About this role

Overview The Region Expansion team within Microsoft’s Cloud Operations + Innovation (CO+I) organization is responsible for enabling Azure’s long‑term global and regional infrastructure growth. The Senior Program Manager, Global Expansion role is a senior individual contributor position focused on leading end‑to‑end workstreams within the Global Prepositioning Program. This role is critical to shifting Microsoft's cloud expansion to a governed, ahead‑of‑demand operating model that prepares land, power, permitting, network, and schedule readiness in advance of demand.As a Senior Program Manager, you will own and drive one or more complex prepositioning workstreams, operating with significant autonomy while partnering closely with acquisition teams, engineering, finance, planning, and regional program leadership. You will translate long‑range global expansion strategies into executable plans, integrate prepositioning milestones into regional Plans of Record (PORs) and schedules, surface risks and tradeoffs, and ensure leadership has clear visibility and decision‑ready insights. This role requires comfort with ambiguity, strong systems thinking, and the ability to generate clarity across a highly matrixed, global environment. Responsibilities <h5>Strategic problem solving</h5><ul><li>Lead strategic initiatives that answer the question "What option or decision should we take?" Take each one from problem framing through analysis, recommendation, leadership decision and regional implementation.</li><li>Develop and run decision frameworks that help Microsoft make faster, consistent portfolio choices. For example, assessing land and expansion options with clear Yes / No / Conditional Yes recommendations.</li><li>Build business cases and position papers on expansion trade-offs, such as when to invest ahead of demand, how to maintain long-range options, and how to balance schedule risk against carrying cost.</li><li>Turn strategy changes into programs that reach across the portfolio. Coordinate Region Design, Networking and partner teams, and identify the highest-value expansion options each change opens up.</li></ul>Long-term expansion strategy<ul><li>Help set the standards and methods for geography and subregion expansion strategies, and the long-range plans of record that link Microsoft's expansion direction to near-term decisions.</li><li>Work with regional expansion leaders so strategies are consistent, comparable and feed into capacity planning.</li><li>Bring market, demand, supply and policy insight into new-region assessments and recommendations.</li></ul>Cross-functional leadership and influence<ul><li>Build alignment across real estate, region design, networking, engineering, finance, energy, legal and capacity planning partners. Do it through influence, not authority.</li><li>Present clear, data-backed recommendations to senior leaders and executive forums. Spell out the trade-offs, what must be true, and the concessions each option requires.</li><li>Bring problems to the surface early, especially where work is drifting from the strategy, and set out options before they become constraints.</li></ul>Data, tools and AI<ul><li>Work with partners to make expansion data authoritative, connected and ready for AI.</li><li>Use the team's planning systems as the record for your initiatives. Look for ways AI can speed up analysis and decisions.</li></ul> Qualifications Required Qualifications:<ul><li>Bachelor's degree AND 4+ years of experience in engineering, product or technical program management, data analysis, or product development,<ul><li>OR equivalent experience.</li></ul></li><li>2+ years of experience managing cross-functional and/or cross-team projects.</li></ul>Other 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: <ul><li>Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.</li></ul>Preferred Qualifications:<ul><li>Bachelor's Degree AND 8+ years experience engineering, product/technical program management, data analysis, or product development<ul><li>OR equivalent experience.</li></ul></li><li>6+ years of experience managing cross-functional and/or cross-team projects.</li><li>1+ year(s) of experience reading and/or writing code (e.g., sample documentation, product demos).</li><li>3+ years managing cross-functional or cross-team programs in data center, cloud infrastructure, real estate, energy, telecom or capital-intensive industries.</li><li>A track record of structuring ambiguous strategic problems and driving them to a decision with senior leaders.</li><li>Strong analytical and financial modeling skills, including scenario analysis, business case development and trade-off evaluation.</li><li>Experience with site selection, land and power acquisition, leasing strategy, network or latency design, or capacity planning.</li><li>Excellent written and verbal communication, including executive narratives and decision papers.</li><li>Comfort working across time zones with a globally distributed team and partners.</li></ul>#COICareers | #EPCCareers | #DCDCareers Technical Program Management IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 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 $160,200 - $261,000 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: <a href="https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay">https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay</a> This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. <hr> 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 <a href="https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/accessibility.html">requesting accommodations.</a>