Microsoft’s Cloud Operations and Innovation (CO+I) team builds and operates Microsoft datacenters, which in turn power Microsoft’s cloud business.  We anticipate and provide capacity for continuous scale, enabling ~30% of Microsoft revenue through Commercial Cloud ($38 billion in FY20 Q1).  The CO+I Engineering team (CO+IE) delivers services, applications, and automation supporting datacenter planning, construction, and operation.  We own a large portfolio of services, including workflows that enable predicable, lowest cost datacenter construction, telemetry systems that drive high availability and optimized energy usage, and task and performance management applications that help our operation run as efficiently as possible.  CO+I Engineering is a competitive advantage for Microsoft, and an important pillar in its cloud success.

Responsibilities

• Partner with business stakeholders in CO+I understand and capture requirements for new solutions.
• Lead buy versus build evaluations with Engineering teams and suppliers to explore potential solutions that meet the needs of the business.
• Based on requirements establish non-functional requirements, document solutions explored, and make solution recommendations based on a standard evaluation framework.
• Present solution recommendations to leadership, including rationale for choosing a path over other alternatives.
• Document the design of 3^rd party systems, and partner with TPMs and Solutions Engineers to implement solutions.
• Understand long term vision for technologies and tactical approach to achieving outcomes.
• Provide oversight for the buildout and implementation of solutions to ensure that end deliverables align with design and meet the needs of the business.
• Maintain evaluation framework used to make buy versus build decisions.
• Partner with suppliers to gain a deep understanding of vendor plans for solutions, and influence product outcomes to the benefit of Microsoft.
• Support operational teams as an escalation point for incidents, and help drive engagements with 3^rd party suppliers to resolve incidents

Qualifications

• BS or BA in business, computer, security, or related discipline
• 3+ years of experience as a solutions architect
• 2+ years of experience as a solutions engineer
• Excellent oral and written communication skills required for preparing clear, concise and grammatically correct materials and communicating information effectively to others. 
• Ability to use standard SDLC and Agile methodology 
• Solid customer focused, relationship focused pattern of work 
• Excellent organizational skills including calendar, email, and time management 
• Ability to create structure from abstract ideas, take initial concepts to full maturity 
• Technically savvy with the ability to solve both technical and non-technical problems 
• Delivery focused with the ability to recommend technology solutions. 

Preferred, not required:

• 2+ years of experience in an IT function
• Program Management experience managing teams, budgets, and schedules
• MBA or Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS)

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.

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.

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