Sr Director-Applied Sciences

Overview

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.

Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) team is the engine that powers our cloud services. CO+I delivers and operates the safest, most available and secure cloud in the industry. CO+I Engineering (CO+IE) is the software team that delivers tools, automation, and AI to enable fast, predictable delivery of datacenter capacity, and safe, reliable, and efficient execution of the processes associated with the full life cycle of datacenter management and operations.

We are looking for a Senior Director of Science and Data to drive data standards across the organization, and leverage that data for AI and other scientific methods to reinforce and optimize our processes. This role is a leadership lynchpin in the delivery of business value across CO+I, as well as upstream and downstream partner organizations. Working closely with business leaders, the role owns the technical strategy, definition, and delivery of our data ecosystem, coupled with algorithmic and AI support for various production processes. In the coming agentic environment, this role can create the future, applying emerging ideas and technologies toward efficiency, availability, and scale.

This leader will have the ability to create and maintain a high-performance culture, build and own a highly complex set of systems and processes, and partner with multiple cross-functional leaders to deliver value for the company. The surface area is large, enabling the optimization of capacity plans that drive billions of dollars of spend and that serve as a key leverage for overall company growth. This leader will have to drive the right outcomes through ambiguity and massive change, and should have experience leading global, business critical organizations through significant change.

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. As a group, CO+I is focused on personal and professional development for all employees and offers training and growth opportunities including Diversity & Inclusion trainings and events, and professional certifications.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities:

• Formulate a vision and execute a strategy to develop, support, and continuously improve scientific models and data platforms that enable datacenter capacity delivery and operation.
• Define near and long-term strategies for ingesting and integrating data across bespoke, 1P, and 3P software systems, ensuring decisions align with customer needs and broader Microsoft business priorities.
• Embrace AI to create operational efficiencies. Work closely with process experts and customers to refine existing processes, applying science and AI toward maximum efficiency.
• Collaborate with CO+I leaders and teams to identify the highest value application of data and AI engineering resources, working with communities and key stakeholders to ensure alignment.
• Lead the team with customer-first operational excellence, ownership, and continuous improvement that meet the scaling and other challenges of cloud delivery and operations. Set a great example as an inclusive leader while creating engagement, impact, and success across teams and individuals.
• Define budget and forecast for engineering platforms and operations and demonstrate clear ability to represent and advocate for continued high quality investments to further Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure delivery and operation.
  
  

Qualifications

Qualifications:

• Masters Degree AND 10+ years experience in data engineering, applied science, data science, engineering, OR equivalent experience.
• 6+ years people management experience.
• 9+ years of experience managing cross-functional and/or cross-team projects.
  
  

While not required, we also look for the following Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters Degree AND 14+ years experience in engineering, OR equivalent experience.
• 8+ years people management experience.
• 12+ years of experience managing cross-functional and/or cross-team projects.
  
  

Background Check 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.
  
  

#COICareers

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

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

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