Overview

Microsoft's Corporate, External & Legal Affairs (CELA) organization supports one of the most complex commercial operations in the world. The Customer & Partner Solutions (CPS) group is where legal meets the commercial engine, supporting the Microsoft Commercial Business, Microsoft Elevate, the Deal Desk, and thousands of customer and partner interactions every year.

The Director, AI Operations sits at the center of that intersection. You will own the operational and technology strategy that enables CELA CPS to function as a modern, AI-powered legal organization, developing the platforms our teams depend on daily and driving AI adoption at scale. You will also lead the small technology team that delivers this work, and will lead the virtual teams that carry connected-service development across CPS.

This is not a policy role or a staff function. This is a delivery role in which you will be expected to move programs from concept to production, build trusted relationships across legal and engineering, and operate effectively across organizational layers.

Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, and we're dedicated to this mission across every aspect of our company. Our culture is centered on embracing a growth mindset and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. Join us and help shape the future of the world.

Responsibilities

Team Leadership

You are the manager of the CPS technology team and the owner of its operating model. That means setting the direction, holding the leadership team to a shared definition of success, and making sure the work is treated as a team sport rather than a set of individual projects.

• Set the vision, definition of success, metrics, and benchmarking for CPS technology work, and establish leadership team alignment behind that model.
• Manage, coach, and set priorities for the CPS Legal Engineer and the CPS Content Lead, including talent assessment and role remapping as the model matures.
• Lead the virtual teams that carry connected-service delivery, drawing resources from across CPS and the wider CELA organization.
• Own intake and tradeoff decisions across competing technology requests, including the weekly prioritization rhythm with the leadership team.

CPS Connected Systems

Own and drive the FY27+ platform strategy that expands upon our existing Microsoft Dynamics CRM and matter management platform. This includes partnering with engineering counterparts to translate legal-operations requirements into delivered product, and then rolling it out to hundreds of legal professionals worldwide.

CELA Frontline Operations

Oversee and expand the technology infrastructure that supports CELA's first-response legal support function serving over 100,000 Microsoft Commercial Business and Microsoft Elevate clients. This includes further innovating the platform and implementing process improvements based on data and user experience.

AI Adoption and Third-Party Solutions

Lead the rollout and ongoing expansion of existing first- and third-party AI tools and solutions across CPS. This includes working closely with internal engineering teams and vendors, our legal professionals and our internal clients to drive deep technical integration and cultural adoption of these key solutions.

Executive Engagement and Transparency

You will often function as the face of CPS technology work with internal and external executives. This includes leading regular internal business reviews, meeting with technology partners on build/buy assessments, and explaining our work with other legal technology teams worldwide.

Culture

• Embody our culture and values.
• Foster inclusive practices and ensure diverse perspectives are heard.
• Support colleagues and clients with empathy and respect.
• Embrace a global mindset, respecting similarities and differences in others.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in relevant field (e.g., Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Management, Computer Science) AND 8+ years experience in financial management, business planning, operations management, strategy, project management, human resources or business-related roles OR equivalent experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in relevant field (e.g., Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Management, Computer Science) AND 12+ years experience in financial management, business planning, operations management, strategy, project management, human resources, or business-related roles OR Bachelor's Degree in relevant field (e.g., Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Management, Computer Science) AND 15+ years experience in financial management, business planning, operations management, strategy, project management, human resources, or business-related roles OR equivalent experience.
• 5+ years people management experience.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in legal operations, legal technology, or a closely adjacent field, such as enterprise program delivery in a regulated industry.
• Demonstrated ability to own and ship technology programs end to end.
• Experience managing or leading a small team, including setting priorities, coaching, and assessing talent against a changing operating model.
• Experience operating in a large, matrixed global organization with multiple executive stakeholders.
• Ability to translate between legal, engineering, and commercial audiences without losing meaning in either direction.
• Comfort with ambiguity, as this role spans strategy and execution and you need to be effective at both.
• Familiarity with Microsoft's commercial and legal infrastructure (MCAPS, CPS, CELA).
• Hands-on experience with AI legal tools such as Harvey or Copilot, and a genuine interest in driving AI adoption at scale.
• Experience managing vendor partnerships, including SSPA and security compliance reviews and license governance.
• Fluency in legal operations concepts: matter management, outside-counsel governance, paralegal-support models, and client intake.
• Prior work in content governance, communications strategy, or knowledge management.

Business Management M6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $130,900 - $277,200 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 - $303,600 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.

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.