Director of Category Management

Job ID: 200042289Posted: 2026-07-09Location: United States, Washington, RedmondSalary: USD $130,900 - $251,900 per yearEmployment type: Full-TimeWork site: 3 days / week in-officeRole type: Individual ContributorTravel: Less than 25%Profession: MarketingDiscipline: Product MarketingCompany: MicrosoftOverviewThe Worldwide Sales & Solution (WSS) organization is responsible for accelerating 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. We work closely with a diverse ecosystem of partners and customers to ensure innovative solutions reach every market and segment.The vision of Microsoft 365 is to be the leader in AI-powered personal productivity, and the role of the global Microsoft 365 Consumer Category Management team is to accelerate Microsoft 365 consumer subscriber growth through Retail, OEM, and Microsoft-owned channels.We are seeking a Director of Category Management to drive growth and transformation of the Microsoft 365 Consumer business at Retail. This role is responsible for developing and executing go-to-market strategies that accelerate growth at retail globally.You will own end-to-end business performance, including full P&L accountability, and lead business operations for Microsoft 365. The role collaborates closely with sales and marketing teams to deliver scalable programs, optimize promotions, and strengthen partner negotiations to support business outcomes.Success in this role requires exceptional cross-functional leadership and the ability to lead through influence in a highly matrixed environment. You will build alignment across global teams, drive execution through stakeholders without direct authority, and effectively influence senior executives to secure sponsorship, accelerate decision-making, and remove barriers to growth. These capabilities are important to driving transformation at scale and ensuring execution across multiple organizations and geographies.In addition, you will identify and evaluate new product and growth opportunities, using data-driven insights to inform decision-making. You will define and track key performance indicators, monitor category performance, and surface actionable insights to drive continuous improvement.Additionally, this role requires the ability to translate customer insights, market trends, and business performance into clear recommendations that influence business transformation, product strategy, and roadmap prioritization. You will proactively anticipate market shifts, solve complex challenges, and drive strategic decisions that position the business for long-term growth.You will also leverage AI, including Copilot and agents, to operate with greater speed, insight, and scale, driving efficiency and amplifying business impact.ResponsibilitiesBusiness Planning and GovernanceOwn 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 InsightsEstablish clear success metrics and performance frameworks, enabling consistent tracking of 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 and guide prioritization.Identify risks and opportunities through data-driven analysis, proactively recommending actions to improve business performance.Execution Enablement and Continuous ImprovementPartner closely with regional teams to enable effective planning, execution, and performance tracking, ensuring strong field alignment.Enable closed-loop learning by integrating performance insights into future planning, programs, investment decisions, and Go-To-Market strategies.Continuously improve operational processes, tools, and ways of working to enhance efficiency, measurement accuracy, and overall execution rigor.Leverage AI, including Copilot and intelligent agents, to streamline execution, accelerate insights, and scale impact across markets.Serve as the decision owner for Managed Retail and channel business cases and decisions, and as a primary category interface with PMG and business group stakeholders.Channel Strategy and Go-To-Market ExecutionOwn 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, ensuring 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.QualificationsRequired/minimum qualificationsMaster's Degree in Marketing, Computer Science, Business or related field AND 4+ years experience in business OR Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Computer Science, Business or related field AND 6+ years experience in business OR equivalent experience.Additional or preferred qualificationsMaster's Degree in Marketing, Computer Science, Business or related field AND 8+ years marketing or sales experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Computer Science, Business or related field AND 12+ years 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 leverage the Challenger Sales Model to articulate business situations, opportunities, and strategies to address them.Identifies trends in data to provide business insights and solutions. Demonstrates understanding of key issues requiring resolution and takes a structured and systematic approach to investigating and solving problems.Sets clear and challenging goals for a portfolio of work and pursues them with accountability and focus. Forecasts resource needs and timing throughout a project and addresses obstacles.Works effectively across teams to achieve shared objectives and customer outcomes. Maintains a broad perspective and identifies opportunities to enhance business outcomes through cross-group collaboration. Incorporates diverse perspectives to address complex business challenges.Understands business objectives and plans accordingly. Reviews multiple plans and adjusts as needed. Proactively communicates and manages trade-offs. Coaches and mentors others in planning, organizing, and coordinating work.Understands key business processes and drives optimization efforts to improve efficiency and enable increased partner-facing engagement in support of short-term performance and long-term transformation initiatives.Demonstrates an entrepreneurial mindset and interest in building and growing businesses in a dynamic environment.Demonstrates behaviors aligned with Microsoft values, including integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-reflection, and mutual respect.Product Marketing IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $130,900 - $251,900 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 $165,600 - $272,300 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.