Principal Program Manager - Front End Planning

Overview

Microsoft Cloud Operations and Innovation (CO&I) is the team behind the cloud. The MS portfolio consists of complex, multi-disciplinary, large scale, multi-year datacenter construction and lease projects. We are looking for a passionate, high-energy individual to help build the cloud datacenters that power the world's largest online services.

The Principal Program Manager - Front-End Planning will lead the overall front-end planning function for AMERS Lease delivery, establishing the operating model, governance framework, and cross-functional intake process required to position leased data center projects for successful execution. This role will provide broad program leadership across lease construction management, ITIM, scheduling, cost, and technical readiness work streams.

We are seeking a strategic, senior program leader to develop and lead a multidisciplinary Front-End Planning function that provides comprehensive lease intake analysis, delivery governance, execution prepositioning, and risk-based recommendations before lease projects transition into execution. This leader will build and coordinate a team of lease construction management, ITIM, schedule, and cost personnel to assess project readiness, validate assumptions, identify gaps, and ensure scope, budget, schedule, safety, and operational requirements are clearly understood before execution handoff.

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.

This role is located either in one or all hub locations - Atlanta, GA, Redmond, WA, San Antonio, TX or Phoenix, AZ. Relocation support will be provided, and successful candidates must relocate or reside within 50 miles of the hub office location. This role is eligible for hybrid or remote work, up to (40) %.

Responsibilities

The Principal Program Manager - Front-End Planning is a senior leader within Microsoft's Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) organization responsible for establishing and leading the front-end planning capability for leased data center delivery. This role provides program leadership across lease construction management, ITIM, schedule, cost, technical integration, and readiness planning to ensure proposed lease projects are fully assessed, governed, and positioned for execution.

The role owns the end-to-end front-end planning operating model, including intake standards, governance forums, decision support, readiness criteria, and execution turnover expectations. The Principal Program Manager will lead a multidisciplinary team and partner with internal stakeholders, lessors, and subject matter experts to convert early lease opportunities into actionable execution inputs with clear alignment on scope, budget, schedule, risks, assumptions, and delivery responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

* Lead the overall Front-End Planning function for AMERS Lease delivery, establishing the framework, governance, standards, and cadence for intake analysis and execution readiness.

* Develop and lead a multidisciplinary team of lease construction management, ITIM, schedule, and cost personnel to evaluate lease opportunities before execution handoff.

* Provide comprehensive lease intake analysis, including assessment of scope completeness, lessor obligations, Microsoft fit-out requirements, technical readiness, constructability, schedule feasibility, cost exposure, and execution risks.

* Translate business, operational, technical, and commercial requirements into actionable pre-lease planning inputs and decision-quality recommendations for leadership review.

* Establish governance mechanisms to track readiness, assumptions, gaps, risks, decisions, and owner accountability across lease intake and pre-execution milestones.

* Partner with lease delivery, ITIM, networking, security, telecom, cost management, scheduling, procurement, engineering, operations, safety, and lessor stakeholders to align execution requirements and handoff expectations.

* Validate integrated schedule logic, PO need-by dates, long-lead constraints, and Ready for Service assumptions against project scope, procurement strategy, and lessor delivery commitments.

* Drive early identification, escalation, and mitigation of scope, schedule, cost, safety, constructability, and integration risks before projects move into execution.

* Own development of execution turnover packages that provide the delivery team with clear lease requirements, technical assumptions, stakeholder commitments, risk registers, governance decisions, and open actions.

* Champion continuous improvement of front-end planning processes, tools, templates, and metrics to improve consistency, predictability, and execution outcomes across the lease…