Overview

Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) is the engine that powers our cloud services. As a CO+I Critical Environment Program Manager, you will perform a key role in delivering the core infrastructure and foundational technologies for Microsoft's online services including Bing, Office 365, Xbox, OneDrive, and the Microsoft Azure platform. As a group, CO+I is focused on the personal and professional development of all employees and offers trainings and opportunities including Career Rotation Programs, Diversity & Inclusion trainings and events, and professional certifications.

Our infrastructure is comprised of a large global portfolio of more than 200 datacenters in 32 countries and millions of servers. Our foundation is built upon and managed by a team of subject matter experts working to support services for more than 1 billion customers and 20 million businesses in over 90 countries worldwide.

With environmental sustainability and optimization at the forefront of our datacenter design and operations, we continue to grow and evolve as we meet the ever-changing business demands that hold Microsoft as a world-class cloud provider.

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

Program and Project Management:

Establish and lead programs to:

Ensure compliance with infrastructure standards

Drive cost and energy efficiency across critical systems

Oversee and coordinate Critical Environment (CE) audits and compliance verifications

Deliver a robust KPI reporting framework

Manage and maintain a comprehensive project portfolio

Implement and maintain a risk management framework

Serve as the subject matter expert on internal Microsoft CO+I standards related to uptime (availability), safety, and compliance.

Manage projects of varying scale, including CAPEX investments, cost-of-goods (COGs) initiatives, and end-of-life (EoL) asset transitions.

Communicate project and program status updates to stakeholders and escalate issues when necessary.

Coordinate third-party vendor activities, ensuring adherence to safety protocols and operational standards.

Build and maintain strong working relationships with internal teams and external stakeholders (e.g., engineering and technician teams, regional and global teams, vendors). Promote a culture of safety, security, and compliance across all aspects of datacentre data center activities.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s (or HBO equivalent) degree with 4+ years of relevant industry experience.

OR Master’s degree with 2+ years of relevant industry experience.

Experience in operations-heavy and mission-critical environments, such as data centers, manufacturing, oil & gas, semiconductors, or power & energy sectors.

Background Check 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.

While not required, we also look for the following Preferred Qualifications:

Familiarity with cooling and power related Critical Environment (CE) infrastructure (e.g., UPS, generators, AHUs, EPMS, BAS) or physical IT infrastructure (e.g., servers, SANs, networking, structured cabling, data center enclosures).

2+ years of experience in project management, or relevant certification/training (e.g., PMP).

Technical degree in Process Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
Relevant certifications such as PMP, ASICS/Inventory Control, Network Certifications, ITIL, or CDCP.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

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.