy, project management, human resources or business-related roles OR equivalent experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in relevant field (e.g., Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Management, Computer Science) AND 12+ years experience in financial management, business planning, operations management, strategy, project management, human resources, or business-related roles OR Bachelor's Degree in relevant field (e.g., Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Management, Computer Science) AND 15+ years experience in financial management, business planning, operations management, strategy, project management, human resources, or business-related roles OR equivalent experience.
• 5+ years people management experience.
• Excited by driving cross-functional impact and supporting core business while enabling growth in new business areas.
• Talented in Communications, Business Management, and Operations, with a depth understanding of the digital advertising ecosystem
• Unparalleled organizational skills with the ability to balance multiple, competing projects and priorities at any given time.
• Focus through change and ambiguity allows you to navigate uncertain situations and drive clarity for others.
• Action-oriented, agile, and able to work proficiently across a complex, highly matrixed environment.
• An eye for detail and execute decisively with good judgment in fast-paced, high-stress environments.
• Lead with personal awareness, empathy, and accountability, and you inspire others to do the same.

Business Management M6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $130,900 - $277,200 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 $165,600 - $303,600 per year.