Director, Event Business Operations

Overview

Within Commercial Cloud & AI Marketing, the Audience & Experiences Marketing team plays a critical cross‑company role in empowering every person and organization to achieve more by defining how Microsoft translates strategic audience engagement into scalable marketing motions, including Microsoft’s global events portfolio. This role, Director, Event Business Operations within Event Revenue Operations, is accountable for maximizing the business performance of Microsoft’s global events portfolio. It owns the operational backbone and business model of the portfolio: end‑to‑end budget planning and forecasting, supplier and venue sourcing, procurement and contracting, and the governance that connects investment decisions to delivery. The leader builds scalable processes and execution models that drive consistency, efficiency, and accountability across a complex global ecosystem, and ensures the portfolio operates with a genuine P&L mindset, where commitments are assessed against what the business can actually fund before they are greenlit. The role also operationalizes the events measurement framework through executive reporting, business insights, and data‑driven decision making, so that investments translate into measurable outcomes across engagement, pipeline, and customer impact. Beyond stewardship, this leader drives innovation and transformation across the portfolio by leveraging AI, advancing new engagement models, optimizing customer experiences, and introducing industry‑leading approaches that keep Microsoft at the forefront of event marketing excellence while embodying Microsoft’s culture and values. The position operates within a pod model alongside the Audience & Experiences leadership team, Product Marketing, regional marketing teams, Small, Medium Enterprises & Channel (SME&C), Finance, Procurement, and Engines & Experiences (E&E) partners.

Responsibilities

• Optimize Portfolio Investments: Own the portfolio financial model, including budget planning, forecasting, revenue management, ROI measurement, and in‑year optimization against business objectives; lead financial stewardship with a P&L mindset; develop and execute supplier, sourcing, contracting, and procurement strategies; establish and maintain financial, procurement, supplier, and compliance controls, proactively identifying and mitigating commercial and operational risk.
• Scale Portfolio Capabilities: Build and scale the operating model for Microsoft’s global events portfolio through standardized processes, governance, tools, planning mechanisms, and decision frameworks; lead the financial and operational Rhythm of Business, translating performance insights into investment decisions, portfolio optimization, and executive reporting; drive adoption of new operating models, tools, and ways of working through change management, stakeholder engagement, communications, training, and measurement.
• Lead Innovation and Transformation (Including AI): Drive continuous optimization across event formats, engagement models, and operational capabilities through AI‑first thinking and innovation; embody Microsoft’s culture and values.

Qualifications

Required / Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years business‑to‑business, business‑to‑consumer, digital, or experiential/event marketing experience or equivalent.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Liberal Arts, Performing Arts, or related field.
• 12+ years enterprise technology, digital, or experiential/event marketing experience in the technology industry or equivalent.
• 10+ years marketing experience in a large multinational organization or creative/media agency.
• Experience owning budget planning, forecasting, and cost optimization for a large portfolio.
• Experience leading supplier, agency, and venue sourcing, including multi‑year agreements, negotiation, and procurement processes.
• Experience across program design, content, customer experience, and operations.
• Experience managing budgets, vendors, and complex delivery ecosystems.
• Experience converting insights into action.
• AI experience.

Pay

The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $130,900 – $251,900 per year. For specific work locations in the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range is USD $165,600 – $272,300 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for additional benefits and compensation.