Director, External Evidence & Influence

Microsoft • Redmond, WA

4d • $130,900 - $272,300

About The Position

Microsoft Frontier Company is a new line of business and one of the industry's first customer outcome-driven organizations, bringing together industry expertise, strategic partnerships and engineering as part of MCAPS. Its teams will work side-by-side with customers to co-design, deploy, and continuously improve AI systems that deliver measurable, customer-defined outcomes. The organization is built around end-to-end Frontier Transformation, helping customers turn AI into real, lasting business value. For those joining, it's a chance to help build a new growth engine for Microsoft and shape how the industry moves from delivering technology to delivering outcomes. The Frontier Company GTM team is seeking an experienced Director, External Evidence & Influence to lead external validation of Microsoft Frontier Company strategy and customer success. This role will build and manage strategic engagement programs with customers, industry analysts, and universities to generate credible feedback, strengthen industry endorsement, and ensure insights and best practices inform leaders and teams across Frontier Company.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, Finance, or related field AND 6+ years communications, marketing operations, field operations, program management, project management, or related experience OR equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of experience in strategic marketing, customer engagement, executive programs, analyst relations, industry relations, partnerships, or a related field in enterprise technology.
• Experience developing and executing engagement strategies with senior executives and external stakeholders in complex, fast-paced, and often ambiguous environments.
• Demonstrated success building and managing high-impact programs through cross-functional teams and agency partners, with clear outcomes and strong stakeholder alignment.

Nice To Haves

• Master's Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Finance, or related field AND 8+ years communications, marketing operations, field operations, program management, project management, or related experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Finance, or related field AND 12+ years communications, marketing operations, field operations, program management, project management, or related experience OR equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage an external validation strategy aligned to Frontier Company business priorities, customer outcomes, market credibility, and key moments throughout the fiscal year.
• Own the strategy and operating model for a new Frontier Company customer advisory board, partnering with an agency to finalize the charter, engagement plan, membership approach, governance, and annual rhythm.
• Identify and invite the right customers to participate, working across sales, customer success, industry, engineering, and executive teams to build a representative and highly engaged advisory community.
• Plan and execute advisory board engagements throughout the fiscal year, including agendas, executive preparation, content, facilitation, logistics, follow-up, and an experience that delivers clear value for participating customers.
• Synthesize customer feedback, best practices, and emerging themes from each engagement, and create mechanisms to ensure leaders across Frontier Company hear, understand, and act on the insights.
• Identify opportunities for customers to share their stories publicly, serving to inspire other customers across industries to advance their AI transformation in partnership with Frontier Co.
• Partner with the Analyst Relations team to develop and execute a plan for engagement, education, and endorsement from key industry analysts, supported by clear narratives, evidence, briefings, and ongoing relationship management.
• Lead an agency in creating a university engagement program that builds industry credibility through research partnerships, participation in relevant existing work, and the joint development of new ideas and initiatives.
• Manage agency partners, budgets, timelines, stakeholder reviews, risks, and success measures across the portfolio, using feedback and results to strengthen the programs over time.
• Perform as a strategic marketing leader who can translate Frontier Company priorities into credible external engagement programs that advance customer trust, market understanding, and business goals.
• Lead as a customer-centered and skilled professional designing executive-level advisory experiences that create value for participants while generating candid, actionable input for the business.
• Build programs with influential external stakeholders, including enterprise customers, industry analysts, academic institutions, or comparable communities.
• Operate in a highly collaborative style with the ability to influence across sales, engineering, customer success, marketing, communications, Analyst Relations, executives, agencies, and external partners.
• Pivot from strategy to execution, manage multiple workstreams and partners, and maintain a high quality bar in a dynamic and evolving organization.
• Leverage sound judgment, executive presence, curiosity, and compelling written and verbal communication skills, while also maintaining the ability to surface difficult feedback constructively and turn insights into action.

Benefits

• 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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director