Microsoft

Director of Launch Operations

Microsoft • $130K — $251K *
Chicago, IL 60629In-Person
Enterprise Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, Engineering, or related field AND 7+ years experience in a relevant area OR equivalent experience.
  • 5+ years experience using data to drive business outcomes or inform business decisions.
  • 5+ years experience managing relationships with stakeholders, clients, and/or customers.
  • Strong analytical and communication skills for data storytelling and influencing decisions.
  • Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous environments, driving execution across boundaries.

Responsibilities

  • Lead global end-to-end Go-To-Market Launch process governance models for execution.
  • Clarify ownership boundaries across multiple teams for individual launch responsibilities.
  • Ensure launches operate within a consistent governance framework regardless of size or complexity.
  • Drive accountability for launch execution health and stakeholder acceptance.
  • Orchestrate cross-functional partners to ensure effective product readiness for sellers.
  • Communicate effectively with senior leadership and craft compelling narratives connecting strategy to customer value.
  • Lead large-scale cross-functional programs with clear documentation and metrics.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
  • Retirement savings plan with company match and financial wellness resources.
  • Generous paid time off and parental leave policies.
  • Access to continuous learning and professional development opportunities.
  • Wellness programs to support physical and mental health.
Full Job Description
Who We're Looking For

Microsoft Advertising is seeking a Director of Launch Operations to join the Global Sales Strategy and Enablement organization. Our team drives MSA's transformation by combining strategy, enablement, and execution to drive performance today and build for tomorrow. We help unlock growth through future ready investments, operating models, next generation sales motions, seller readiness, insight driven enablement-ensuring MSA can operate with agility, scale change, and deliver sustained business results. We make strategy real by equipping sellers to sell.

The Director of Launch Operations is a senior people manager responsible for driving enabling the business of today and the future through product and process Go to Market (GTM) governance. The Launch Operations team drives end-to-end operational rigor and change management across product, platform, billing, and regulatory releases, ensuring seamless execution from ideation through adoption across all Microsoft Advertising solutions.

In partnership with Engineering, Product, Sales, and key cross-Microsoft stakeholders (including CELA, Corporate Accounting, Finance Operations, SANOps, Treasury, Tax, Privacy and others), Launch Operations operationalizes go-to-market strategy through compliant, scalable processes that ensure accuracy across order-to-cash workflows, revenue recognition, and regulatory requirements. Acting as the connective tissue across a complex partner ecosystem, the team drives alignment, mitigates risk, and ensures accountability; ultimately delivering launches that are operationally sound, financially compliant, and ready for scale.

Responsibilities
  • Launch Operations Process Governance & Partner Education
    • Lead global end-to-end Go-To-Market Launch process governance models, owning the MSA operating model for launch execution (scope, tiers, standards, exit criteria).
    • Clarify ownership boundaries across Product, Product Marketing, Marketing, Engineering, Sales, Global Commercia & Strategy Operations, and corporate Microsoft partners for individual launch responsibilities.
    • Ensure all launches operate within a consistent governance framework, regardless of size or complexity; scaling Launch models and IC coverage to support a high volume of launches.
  • Drive Cross-Functional Alignment & Accountability
    • Drive accountability for launch execution health, adherence to launch exit criteria - inclusive of stakeholder acceptance of launch requirements.
    • Ensure all Sales and Customer impacting launches are flowing through the Launch Operations pipes, with a goal of zero launches released without Launch Operations.
    • Influence senior stakeholders across Product and Engineering, Finance and Compliance partners, Sales Strategy, Sales Compensation and Sales Leadership, to resolve systematic friction points and eliminate execution bottlenecks.
  • Orchestrate Product / Seller Readiness
    • Orchestrate / involve cross-functional partners (Product Marketing, Marketing, Sales Readiness, Learning and Development) to ensure products land in a way that that helps sellers execute with confidence at scale.
    • Elevate cross-functional gaps, for awareness, using every launch as an opportunity to listen, learn - adjusting governance documentation to help solve for systematic gaps where possible.
  • Strategic Communication & Influence
    • Reinforce the team's identity as trusted advisors to sales and go-to-market leaders.
    • Communicate effectively with senior leadership, technical teams, and field audiences, both verbally and in writing.
    • Craft compelling context that connects strategic priorities and product capabilities to customer value and business outcomes.
  • Program & Cross-Functional Leadership
    • Lead large-scale, cross-functional programs with end-to-end ownership, from problem definition through execution and measurement.
    • Establish clear documentation, operating rhythms, and success measures to manage complex program portfolios.
    • Proactively manage stakeholder expectations, dependencies, and risks while maintaining momentum and trust.
  • People Management & Leadership
    • Foster an environment of accountability, results, and psychological safety, enabling teams to do their best work.
    • Model Microsoft culture and leadership principles by living the values and setting the standard for impact and integrity.
    • Coach by setting clear objectives, enabling success across boundaries, and helping individuals and teams adapt and learn.
    • Care by attracting, retaining, and developing top talent-understanding individual strengths and aspirations and investing in long-term growth.


