Director of Category Management

About the role

The Worldwide Sales & Solution (WSS) organization accelerates revenue and share growth by empowering customers and partners to securely transform with Microsoft Cloud, AI, Windows devices, and experiences. Within WSS, the Windows & Devices Sales (WDS) team unites the creation and delivery of Windows and device solutions to drive customer satisfaction globally. The Microsoft 365 Consumer Category Management team aims to accelerate Microsoft 365 consumer subscriber growth through Retail, OEM, and Microsoft-owned channels.

As Director of Category Management, you will drive growth and transformation of the Microsoft 365 Consumer business at Retail. This role owns end-to-end business performance, including full P&L accountability, and leads business operations for Microsoft 365. You will develop and execute go-to-market strategies, collaborate with sales and marketing teams, and lead through influence in a highly matrixed environment. The role requires exceptional cross-functional leadership to build alignment, secure executive sponsorship, and remove barriers to growth across multiple organizations and geographies.

You will identify new product and growth opportunities using data-driven insights, define and track key performance indicators, and translate customer insights and market trends into strategic recommendations. Additionally, you will leverage AI tools like Copilot to enhance efficiency and scale business impact.

Responsibilities

• Business Planning and Governance
  • Own end-to-end retail planning across annual, quarterly, and in-year cycles, ensuring alignment to strategic priorities and financial targets.
  • Lead retail rhythm of business (ROB), driving clarity, consistency, and accountability across teams.
  • Drive retail investment strategy planning and governance, optimizing allocation to maximize return on investment.
• Performance and Insights
  • Establish clear success metrics and performance frameworks to track business outcomes across channels.
  • Drive performance management through regular reporting, forecasting, and KPI monitoring, translating insights into actionable recommendations.
  • Develop and scale executive-ready dashboards, scorecards, and insights to inform decision-making.
  • Identify risks and opportunities through data-driven analysis and recommend actions to improve business performance.
• Execution Enablement and Continuous Improvement
  • Partner with regional teams to enable effective planning, execution, and performance tracking, ensuring field alignment.
  • Enable closed-loop learning by integrating performance insights into future planning and Go-To-Market strategies.
  • Continuously improve operational processes, tools, and ways of working to enhance efficiency and execution rigor.
  • Leverage AI, including Copilot and intelligent agents, to streamline execution and scale impact across markets.
  • Serve as the decision owner for Managed Retail and channel business cases and as a primary category interface with PMG and business group stakeholders.
• Channel Strategy and Go-To-Market Execution
  • Own end-to-end Go-To-Market strategy across retail channels to deliver commitments and support business growth.
  • Define and execute channel-specific strategies aligned to global priorities and regional market needs.
  • Translate business objectives into clear Go-To-Market plans, aligning category, marketing, sales, and partner stakeholders.
  • Lead retail product readiness, ensuring pricing, offers, and launches are optimized for scalable execution.
  • Identify, incubate, and scale growth initiatives across key partners and priority markets.
  • Drive integrated execution across stakeholders to ensure consistent delivery of Go-To-Market plans and a seamless customer experience.
  • Continuously refine channel and program strategies based on performance data, market trends, and partner feedback.

Qualifications

• Required Qualifications
  • Master's Degree in Marketing, Computer Science, Business, or related field AND 4+ years of experience in business, OR
  • Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Computer Science, Business, or related field AND 6+ years of experience in business, OR equivalent experience.
• Preferred Qualifications
  • Master's Degree in Marketing, Computer Science, Business, or related field AND 8+ years of marketing or sales experience, OR
  • Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Computer Science, Business, or related field AND 12+ years of experience in business, OR equivalent experience.
  • Demonstrated ability to provide leadership by driving clarity, generating engagement, and delivering results through direct contributions and influence.
  • Ability to represent the business with partners and stakeholders at various levels, internally and externally.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate business situations, opportunities, and strategies using the Challenger Sales Model.
  • Identifies trends in data to provide business insights and solutions, demonstrating a structured approach to problem-solving.
  • Sets clear and challenging goals for a portfolio of work and pursues them with accountability and focus.
  • Forecasts resource needs and timing, addressing obstacles proactively.
  • Works effectively across teams to achieve shared objectives and customer outcomes, incorporating diverse perspectives.
  • Understands business objectives and plans accordingly, adjusting as needed and managing trade-offs.
  • Coaches and mentors others in planning, organizing, and coordinating work.
  • Drives optimization efforts to improve efficiency and support short-term performance and long-term transformation initiatives.
  • Demonstrates an entrepreneurial mindset and interest in building and growing businesses in a dynamic environment.
  • Aligns behaviors with Microsoft values, including integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, and mutual respect.

Pay

The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $130,900 - $251,900 per year. A different range applies to specific work locations, including the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, where the base pay range is USD $165,600 - $272,300 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Additional pay information can be found at Microsoft Careers Pay Information.