Category Manager

Overview

Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions-Core (MCAPS) accelerates customer outcomes and business growth. By uniting product, engineering, marketing, sales, customer success, and partners around a common customer mission, we help customers realize value faster and turn innovation into measurable business impact. Through deep technical expertise and differentiated go-to-market execution, we win competitively, capture market share, and scale repeatable growth motions. We differentiate through value creation - delivering world-class, AI-powered customer experiences that accelerate adoption, strengthen loyalty, and create sustainable competitive advantage, driving growth that outpaces the market.

The Windows & Device Sales team transforms how the world interacts with AI through the Windows Platform, devices and Microsoft Cloud services. We lead Sales and Go-To-Market for the Windows devices business, delivering transformative AI-powered devices and cloud experiences with our partner ecosystem for customers around the world.

Drive Microsoft 365 consumer growth across Microsoft Direct, and Top Retailers by turning category strategy into actionable account plans and measurable business results. This role owns category performance and growth planning for these channels, with a focus on customer acquisition, attach, renewals, and long-term revenue. It also leads cross-functional initiatives such as Digital Attach and serves as the category lead for offer launches, pricing and promotional changes, and partner readiness. Success requires close partnership with Sales, Product, Marketing, and worldwide Category teams to identify opportunities, resolve execution barriers, and deliver a consistent customer and partner experience.

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

• Develop and execute go-to-market strategies, category plans, and channel programs in partnership with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and other stakeholders, using AI-enabled insights to improve execution and local market performance.
• Define and monitor KPIs and business performance, leveraging AI-enabled reporting, financial data, market signals, and customer insights to identify trends, recommend corrective actions, and optimize business outcomes.
• Serve as a key liaison between regional teams and global business/product groups, translating global priorities into regional execution, incorporating regional and partner feedback, and driving cross-functional alignment.
• Manage business and financial performance for the category, including P&L forecasting, budgets, investments, inventory, and compliance, while identifying risks, opportunities, and near-term growth strategies to maximize revenue.

Qualifications

Required/minimum qualifications

• Bachelors Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Economics, Public Relations, Engineering, or related field AND 4+ years category management, product management, marketing strategy, business planning, product planning, or related work experience
• OR equivalent experience.

Additional or preferred qualifications

• Masters Degree in Business Administration, Business, Marketing, Communications, Economics, Public Relations, or related field AND 6+ years category management, product management, marketing strategy, business planning, product planning, or related work experience

• OR Bachelors Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Economics, Public Relations, Engineering, or related field AND 8+ years category management, product management, marketing strategy, business planning, product planning, or related work experience

• OR equivalent experience.

• 4+ years experience managing and expanding a category and attaining sales and profitability targets within a complex (e.g., multinational or matrixed) organization OR equivalent experience.

Category Management IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $106,400 - $203,600 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $137,600 - $222,600 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:

https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

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.