Director of Business Development Program Management

We are seeking a highly skilled and dynamic Industry Engagement/Business Development Director to join the Strategic Planning & Architecture team in Microsoft’s Cloud and AI organization. The Industry Engagement and Business Development team is responsible for leading strategic silicon and hardware partnerships, engineering engagements, and/or business development for Azure Hardware, Systems, and Infrastructure.

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. In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

Join the Strategic Planning and Architecture (SPARC) team within Microsoft’s Azure Hardware Systems and Infrastructure (AHSI) organization and be a part of the organization behind Microsoft’s expanding Cloud Infrastructure and for powering Microsoft’s “Intelligent Cloud” mission. Microsoft delivers more than 200 online services to more than one billion individuals worldwide and AHSI is the team behind our expanding cloud infrastructure. We deliver the core infrastructure and foundational technologies for Microsoft's cloud businesses including Microsoft Azure, Bing, MSN, Office 365, OneDrive, Skype, Teams and Xbox Live. 

SPARC is looking for a Director of Business Development Program Management. This role is pivotal in fostering cross-company alignment on strategic silicon and hardware partnerships, and involves business development activities and engineering collaboration with leading silicon and hardware companies, emerging technology providers, and start-ups. The role requires extensive hardware/semiconductor industry experience, broad technical program management, and business acumen to manage external engagements, external partners, and internal stakeholders, driving early technology investigations into concrete business plans and engineering engagements.

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience
  • OR Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 7+ years technical engineering experience
  • OR equivalent experience.
• 6+ years of experience in engineering, product/technical program management, business development, or product development OR equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of experience managing cross-functional and/or cross-team projects
• 5+ years of experience with executive-level communication and stakeholder management.

Other Requirements:

• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings: Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

 Preferred Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in semiconductor industry, with a focus on technology and business development and/or strategy.
• Exposure to, or experience with large-scale distributed systems, datacenter infrastructure, and cloud services engineering.
• Experience managing complex partner engagement and engineering collaborations.
• Technical understanding of CPUs, GPUs, memory, storage, networking, etc.
• Advanced degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related fields.
• Highly effective written and oral communication skills with proven ability to present to a wide range of cross-functional partners across different teams and levels of the organization.
• intellectual curiosity and a passion about learning and deploying new technologies.
• Proven capabilities to drive positive business results by working across multiple organizations.
• Experience working in hardware infrastructure engineering teams.
• Ability to build relationships and influence in a matrixed organization.
• Highly experienced in hardware program management fundamentals, including presentation skills and written communication, and management of cross team deliverables spanning costs, schedules, risks, and issue mitigation.

Hardware Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $137,600 - $267,000 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 $180,400 - $294,000 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until January 29, 2025

#SPARC #AHSI

• Manage complex engagements with internal leadership stakeholders and technology providers to drive innovation and deliver solutions through collaboration and co-development.
• Program-manage Engineering Workstreams: Lead internal stakeholders and engineering teams to ensure timely and successful execution of technical projects, quality, and performance.
• Strategy Development: Work closely with cross-functional teams to develop and implement business strategies that address silicon and hardware needs, including outside-in perspective and insights into emerging trends, opportunities, and risks.
• Deal Negotiation: Lead deal framing and negotiations for key silicon, hardware, and IP agreements, ensuring favorable terms and conditions that align to the company’s strategic objectives.
• Silicon and Hardware Partner Management: Establish and maintain relationships with technology partners, ensuring alignment of goals and successful collaboration on various projects.
• Executive Briefings and Meetings: Prepare and deliver comprehensive briefings for executive leadership, providing clear insights and updates on program status, challenges, and opportunities.
• Apply industry and technology experience and strategic business insights to manage engagements with large-scale to start-up technology providers and execute engineering workstreams and related deals.
• Provide technical and program leadership with respect and integrity.