Microsoft

Senior Category Manager

Microsoft • $106K — $203K *
Redmond, WA 98052In-Person
Consumer Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Today
Be an Early Applicant
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Economics, or related field plus 4+ years of relevant experience or equivalent.
  • Master's Degree in Business Administration or related field plus 6+ years of relevant experience, or 8+ years with a Bachelor's Degree.
  • 4+ years experience in managing and expanding categories to meet sales and profitability targets in a complex organization.

Responsibilities

  • Own the end-to-end CPFR/ADP process for the Americas, including demand signal publishing.
  • Ensure Sell-In revenue and gross margin targets are met or exceeded on a monthly basis.
  • Conduct regular demand-plan reviews with market-maker accounts to align financial targets.
  • Reconcile Sell-In and channel inventory to meet Sell-Through/WOS targets effectively.
  • Lead the weekly operational rhythm to sync supply and demand through consistent updates and reviews.
  • Enhance forecasting accuracy for Sell-Through and monitor channel inventory efficiently.
  • Provide deep context and actionable insights behind the Sell-In outlook by account.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive healthcare coverage
  • Retirement savings plans
  • Generous paid time off
  • Career development opportunities
  • Employee discounts on products and services
Full Job Description
Overview

In Surface, our business goal is clear: Profitably Grow Surface Volume & Share. We accomplish this goal in two ways:
  • Selling TO our retail partners: Use consumer insights, market data, store level analysis, and device sales information to evaluate our business performance and develop seasonal, launch & sustain plans to improve our partners business, win share, sell units, and drive revenue/ GM.


  • Selling THRU our retail partners: Plan and execute thoughtful and impactful promotions and full-funnel-marketing plans, focused on driving purchase intent, conversion & post purchase advocacy & consumer lifetime value for Surface devices & accessories.


Responsibilities

Key areas of responsibility:

1. Sell-In & Demand Planning (CPFR/ADP)
  • Own the Americas CPFR/ADP process end to end - cadence, assumptions, consolidation, and publishing the demand signal.
  • Hold accountability that Sell-In revenue and gross margin (GM) are met or exceeded.
  • Run monthly demand-plan reviews with each market-maker account, holding the consolidated plan within tolerance of their financial targets.
  • Reconcile Sell-In and channel inventory to Sell-Through / WOS targets, ensuring aligned signals across Sales, Channel Ops, Category, and Supply Chain.
  • Own launch and EOL supply readiness, and build contingency / agility models that turn demand shifts into supply action.


2. Weekly Operating Rhythm (ROB)
  • Stand up and run the weekly cadence that keeps supply and demand synced early: Monday supply update; Tuesday account outlook (Sell-In and Sell-Through); Wednesday consolidated Americas Sell-In view vs. plan; Thursday readout to WW Category.
  • Continuously improve Sell-Through demand forecasting and channel-inventory monitoring.


3. Sell-In Outlook & Insight
  • Own the Sell-In outlook by account within the consolidated Americas plan (sell-thru and promo by account are set by the account and category owners).
  • Provide the context and insight behind the Sell-In plan - the assumptions, drivers, and risks that explain the numbers, not the numbers alone.


4. Cross-Team Orchestration (Partner & Direct)
  • Orchestrate across NA account, operations, finance, supply chain, and marketing teams to converge on one plan - leading through influence without authority across partner and direct.
  • Partner with the US and Distribution/Canada account leads (including D&H, Ingram, and Synnex) to align sell-in and inventory positions; the role owns the cross-account process and consolidation, while the account relationships remain with the account leads.
  • Optimize MSFT, distributor, and end-retailer inventory positions across the portfolio.


Qualifications
Required/minimum qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Economics, Public Relations, Engineering, or related field AND 4+ years category management, product management, marketing strategy, business planning, product planning, or related work experience
    • OR equivalent experience.


Additional or preferred qualifications

  • Master's Degree in Business Administration, Business, Marketing, Communications, Economics, Public Relations, or related field AND 6+ years category management, product management, marketing strategy, business planning, product planning, or related work experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Economics, Public Relations, Engineering, or related field AND 8+ years category management, product management, marketing strategy, business planning, product planning, or related work experience OR equivalent experience.
  • 4+ years experience managing and expanding a category and attaining sales and profitability targets within a complex (e.g., multinational or matrixed) organization OR equivalent experience.


Category Management IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $106,400 - $203,600 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 $137,600 - $222,600 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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Join Microsoft today and be part of a company that values innovation, leadership, and diversity in its workforce. As a global leader in technology and digital transformation, Microsoft offers unparalleled job opportunities that propel your career to new heights.

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Career growth at Microsoft is about more than climbing the corporate ladder; it's about continuous learning, expanding your skills, and improving your capabilities. With access to various leadership and training programs, you can evolve as a professional and make a significant impact within the company and on the global stage.

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Our hiring process is designed to identify true potential. Starting with a review of your resume, followed by interviews that assess your problem-solving abilities and cultural fit, we ensure that all candidates have a fair chance to demonstrate their strengths and potential to contribute to our team.

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If you're ready to take on exciting challenges and make a difference in the world of technology, explore the job opportunities at Microsoft. Search for open positions that match your skills and interests, and prepare to embark on a rewarding career path filled with innovation and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

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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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