Director, Sales Operations - MSA

Overview

Microsoft Advertising (MSA) empowers the largest advertisers around the world to reach their maximum potential through our omni-channel, multi-format, global platforms. In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

As Director of Sales Operations for MSA, you will lead the Sales Compensation Solutions (SCS) team. This team sits within the Global Sales Enablement organization and fuels MSA's sales engine. You will hold end-to-end accountability for Compensation Plan Design, Segmentation Strategy, the Sales Planning Operating Model, and Role Excellence, translating business priorities into seller experiences that are clear, motivating, and fair.

Partnering across functions, you will shape seller incentives, planning frameworks, and governance models that drive seller behavior and business outcomes, while leveraging data-driven insights to refine strategy and guide executive decision-making. You will develop a high-performing team and serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on compensation philosophy, investment trade-offs, and field readiness.

This role sits at the intersection of sales strategy, finance, and operations, offering the opportunity to influence executive decision-making and shape MSA's evolving go-to-market approach. You will shape a high-visibility program that enables billions in revenue, influences seller productivity and performance, and leads the next-generation transformation of Sales Planning through AI-first operations.

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.

Microsoft AI (MAI) employees who live within a 50- mile commute of a designated Microsoft office in the U.S. or 25-mile commute of a non-U.S., country-specific location are expected to work from the office at least four days per week. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction.

Responsibilities

* Build a high-performing organization that attracts exceptional talent, develops future leaders, and creates the accountability, clarity, and operating rhythm needed to deliver consistently at scale.

* Translate business priorities into seller action by shaping incentive programs, segmentation strategies, and planning frameworks that guide how the field focuses, performs, and grows, while evaluating outcomes and evolving those strategies based on data-driven insights.

* Advise senior leaders on the decisions that matter most-from compensation strategy and sales investments to coverage, planning, and field readiness-bringing the data, judgment, and perspective needed to move the business forward.

* Turn strategy into execution by delivering MSA's Sales Planning cycle and ensuring seller assignments, quotas, incentive plans, and payouts land successfully across the organization.

* Protect the integrity of the system by establishing governance that keeps plans fair, scalable, and trusted while enabling the business to move quickly when conditions change.

* Bring diverse teams together around shared outcomes, aligning Sales, Finance, HR, Product, Engineering, and Strategy partners to deliver transformations no single team could achieve alone.

* Shape the future of Sales Planning through AI-enabled operations, automation, and simplification, building the capabilities needed for Microsoft's next generation of sales motions.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

* Master's Degree in Business Administration, Organizational Design, Finance or related field AND 10+ years experience in or leading sales operations, project management, analytics, compensation, sales performance analytics, finance/business analyst, process improvement, business development, consulting, finance, marketing, or a related field

* OR Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Finance, Sales, Accounting, Information Systems, Social Sciences AND 10+ years experience in or leading sales operations, project management, analytics, compensation, sales performance analytics, finance/business analyst, process improvement, business development, consulting, finance, marketing, or a related field

* OR equivalent experience.

* 3+ years people management experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

* Master's Degree in Business Administration, Organizational Design, Finance, Information Systems or related field AND 10+ years experience in or leading sales operations, project management, analytics, compensation, sales performance analytics, finance/business analyst, process improvement, business development, consulting, finance, marketing, or a related field.

* Demonstrated success translating business strategy…