Qualifications

Required/minimum qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, Engineering, or related field AND 7+ years experience in sales, sales operations/management, program management, business development, marketing, consulting, or a related field OR equivalent experience.
  • 5+ years experience using data to drive business outcomes or inform business decisions.
  • 5+ years experience managing relationships with stakeholders, clients, and/or customers.


Additional or preferred qualifications
  • Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, Engineering, or related field AND 12+ years experience in sales, sales operations/management, program management, business development, marketing, consulting, or a related field OR equivalent experience.
  • 5+ years managing projects, including planning, managing timelines, and tracking progress, and/or change management experience.
  • 3+ years people management and/or informal/indirect team leadership experience.
  • Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional programs that span multiple teams, stakeholders, or feature areas, with demonstrated ability to define strategy, evaluate customer and market signals, and prioritize initiatives across a portfolio of work.
  • Demonstrated ability to identify unmet or emerging customer needs through both quantitative (e.g., usage data, telemetry, operational metrics) and qualitative (e.g., customer interviews, listening systems, market trends) insights and translate those needs into scalable solutions or program improvements.
  • Ability to operate effectively in highly ambiguous environments, independently scoping problems, defining success criteria, and driving execution across organizational boundaries.
  • Solid analytical and communication skills, with the ability to use data to tell compelling stories and influence decision-making at multiple levels of the organization.
  • Proven track record of exceptional performance, high productivity and meeting deadlines in a leadership role; high personal accountability for self and others.
  • Experience in digital advertising, understanding the way customers buy, sellers sell, and what's required to enable that output
  • Experience in Sales Operations, GTM strategy, Sales Enablement or similiar.


#MicrosoftAI #MicrosoftAdvertising

Sales Excellence M5 - 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:
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.

About Microsoft

Microsoft is an American multinational corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells a range of software products and services. Microsoft’s devices and consumer (D&C) licensing segment licenses the Windows operating system and related software, Microsoft Office for consumers, and the Windows Phone operating system. The company’s computing and gaming hardware segment provides Xbox gaming and entertainment consoles and accessories, second-party and third-party video games, and Xbox Live subscriptions; surface devices and accessories; and Microsoft PC accessories. Its phone hardware segment offers Lumia smartphones and other non-Lumia phones. Its D&C segment provides Windows Store, Xbox Live transactions, and Windows phone store; search advertising; display advertising; Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal; first-party video games; and other consumer products and services as well as operating retail stores. Microsoft’s commercial licensing segments license server products, including Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, System Center, and related Client Access Licenses (CALs); Windows Embedded; Windows operating system; Microsoft Office for business, including Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Lync, and related CALs; Microsoft Dynamics business solutions; and Skype. Its commercial segment offers enterprise services, including premier support services and Microsoft consulting services; commercial cloud comprising Office 365 Commercial, other Microsoft Office online offerings, Dynamics CRM Online, and Microsoft Azure; and other commercial products and online services. The company markets and distributes its products through original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and resellers, as well as online.

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Learn more about Microsoft
Size
181,000 employees
Market Cap
$1,762.4 billion
Industry
Enterprise Technology
Net Income
$51.3 billion
Founded
1975
5 Year Trend
+15.5%
Revenue
$153.2 billion
NASDAQ
MSFT
* Ladders Estimates

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