Microsoft Communications Manager 

United States 

3099787

As aCommunications Manager,

Your work will be focused on setting context for internal and external audiences during situations that require, and benefit from, timely and effective communications. The position involves managing issues for a diverse array of products, services, and topics on a global scale. Additionally, the role requires engagement with internal stakeholders to provide strategic counsel to proactively prevent issues or complications.

TheCommunications Managerwill create and adapt coordinated communications that are ready for use in a variety of channels and audiences, both internal and external. The position requires effective communications experience and a proven track record of collaboration across internal teams, subject matter experts and senior executives.

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Finance, or related field AND 2+ years Communications, Marketing Operations, Field Operations, Program Management, Project Management, or related experience
  • OR equivalent experience.
• Understanding of media relations and success in dealing with complex, strategic communications challenges.
• Previous experience managing issues or crisis.

Additional or Preferred Qualifications

• 3-5 years of public relations, or communications and/or product marketing and product management experience
• Sound problem identification, judgment, resolution and decision-making skills, often in ambiguous situations.
• Effective written communication skills, maintained to a high standard during times of extreme time pressure.
• An ability to assess the severity and priority of multiple incoming inquiries from press, customers and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to collaborate with multiple stakeholders across many disciplines (HR, Legal, Engineering, security) and to work effectively with executives and senior leaders.
• Demonstrated capacity to lead others collaboratively, under pressure, to reach cross group consensus in short periods of time.
• Experience working in the information technology industry or a similar industry, where the ability to understand complicated technologies and intersections is a regular requirement.
• The ability to grasp the dynamics of an issue, creatively think through possible approaches and articulate the way in which a situation can be explained and contextualized for various audiences.

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

• Define and execute communications strategies for issues across a broad array of topics that may have significant corporate and/or product brand impact.
• Implement messaging and strategy for a variety of audiences that include employees, customers and media.
• Provide counsel and strategy to communications group partners, engineering and executives during an issue or crisis.
• Proactively provide response best practices to avoid potential pitfalls. This type of preventative consultation is the “proactive” avoidance expertise inherent in “reactive” issues management.
• Partner with communications groups across Microsoft to develop and implement response communications processes and procedures.
• Provide executive communications and analysis to leaders and various stakeholders across the company during the lifecycle of the issue.
• Respond to intermittent and unexpected issues that may occur and result in work activity occurring outside the hours of 8am - 6pm.
• Embody our and