Overview

The Growth & Competitive Strategy Director owns Windows Consumer long-term growth, channel, and competitive strategy worldwide. The role translates market, consumer, and competitor signals into clear, fact-based sales priorities and investment choices — defining where Windows wins next across Retail, OEM (original equipment manufacturer), and online, and leading the trade-off decisions on portfolio focus and competitive positioning that the ecosystem will execute against.

As a strategic individual contributor on the Planning Team (18–6 month window), this role owns and orchestrates the annual growth strategy plan across Sales, Marketing, Business Planning, and Finance — converting share and volume models, moves from competitors, and emerging platforms, and partner signals into committed plans, investment frameworks, and partner-facing narratives that defend and grow share.

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

Annual Growth Strategy Plan Ownership

• Own and orchestrate the Windows Consumer annual growth strategy plan end-to-end, aligning Sales, Marketing, Business Planning, and Finance behind a single integrated agenda. Run the planning rhythm that converts Finance models, BG (Business Group) product strategy, and field signals into prioritized growth bets, investment guidance, and committed targets. Land the plan through the Consumer Memo, Growth Plan, Planning Forum, and Fall Tour — ensuring every partner and stakeholder sees one consistent view of where growth comes from and what each function commits to deliver.

Long-Term Growth, Channel & Portfolio Strategy

• Define the Windows Consumer growth and channel strategy across Retail, OEM, and online — sizing opportunities by price band, audience, and Collection, and shaping the assortment and channel mix that wins share. Lead portfolio focus and trade-off decisions in partnership with Portfolio Planning, Pricing/Deals & Investments, and Device Technical Sales — concentrating investment behind the bets most likely to drive conversion and share growth, and explicitly retiring the work that doesn't earn its place.

Competitive Strategy & Market Intelligence

• Own the Windows Consumer competitive strategy. Synthesize industry research, third-party trackers, partner signals, and internal performance data into a clear, fact-based point of view on where to play and how to win. Translate intelligence into actionable GTM execution direction — pricing placemats, hero device guidance, retail playbooks, and partner pitches — and maintain a fast-cycle compete signal loop with Performance & Market Insights, Channel Marketing, and Field leadership.

Opportunity Modeling & Investment Framing

• Partner with Finance to translate share, volume, and revenue models into prioritized growth opportunities and TAM (Total Addressable Market) gap analyses. Define the strategic interventions — portfolio, pricing, investment, marketing — that close the gap between current trajectory and growth ambition. Build the investment frameworks adopted by Pricing, Deals & Investments for partner programs, and maintain an evergreen view of where investment must shift to maximize conversion and share.

Regional Strategy & Market Segmentation

• Adapt the global growth and compete agenda for regional realities, partnering with MNA (Multi-National Account(s)) and regional category leads to size opportunities by geography. Build clear developed-market and emerging-market segmentation strategies tuned to local share dynamics, channel mix, silicon mix, and partner readiness. Identify geo-specific opportunities for local impact (refresh waves, retailer concentration, government/education adjacencies) and land the strategy with the field through Planning Forum, Fall Tour, and retailer key beats.

Qualifications

Required/minimum qualifications

• 6+ years strategy, category management, consumer technology, or related field within a global consumer technology environment, or related work experience AND Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Economics, Public Relations, Engineering, or related field
  • OR equivalent experience.

Additional or preferred qualifications

• Technology or management consulting background is a plus — structured thinking, fact-based prioritization, executive-level clarity, and highly articulated written and verbal communication.
• Proven ability to translate financial share and volume models into prioritized growth plans, TAM gap analyses, and committed sales priorities.
• Competitive intelligence skills — ability to synthesize moves from Apple, Google, and adjacent platforms into a clear, actionable point of view.
• Track record orchestrating annual planning across Sales, Marketing, Business Planning, and Finance — influencing executives and large cross-functional organizations without direct authority.
• Fluency with developed and emerging market dynamics, channel structures (Retail, OEM, online), and partner ecosystems (OEM, silicon, retail).
• Comfort operating in a high-stakes competitive consumer PC market with clear share defense and growth targets.

Category Management 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.

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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.