Business Program Manager - Opex

Microsoft•Redmond, WA

About The Position

The OPEX & Financial Planning Manager is responsible for managing nonpeople operational expenses (OPEX) across the organization. This role provides end to end ownership of budget tracking, forecasting, executive reporting, and fiscal year planning. The ideal candidate has strong financial acumen, excellent analytical capabilities, and the ability to translate complex data into clear, strategic business insights. This role partners closely with finance, business operations, and leadership teams to ensure disciplined budget governance, accurate forecasts, ROI measurement, and proactive resource optimization. The manager will also drive the annual OPEX planning cycles with finance and business leadership, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and long-term strategy. 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.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Business, Operations, Finance, or related field AND 2+ years experience in program management, process management, or process improvement OR equivalent experience

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree in Business, Operations, Finance, or related field AND 3+ years experience in program management, process management, or process improvement OR Bachelor's Degree in Business, Operations, Finance, or related field AND 5+ years experience in program management, process management, or process improvement OR equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

OPEX Management & Forecasting
Manage all discretionary people and all non-people OPEX for Microsoft Elevate, including training, morale, travel, equipment, and discretionary spend.
Own monthly and quarterly budget tracking, variance analysis, and forecasting.
Monitor budget performance to ensure accuracy, fiscal discipline, and timely course correction.
Partner with business owners to understand spend drivers, risks, and opportunities.
Communicate budget health, outlook, and changes to key stakeholders in an executive-ready format.
Executive Insight & ROI Analysis
Provide clear guidance to leadership on return on investment (ROI), business impact, and outcome realization for major spend categories.
Build and maintain frameworks to measure both quantitative ROI and qualitative business outcomes.
Compare expected/desired outcomes to actual results and make recommendations for optimization.
Advise leadership on cost effectiveness, value generation, and tradeoff decisions.
Fiscal Year OPEX & Headcount Planning
Lead the annual planning process for OPEX, discretionary budgets, and headcount planning support.
Build and manage planning timelines, workback schedules, review cycles, and executive checkpoints.
Partner with finance and organizational leaders to develop annual budgets aligned to strategy and priorities.
Ensure timely, accurate submissions and alignment across stakeholders and groups.
Drive clarity on required inputs, assumptions, dependencies, and deadlines.
Budget Governance & Quarterly Business Management
Collaborate with cross-functional partners to define, operate, and report on budgets and forecasts for the global organization.
Ensure all financial processes comply with company policies, standards, and audit requirements.
Deliver regular reporting to the Leadership Team (LT) on budget status, risks, and opportunities.
Identify areas of underspend, recommend redeployment strategies, and help accelerate resources toward top priorities.
Support quarterly business review (QBR) rhythms and related executive materials.