Director - AI Strategy
Company: Microsoft
Location: Redmond
Posted on: February 24, 2026
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Job Description:
Around 15 years ago, the Microsoft Strategy team made the case
for Microsoft’s cloud transformation ( Economics of the Cloud ).
This had a profound impact on how we completely rethought our
business. Our team engaged deeply in the subsequent years to
realize our cloud ambition across every layer of the stack. As part
of the Office of the CEO, we are now doing it again with AI, which
has emerged as the next big platform shift. In partnership with
Microsoft leadership, we are focused on Microsoft’s AI strategy
across the 3 key layers Infrastructure, Platform,
Applications/Agents. Broadly speaking, this work falls into three
categories: Thought leadership on the major shifts in the
technology industry Rethink the ‘Economics of AI’ across all layers
of AI Translating AI strategy into product reality across our
portfolio: Infrastructure, Platform, Applications, Copilots &
Agents. This includes both organic product strategy and targeted
M&A (the team wrote the business case for the GitHub and Nuance
acquisitions) This team has always valued questioning the status
quo and truth-seeking. We’re looking for a Director - AI Strategy
who shares that mindset, is passionate about technology, and brings
deep curiosity and high IQ horsepower. Ideal candidates are eager
to make an impact and come from strategy/consulting or product
management/product architecture backgrounds. You will play a key
role in not only the transformation of one of the world’s largest
software companies but also in transforming whole industries as we
help customers chart their AI journey. You’ll contribute to the
team’s projects with your expertise and experience while also being
a strategic advisor who looks across the portfolio of Microsoft’s
products and influences the direction of Microsoft’s current and
future products. This position requires relocation to the
Seattle/Redmond area to co-locate with the team x3/week.
Responsibilities Identifies compelling projects and positions the
team to carry them out. Leads strategy projects end-to-end,
defining goals, deliverables, timelines, providing structure,
guidance, and proactive problem-solving. Manages projects
independently. Develops deep understanding of customers,
competitors, partners, business models, market sizing, and industry
trends. Dives deep into cloud and AI products and underlying tech
in order to develop a position on Microsoft’s product portfolio,
strategic priorities, competitive position, and potential
opportunities. Creates frameworks and methodologies to drive
problem solving and insights. Leads analysis of merger and
acquisitions (M&A), venture funding, public market environment
and trends. Distills complex data and analysis into concise,
concrete insights that inform business decisions and strategic
recommendations. Clearly communicates insights and recommendations
to business leaders through written docs, demos, presentations, and
meetings. Leverages executive presence to influence decision
making, identify overlooked opportunities, and provide thought
leadership on trends, competitor moves, and strategic growth.
Builds end-to-end storylines and frameworks for problem-solving
across multiple projects, supporting junior colleagues in
leveraging these materials. Cultivates and manages relationships
with stakeholders and teams across the company sharing expertise,
organizational context, and market awareness to guide teams and
inform strategy. Acts as an advisor to senior leadership
(Directors, GM-level, CVP) and mentors junior colleagues,
identifying strategic projects and positioning the team to execute
them effectively. Qualifications Required/Minimum Qualifications
Masters Degree in Business Administration or related field AND 4
years marketing, strategy, business planning, consulting, banking,
finance, economics, and/or partner organization experience OR
Bachelors Degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Liberal Arts,
Computer Science, or related field AND 6 years marketing, strategy,
business planning, consulting, banking, finance, economics, and/or
partner organization experience OR equivalent experience.
Additional/Preferred Qualifications 12 years of experience in
Strategy, Management Consulting, and/or Finance, OR equivalent
experience (e.g., scaling a business, incubation, driving change in
a large company, entrepreneurship). Business Strategy 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.
Keywords: Microsoft, Seattle , Director - AI Strategy, Executive , Redmond, Washington
