Business Program Management

Overview

In the Microsoft Frontier Company Engineering team, you won’t just build software; you’ll deliver real outcomes for some of the world’s most complex organizations.

We are a global team of world-class engineers who have been working in a Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) model for more than a decade, embedding directly within customer teams to solve their toughest challenges, side-by-side, and shipping production-ready solutions in days, not months.

As a Business Program Manager, you will help transform how organizations use data, developing models, running experiments, and driving evidence-based decisions that have measurable business impact. You’ll work in small, multidisciplinary crews alongside engineers, product managers, and domain experts, owning the full lifecycle from data discovery through to deployed solutions.

Our work is powered by AI, applying the mindset and tooling across the entire development lifecycle to move from idea to production in days while maintaining the highest standards of security, quality, and trust.

Responsibilities

Business Program Planning and Design

Performs program landscape research and analysis (e.g., internal and/or external market, sales, delivery), forecasting, and examines business trends (e.g., customer feedback and expectations) to identify audience size and program scope, and stay current, agile, and competitive. Understands overall business goals, objectives, and strategies, as well as short- and long-term business priorities. Understands and identifies current program risks, impact, and mitigation plans.

Identifies and scopes opportunities to develop new programs and improve current ones. Identifies and provides solutions to root problems (e.g., root-cause analysis), defines the program strategy, gathers program requirements, identifies resource needs, creates the project plan and targets, and works across teams to align on the plan of record. Improves operations of existing programs by applying industry methodology, defining complex program issues, assessing various scenarios, and selecting the optimal scenario to resolve issues. Drives clarity in complex program issues and strives for simplification.

Works with cross-functional (e.g., organizational, product, business) stakeholders (e.g., Engineering) to design compliant, complex programs from initiation to delivery with minimal coaching. Produces collateral (e.g., proposals, strategy walking deck, internal and external pitch content) to incorporate stakeholder needs and ensure the business objectives are met.

Defines and tracks the success criteria and performance metrics (e.g., Objectives and Key Results [OKRs] and Key Performance Indicators [KPIs]), such as quality, adoption, usage, impact, effectiveness) for the program.

Business Program Excellence and Execution

Defines and executes on landing and communication plans, such as the target audience(s) and communication strategy. Leads the rhythm of business (ROB) during plan execution to ensure participants and stakeholders are communicating and responding according to the necessary cadence. Works across teams (e.g., Landing Design, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, Technical Program Management) to ensure all program requirements are understood and can be met.

Evangelizes complex programs to stakeholders, partners, and customers to gain buy in. Leverages data and performance metrics (e.g., Objectives and Key Results [OKRs] and Key Performance Indicators [KPIs]) to demonstrate the value of the program and show business impact. Adapts communication style and storytelling strategy according to audience and business needs.

Business Program Management

Contributes to or leads a portfolio of projects including the project plan, timelines, milestones, financial management, performance metrics, and/or resource needs for complex programs. Communicates the program status and risk to relevant stakeholders and holds them accountable for following the established schedule, risk mitigation plans, and processes.

Demonstrates an understanding of mapping or how systems work and impact one another. Works with and leverages other teams (e.g., Supply Chain, Engineering, Sales) to ensure program processes are rigorous and executed efficiently. Develops processes around scope and scheduled changes for programs and communicates them to stakeholders.

Business Program Evaluation and Improvement

Conducts cost-benefit analyses to examine performance to value drivers (e.g., profit and loss [P&L], return on investment [ROI]). Contributes to monthly business review (MBR) and runs rhythms regularly to identify what is working and what is not and makes improvements accordingly.

Collects and evaluates success criteria and performance metrics (e.g., Objectives and Key Results [OKRs] and Key Performance Indicators [KPIs]), such as acquisition, usage, impact, effectiveness, and customer feedback, and uses scorecards and dashboards to monitor complex programs and ensure all activities align with business and program objectives. Uses data analytics (e.g., scenario analyses) to derive insights and training that help identify current and future program risks and mitigation plans, as well as opportunities to streamline and optimize programs based on lessons learned.

Utilizes direction and strategy from leadership regarding business area of expertise in order to help create and execute plans that shift current priorities to new organizational initiatives and objectives, and influences others to change behavior accordingly. Defines vision and strategy for change, broad and specific impact, and the flow of communication to the organization. Ensures buy in and adoption of the new program or change by others in the organization. Develops the collateral required to enable key stakeholders and others to be on board. Contributes to the training, reskilling, and mapping of individuals in partnership with Human Resources (HR).

Other

Embody our culture and values

Required/Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in business, Operations, Finance or related field AND 4+ years' work experience in program management, process management, process improvement

OR equivalent experience.

Business Program Management IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $97,600 - $188,400 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 $125,000 - $206,400 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

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.

Insights from previous hires

Top skills: Budgeting, Business Management, Business Development, Management

Common previous titles: Senior Program Manager, Engagement Manager, Program Manager, Senior Financial Analyst, Senior Engagement Manager, Program Project Manager, Senior Project Manager, Senior Product Manager, Senior Specialist, Senior Partner Manager