Senior Business Manager

Job description

Overview The Data Platform + Growth (DPG) organization is hiring a Business Manager to join its Executive Office. DPG spans multiple engineering and growth teams across the US, Ireland, and India, and this role is the operational engine behind how the organization allocates its people and its money. It manages the workforce plan and the headcount and backfill pipeline, executes org-design changes and cross-organization transfers, runs the relocation and flex-work exception process, and manages the OPEX, COGS, and discretionary budgets that fund the team. It partners daily with the Chief of Staff, DPG leadership, Finance, HR, Global Talent Acquisition, Procurement, Business Support, and Business Manager counterparts across CAP (DPG's parent organization). Two things make this role distinct. First, much of the work is genuinely global: DPG's geographic footprint is evolving, and decisions about where roles sit, how sites are supported, and how spend guidance applies across countries carry real equity and fairness implications. Second, the role is expected to change how the work itself gets done, by building centralized tooling and automation that removes manual effort across the organization. This suits someone who is rigorous with data and systems, comfortable holding a line on spend and policy, discreet with sensitive employee matters, and genuinely interested in redesigning a process rather than simply running it faster. Day to day, the role moves between workforce and budget analysis, system and data reconciliation, leadership reporting, partner problem-solving, reorganizations and site transitions, and improvement of the operating system itself. The consistent expectation is to turn complex and often incomplete information into clear choices, accountable actions, and sustained follow-through. If you've always wanted to sit at the intersection of business strategy and operations, this is the role for you. 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. Responsibilities Resource Allocation and Workforce Planning The role coordinates resource allocation and workforce planning for DPG and the aligned leadership teams. It is responsible for consolidating inputs, developing scenarios, maintaining source-of-truth data, and tracking decisions through implementation; it consults Finance, HR, and managers, and keeps leaders informed of risks and required decisions. The outcome is accurate workforce data, faster action, and resources aligned to approved priorities. People Budget, Headcount, and Backfill Management The role manages funded headcount and PCN reconciliation, hiring and backfill plans, transfers, and the execution of organization-design changes across DPG, CAP, and partner organizations. It is responsible for cost center, reports-to-manager, and system actions, and for keeping plans current as priorities shift; it consults Finance, HR, and Global Talent Acquisition to land changes cleanly. The outcome is headcount that reflects approved plans and transitions that complete on time. Non-People and Discretionary Budget Management The role manages OPEX, COGS, discretionary, T&E, and morale budgets, including targets, forecasts, controls, and regular reviews. It is responsible for tracking spend, identifying variance, developing options to create efficiencies, and supporting the development and rollout of cross-geo spend guidance; it consults Finance and Procurement and keeps leaders informed of risks and trade-offs. The outcome is disciplined spend, earlier course correction, and investment directed to the highest-value work. Employee Mobility and Workplace Exceptions The role manages relocation, remote-work, and flex-work exception processes end to end, including intake, review, system approvals, and escalation where required. It consults HR and Finance on relocation implications and keeps leaders and managers informed of status and precedent. The outcome is consistent, timely, and well-documented decisions that balance business needs and employee circumstances. Rhythm of Business, Reporting, and Decision Support The role facilitates the Finance and HR rhythm of business, including agendas, pre-reads, decision logs, action tracking, and follow-through. It is responsible for regular and ad hoc reporting on workforce, spend, and forecasts, and for translating trends, risks, and opportunities into decision-ready recommendations for the Chief of Staff and leadership team. The outcome is shared understanding, earlier action, and clear accountability for decisions. Organizational Health and Change The role supports the workforce-related dimensions of organizational health, including org hygiene + workforce and geographic mix. It coordinates workforce-change programs by preparing manager guidance and FAQs, running stakeholder reviews, building communications workbacks, and tracking implementation. The outcome is a healthy workforce plan, durable change, and continuity through transitions. Business Support, Site, and Community Programs The role supports Business Support transformation by analyzing coverage, support ratios, service models, and opportunities to centralize work, and supports global site, space, and geographic strategy through analysis, stakeholder coordination, and execution planning. It also coordinates worldwide Business Manager community programs that strengthen connection, consistency, and reuse across geographies. The outcome is a more fungible support model and stronger consistency across sites. AI-First Operating Practices The role helps transform the portfolio of recurring workforce and budget-management work using AI. It is responsible for identi