Director, Events Strategy

Overview

The Microsoft Event Strategy & Planning Team is responsible for designing and evolving Microsoft's most important commercial events as strategic growth levers for the business. The team works across marketing, field, content, production, and activation partners to define event purpose, audience focus, experience design, and success measures; ensuring events are intentional, scalable, and aligned to business priorities. Within this team, Microsoft Build plays a critical role in engaging the developer community and bringing Microsoft's platform, AI, and product innovation to life.

The Director, Events Strategy is responsible for shaping how the developer conference works as a strategic experience, creating clarity on why the event exists, who it is for, what experience we deliver, and how success is measured, while enabling consistent execution across teams. The Event Strategy & Planning Team is a collaborative, thoughtful, and impact-driven group committed to building inclusive, customer-first event experiences. We value curiosity, clarity, partnership, and continuous learning, and we are deeply committed to fostering a culture where diverse perspectives are welcomed and valued.

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.

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.

Responsibilities

Strategic Framework Ownership

• Own and evolve a comprehensive Microsoft Build event strategy framework that aligns to Microsoft's commercial, product, and developer priorities and clearly defines the purpose, role, and success of the conference.

Goal & Audience Alignment

• Translate business objectives into clear event goals and experiences, ensuring alignment with developer audiences, customer journey stages, product storytelling, and integrated marketing and field plans.

Measurement & Learning

• Define success metrics, timelines, and evaluation frameworks across reach, engagement, developer satisfaction, product interest, and business outcomes.
• Deliver insights and learnings from Build to drive continuous improvement of the conference experience.

Stakeholder Engagement & Governance

• Lead collaboration and alignment across working teams, product groups, developer marketing, field partners, content, production, and extended internal teams.
• Establish clear communication, governance, and decision paths across the Build planning process.

Portfolio Integration

• Ensure Build is thoughtfully integrated into Microsoft's broader commercial and developer event portfolio.
• Architect event designs that connect key moments across in-person, digital, community, and targeted experiences while complementing other flagship and local programs.

Operational Partnership

• Partner with internal teams to ensure clarity, alignment, and scalability, enabling execution and continuous improvement across the Build experience without owning day-to-day delivery.

Other

• Embody our Culture and Values

Qualifications

Required/minimum qualifications

• 5+ years experience in event strategy, integrated marketing, developer marketing, or experience design within a global enterprise or technology environment
• OR equivalent experience.

Additional or preferred qualifications

• Bachelors Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Liberal Arts, Performing Arts, or related field AND 10+ years experience in event strategy, integrated marketing, developer marketing, or experience design within a global enterprise or technology environment
• OR equivalent experience.
• 8+ years marketing experience in a large multinational organization or creative/media agency.
• 5+ years of experience designing large-scale flagship, developer, or technology event programs and driving measurable business outcomes
• 5+ years of experience with audience strategy, measurement frameworks, developer engagement, and event return on investment (ROI)
• Experience working cross functionally

Events IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $130,900 - $251,900 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 $165,600 - $272,300 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.