About the role
At Small, Medium Enterprises and Channel (SME&C), we are driving a step‑change in how marketing fuels growth—connecting strategy to execution, investments to impact, and global priorities to local outcomes across Sales Units and Operating Units (OUs). Marketing Excellence plays a critical role in ensuring clarity, alignment, execution rigor, and measurable ROI across our most important go‑to‑market (GTM) motions.
The SME&C Global Sales & Operations (GS&O) Marketing Excellence team serves as the connective tissue between strategy and field execution—partnering with regional CMOs, GTM Activation teams, Sales Units, and partners to land marketing priorities with discipline and scale.
We are seeking Cross–Solution Area Aligned Marketing Excellence OU Directors (AMS, EMEA, ASIA) to own field alignment, execution quality, and impact of Marketing Excellence investments across Operating Units. This role is a senior, field‑facing leadership position accountable for landing marketing strategy, overseeing investments and ROI, and driving strong collaboration across marketing, sales, and partner teams to accelerate business outcomes.
The Marketing Excellence OU Aligned Lead is responsible for aligning and landing GTM and marketing plans across assigned Operating Units, working in close partnership with local CMOs, GTM Activation teams, Sales Unit leadership, and partner teams.
This role ensures Marketing Excellence strategy translates into clear priorities, strong execution, measurable ROI, and consistent field communications—while serving as the primary feedback loop from the field back to the core Marketing Excellence team. The role also plays a central leadership role in OU‑level event strategy, including AI Tour execution, Co‑Sell Connections events, executive engagement models, and demand generation alignment.
Responsibilities
Marketing Excellence Leadership & OU Alignment
- Serve as the primary Marketing Excellence lead aligned to assigned OUs, partnering with OU leadership, local CMOs, and GTM Activation teams to land GTM and marketing plans.
- Drive alignment on marketing strategy, priorities, and investments, ensuring clarity on expectations, sequencing, and success measures.
- Act as the central point of coordination between core Marketing Excellence and the field—gathering input, surfacing gaps, and informing continuous improvement of tools, processes, and initiatives.
- Lead communications, landing, and enablement to Sales Unit leaders and OU sales teams, ensuring marketing investments are well understood and effectively activated.
Marketing Investment Oversight & ROI Accountability
- Oversee marketing investment governance at the OU level, including prioritization, execution tracking, and performance outcomes.
- Own visibility into ROI and results associated with Marketing Excellence‑led investments, working with partners across Marketing, GTM, and Sales to course‑correct and optimize impact.
- Synthesize performance insights, seller feedback, and field learnings to improve execution quality and outcomes over time.
Event Strategy, Execution & Demand Generation
- Own and support OU‑level event strategy and execution, ensuring strong alignment to GTM priorities and Sales Unit needs.
- Plan and support AI Tour ancillary events and localized demand generation, driving attendance quality, seller engagement, and pipeline impact.
- Partner with Sales Unit leads and partner teams to plan and execute Co‑Sell Connections events, ensuring rigor, consistency, and measurable outcomes.
- Lead alignment with Innovation Hubs and Experience Centers, ensuring effective use of immersive experiences to support customer and executive engagement.
- Support landing and awareness of the Executive Meeting Program, partnering with executive engagement models (including vendor‑supported 1:few programs).
Cross‑Functional Collaboration & Field Feedback Loop
- Partner closely with OU CMOs, GTM Activation, Partner Marketing, Sales leadership, and core Marketing Excellence to ensure integrated execution.
- Create a strong, trusted feedback loop from the field, bringing actionable insights on execution challenges, opportunities, and improvement areas back to the core team.
- Help scale best practices across regions and OUs by sharing learnings, successful execution models, and repeatable approaches.
Qualifications
Required / Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Strategy, Finance, or related field AND 6+ years of experience in marketing, GTM strategy, sales operations, business planning, consulting, or related fields
OR equivalent experience. - Demonstrated experience working in highly matrixed, global environments with senior stakeholders across marketing and sales.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience partnering with field sales leadership, regional CMOs, and GTM teams to land strategy and drive execution.
- Strong understanding of marketing investment management, ROI measurement, and performance tracking.
- Experience leading or supporting large‑scale events, executive engagement, and demand generation programs.
- Proven ability to influence without authority, drive alignment, and bring clarity in complex environments.
- Excellent communication skills with comfort presenting to senior leaders and enabling cross‑functional teams.
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.
Skills & Tags
Aplyr's read
Microsoft is a technology giant shaping global computing, attracting talent interested in innovation and impact across software, cloud, and AI sectors.
What's promising
- •Strong commitment to innovation in AI and cloud computing.
- •Diverse range of roles from technical to managerial, offering career growth.
- •Financially stable with a robust global presence and market influence.
What to watch
- •Complex organizational structure can slow decision-making processes.
- •High competition for roles may limit entry-level opportunities.
- •Potential for work-life balance challenges in high-demand positions.
Why Microsoft
- •Pioneer in personal and business computing with a legacy of innovation.
- •Extensive global reach with a diverse workforce and inclusive culture.
- •Leader in integrating AI into mainstream software and cloud services.
Aplyr’s read is generated by AI from public sources. Was it useful?
About Microsoft
Microsoft is a global technology company that develops, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products, services, and devices. Known for its Windows operating system and Office productivity suite, Microsoft has a significant impact on personal and business computing worldwide.
- Founded
- 1975
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