Principal Director, Creative Brand & Advertising

Job ID: 200043104Posted: 2026-10-12Location: United States, Washington, RedmondSalary: USD $165,600 - $296,400 per yearEmployment type: Full-TimeWork site: 3 days / week in-officeRole type: People ManagerTravel: Less than 25%Profession: Design & CreativeDiscipline: Product DesignCompany: MicrosoftOverviewMicrosoft’s Creative Brand & Advertising organization is building the future of in-house creative excellence. We’re looking for a visionary and operationally strong Principal Director to lead our newly established Global Creative team — a world-class in-house creative capability at the intersection of brand strategy, advertising, production, and global storytelling. This Principal Director will be a founding leader of something genuinely new: an in-house creative capability built from the ground up to produce breakthrough creative work at the scale and standards Microsoft’s businesses demand. Reporting to the VP, Creative Brand & Advertising, this leader will shape the creative vision, and talent strategy for the team — collaborating closely with partners across Microsoft to deliver integrated, on-brand work across every touchpoint. This is a rare opportunity to build inside one of the world’s most influential technology companies, to set the creative standard, and prove that in-house can be best-in-class.ResponsibilitiesCreative Leadership & Creative Direction Define and champion the creative vision for the Global Creative team, setting standards for quality, craft, innovation, and cultural relevance across all output Build and scale the team from the ground up — establishing its operating model, team structure, culture, ways of working, and quality benchmarks Serve as the senior creative voice in brand and advertising decisions, ensuring all work reflects Microsoft’s brand ambition and drives measurable business impact Own end-to-end creative production across brand campaigns, advertising content, digital, social, video, and experiential touchpoints Talent & People LeadershipAttract, hire, develop, and retain world-class creative talent — including creative directors, art directors, and writers Build a team culture of creative excellence, psychological safety, inclusion, and continuous growth Invest in the long-term development of your team, creating clear career paths and coaching Stakeholder Management Manage relationships with agency partners and external creative vendors, defining the right blend of in-house and external resources Build accountability structures, creative KPIs, and processes that balance creative ambition with delivery efficiency Innovation & AI Champion the responsible integration of AI-powered tools and workflows into creative production — setting a standard for what AI-enabled creative looks like at Microsoft’s scaleStay ahead of emerging creative technologies, platforms, and cultural trends, ensuring the team is always operating at the frontier Executive Partnership Represent the team at the senior leadership level, communicating strategy, creative direction, and performance to executive stakeholders Partner with the VP, Brand & Global Advertising and peers to ensure creative coherence, resource alignment, and shared priorities across the Brand & Advertising organizationQualificationsRequired Qualifications: Master's Degree in design, marketing, advertising, communications, or related field AND 7+ years experience working in product or service design.OR Bachelor's Degree in design, marketing, advertising, communications, or related field AND 9+ years experience working in product or service design.OR equivalent experience.5+ years of people management experience.Additional Requirements:Application must include a portfolio demonstrating breakthrough creative work across brand advertising, content, and digital — with clear evidence of range, craft, and impact at scale Preferred Qualifications:12+ years of experience in creative leadership at an in-house creative organization, top-tier advertising agency, or comparable organization 6+ years of demonstrated experience building and leading high-performing creative campaigns Proven ability to build or significantly scale a creative organization, including operating model design, process development, and culture-building Executive communication and influencing skills, with experience partnering effectively with senior marketing, brand, and business leaders Deep understanding of the relationship between brand strategy and creative execution across integrated campaigns Demonstrated experience integrating AI tools into creative workflows in a meaningful and responsible wayBackground spanning both brand marketing and advertising creative disciplines Experience managing hybrid internal/external creative team models alongside agency partners Familiarity with large-scale global brand portfolios spanning consumer software, hardware, or cloud-connected products Product Design M6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $165,600 - $296,400 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 $220,800 - $331,200 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: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.