Microsoft

Principal Product Manager, Data Science & Market Research

Microsoft$142K — $274K *
Enterprise Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree with 8+ years in product/service management/software development or equivalent experience.
  • 8 years in product management, data science, market research, or strategic analytics, preferably in platform/developer organizations.
  • Strong quantitative skills to design research and analyze large datasets for actionable insights.
  • Ability to translate complex data into product strategies and executive recommendations.
  • Proficient communication skills for presenting complex analyses to various audiences.
  • Experience collaborating cross-functionally with engineering, product, and business teams.
  • Familiar with telemetry systems, experimentation frameworks, or analytics platforms (e.g., Power BI, Azure Data Explorer).

Responsibilities

  • Define and lead data science and market research strategy for the Windows Platform team.
  • Build analytical frameworks to monitor platform health and developer ecosystem growth.
  • Deliver market intelligence on developer trends and modernization patterns.
  • Partner with teams to define KPIs and develop dashboards for data-driven decisions.
  • Conduct primary and secondary research to identify opportunities and risks in the developer ecosystem.
  • Translate complex data into clear narratives for leadership to guide investment decisions.
  • Engage with various stakeholders to validate insights and hypotheses.

Benefits

  • Access to ongoing professional development opportunities.
  • Possibility of flexible working arrangements.
  • Participation in Microsoft’s employee stock purchase plan.
  • Application of state-of-the-art tools in a collaborative environment.
Full Job Description
Overview

We're building the data-driven intelligence layer for the Windows Platform & Developer team, and we're looking for a Product Manager to lead data science and market research efforts that inform platform strategy, developer ecosystem investments, and competitive positioning. This is a high-impact role at the intersection of quantitative analysis, market intelligence, and product strategy-shaping how we understand developers, track platform health, and make investment decisions for Windows.

This role is ideal for a PM who combines deep analytical rigor with strategic product instincts and wants to directly influence the direction of the world's most widely used desktop platform.

Responsibilities

  • Define and own the data science and market research strategy for the Windows Platform & Developer organization, aligning research priorities to business and product goals.
  • Build and maintain analytical frameworks that track platform health, developer adoption, ecosystem growth, and competitive positioning across Windows, macOS, Linux, and web/cross-platform alternatives.
  • Deliver actionable market intelligence on developer trends, framework adoption and enterprise modernization patterns.
  • Partner with engineering, product, and leadership teams to define KPIs, instrument telemetry, and build dashboards that drive data-informed decision-making.
  • Lead primary and secondary research-developer surveys, competitive analysis, win/loss studies, and ecosystem assessments-to surface opportunities and risks.
  • Translate complex data into clear, compelling narratives for senior leadership to support investment decisions, roadmap prioritization, and executive reviews.
  • Engage with developer communities, enterprise customers, ISV partners, and internal stakeholders to validate hypotheses and ground insights in real-world signals.


Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's Degree AND 8+ years experience in product/service/program management or software development OR equivalent experience..

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:
  • Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Preferred Qualification:
  • 8 years of experience in product management, data science, market research, or strategic analytics, preferably in a platform or developer-focused organization.
  • Solid quantitative skills with demonstrated ability to design research, analyze large datasets, and extract actionable insights.
  • Ability to translate data and research findings into product strategy and executive-ready recommendations.
  • Strong communication skills with the ability to present complex analysis clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Experience working cross-functionally with engineering, product, and business teams.
  • Experience with developer platforms, developer tools, or application frameworks.
  • Familiarity with telemetry systems, experimentation frameworks, or BI/analytics platforms (e.g., Power BI, Kusto, Azure Data Explorer).
  • Background in competitive intelligence, market sizing, or ecosystem analysis for technology platforms.
  • Understanding of the Windows developer ecosystem, including Win32, .NET, WinUI, and cross-platform frameworks.
  • Experience with data visualization and building executive dashboards that drive organizational alignment.

#W+DJOBS

Product Management IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 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 $188,000 - $304,200 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
Net Income
$51.3 billion
Founded
1975
5 Year Trend
+15.5%
Revenue
$153.2 billion
NASDAQ

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