Director of Executive Communications

Microsoft’s Global Partner Solutions Americas (AMER GPS) team energizes and leads the talented ecosystem of partners essential to billions of users that power, enable, and innovate with millions of organizations. The organization’s charter is central to Microsoft’s entire cloud portfolio, and we have ambitions to do much more, especially with our trusted ecosystem partners.

Microsoft is looking for a seasoned Director of Executive Communications to support the Corporate Vice President (CVP) of Global Partner Solutions Americas. As a Director of Executive Communications, you will support the Chief of Staff and will be responsible for leading both external and internal communications for the CVP. This is a strategic role that provides a tremendous opportunity for business impact across an Americas organization and engaging with leaders across the business to drive alignment towards our shared vision of enabling partners to drive meaningful business outcomes for our customers. This role requires a breadth of communication experience, and have a proven success in working in a fast-paced environment and managing and influencing stakeholders without authority, as well as be able to quickly understand the CVP’s mission, voice and style and reflect that in the communications deliverables. We are a collaborative team looking for candidates who have a passion for making an impact to better support the needs of our customers.

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

• Orchestration and Agency Management - Encourages the proactive collaboration of others on the development and production of communications materials and deployment of communications tactics. Manages decision making in determining need for agency partnership, choosing an agency and managing agency relationships. Guides team in leveraging technical experience and knowledge of successful campaigns in managing work. Ensures adherence to Microsoft standards.
• Communication Strategy Setting and Planning - Guides the virtual team to enhance thought leadership that strengthens Microsoft's position as a trusted partner. Mentors others in the execution of tactics to support overall strategy, ensuring consistency of voice across messages and channels. Collaborates with comms functions across the AMER GPS organization to drive synergies and ensure consistency and alignment of messaging. Participates in business planning discussions as appropriate. Successfully translates value proposition into effective communications strategies and storytelling that resonates with target audience(s). Embeds diversity and inclusion (D&I) throughout strategy and execution.
• Storytelling and Messaging - Develops and drive stories in fresh ways that generate positive perceptions towards Microsoft. Provides direction on the determination of the format of stories. Leverages experience to determine what format is most appropriate and meaningful for a story and target audience(s). Sets the cadence of storytelling (e.g., duration, evolution), including content development and curation to land a story. Ensures confluence of content and audience across stories. Create narratives based on messaging frameworks that drive content development and deployment.
• Execution of Communication Strategy - Create and align CVP communications plans to AMER GPS RoB and broader communications. Ensures content is consistent across the channels with which Microsoft is connected to a given audience. Ensures appropriateness of formats (e.g., Webinars, podcasts, posts, core materials for field) for one-to-one (1:1) and one-to-many (1:many) engagements. Leads the development of frameworks and commensurate collateral. Solicits feedback and iterates as appropriate. Modifies narratives in real time based on reaction/response. Tests effectiveness of messaging. Understands and advises others on available channels, which channels to leverage, and what to advocate for in terms of messaging. Ensures work is complementary and not duplicative or conflicting with others' efforts. Understands standardized tools and templates available and guides team to use them appropriately.
• Stakeholder Management – Identifies needed content and develop content to support education, guidance, and advice to internal stakeholders, customers, and partners on communications strategy and tactics. Ensures alignment on strategic intent as foundation for execution of tactics. Ensures rhythm of business (e.g., cadence, intent, content to keep stakeholders informed and up to date) is established. Manages escalations appropriately. Recognizes and takes action to be broadly inclusive of perspectives and styles in a manner that suits stakeholders.
• Reputation Management - Addresses potential reputation risk issues. Guides the development of content to mitigate those risks. Identifies opportunities to enhance reputation and perception and leads development of content accordingly, including correcting inaccuracies when they occur. Acts as a leader and trusted advisor within Microsoft by advancing and protecting the corporate image and reputation. Guides team to anticipate, understand, and leverage factors that impact reputation (e.g., privacy, data). Guides others to determine what is appropriate to withhold, share, continue, or stop based on relevant internal and external factors.
• In collaboration with the Communications Managers that are on your team, provide executive-level communication strategy relevant to a variety of partner, field, analyst, and market audiences and ensure the CVP’s voice is clear, targeted, inclusive, and predictable at events both internally and externally.
• Provide high quality preparation for both internal and external engagements with clean, thought forward concepts delivered in a simple to understand approach.
• Participate in creating cascading communications rhythm; support building an effective and cohesive external and internal communications rhythm across all points (e.g., SharePoint, Town Halls, Newsletters, Executive Monthly Communications, Partner Webinars, Insight) to make sure the organization and key business partners are informed and aligned against priorities and goals.
• Drive and Monitor Messaging and Impact - Monitor, track, and analyze the impact of and responses to messaging. Leverage data to guide insights and iterate solutions. Mentors others in the use of data to drive outcomes. Guides the development and implementation of metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate effectiveness at outset. Evaluates and leads adjustments as needed. Identifies, develops, and implements measures to evaluate effectiveness and to iterate as content, platforms, and desired outcomes evolve. Communicates findings based on measurement strategy. Recommends and implements improvements accordingly.
• Other
  • Embody our Culture and Values

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in relevant field (e.g., Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Management, Computer Science) AND 8+ years experience in Communications, Marketing, Program Management, Project Management, or related experience
  • OR equivalent experience.
• 2+ years experience mentoring and/or coaching others.

• Bachelor's Degree in relevant field (e.g., Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Management, Computer Science) AND 10+ years experience in Communications, Marketing, Program Management, Project Management, or related experience
  • OR Master's Degree in relevant field (e.g., Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Management, Computer Science) AND 7+ years experience in financial management, business planning, operations management, strategy, project management, human resources, or business-related roles
  • OR equivalent experience.

Business Management IC6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $129,200 - $273,400 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 $162,000 - $299,400 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

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until May 21, 2024.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, 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 and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.