Director of Communications

Microsoft•Redmond, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Office of the CTO (OCTO) is seeking a Director of Communications to build and execute a communications strategy that extends the office’s influence across the technology landscape. Reporting to the OCTO Chief Operating Officer, this role develops strategic processes for announcing new technologies, managing communications with and through key partnerships, finding channels to extend relevant narratives, and shaping technical programs and events for internal and external audiences. The Director will bring a strong understanding of the AI-native and developer landscape and how ideas spread across technical communities. They will monitor conversations among developers, builders, founders, influencers, researchers, partners, and investors; identify meaningful opportunities for OCTO to contribute; and use creative ideas, new formats, and experimentation to engage priority audiences. The role calls for an understanding of OCTO’s mission and Microsoft’s AI strategy, along with a track record in developer and open-source communications, technical storytelling, and AI thought leadership. The Director will build trusted internal and external communications relationships and move readily between strategy and execution. The position requires a minimum of three days per week onsite at Microsoft’s Redmond campus.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, Finance, or a related field and 6+ years of communications, marketing operations, field operations, program management, project management, or related experience; or equivalent experience.
Experience developing communications strategies and compelling narratives for complex technologies, AI initiatives, or strategic partnerships, translating technical concepts into clear, audience-relevant communications.
Experience developing and executing communications strategies for complex, cross-functional or cross-company initiatives.
Experience leading high-profile communications initiatives and coordinating across engineering, product, marketing, communications, and executive stakeholders.
Strong understanding of the AI and emerging technology landscape, including developer, open-source, AI-native, and technical influencer communities.
Experience developing executive thought leadership and engaging technical audiences through media, social platforms, events, editorial content, or emerging communications formats.
Experience identifying technology trends, industry conversations, and audience insights to shape communications strategies and expand organizational influence.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Finance, or a related field and 8+ years of relevant experience; or bachelor’s degree in these fields and 12+ years of relevant experience; or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

Build and scale OCTO’s mission by engaging technical influencers and developer communities, activating conversations on social and developer platforms, and identifying opportunities for Microsoft leaders and trusted voices to advance key ideas.
Collaborate across Microsoft—including Communications, Marketing, Investor Relations, CELA, product, engineering, research, and other executive offices—to coordinate opportunities, align with company narratives, and maximize OCTO’s reach and impact.
Support communications for CTO-owned channels, including contributed writing, social media, podcasts, video, and emerging formats.
Develop strategic communications plans for OCTO’s engagement with media, influencers, first- and third-party events, and other opportunities across Microsoft and the technology industry.
Lead launches of new technologies, experiences, and communications campaigns for or advancing third-party partnerships, including OAI, Anthropic, and others.
Contribute to a strategic relationship program connecting the CTO with influential founders, AI-native developers, researchers, technical leaders, investors, and other builders, including planning technical conversations, founder roundtables, private convenings, ecosystem visits, and one-to-one exchanges.
Collaborate across Microsoft groups on communications plans for new AI technologies and experiences, particularly frontier models and experiences, and highlight go-to-market opportunities with strategic partnerships.
Work with Public Affairs to operationalize an engagement model for policymakers seeking deeper technical understanding of frontier AI, open-source AI, infrastructure, safety, and deployment.
Use AI-enabled methods to track and report audience reach and impact, then refine strategies based on learnings and insights.
Drive strategies and programs that bring OCTO voices into broader industry dialogue and elevate technical ideas and emerging issues.
Create and operationalize an approach for distributing narrative frameworks, proof points, and intellectual assets across Microsoft leaders to communicate the company’s AI direction clearly and consistently.
Track emerging technology shifts, competitive advancements, policy debates, and developer sentiment, and develop communications plans for OCTO to lead, clarify, or challenge discussions on these topics.
Contribute to operating mechanisms, planning cycles, and measurement that provide OCTO visibility into communications progress.
Partner with OCTO leaders and builders to identify significant ideas, technical breakthroughs, and prototypes, assess their relevance to priority audiences, and develop communications plans to drive awareness, understanding, and adoption.
Build communications platforms for OCTO leaders and builders through high-value internal and external engagements, including events, media, technical community participation, editorial platforms, and social media.
Create scalable approaches to identify and amplify high-value stories, helping OCTO teams surface communicable work and connect initiatives to the broader CTO and company narrative.