Director of Sales Readiness
About The Position
Microsoft Advertising is a worldwide Sales, Marketing and Operations organization on the cutting edge of the digital advertising industry. Microsoft Advertising offers a compelling portfolio of advertising products, innovative solutions and the opportunity to engage with some of the brightest minds in the digital space while contributing meaningfully to our purpose of innovating a new world of advertising possibilities to empower growth for all. Microsoft Advertising is the destination for experienced, collaborative, and passionate digital advertising professionals seeking a rewarding career and lifestyle. Microsoft Advertising is seeking a Director of Sales Readiness to join the Global Sales Strategy and Enablement organization. This leader will serve as the system-level orchestrator responsible for translating strategy into clear, executable enablement plans that drive consistent field performance, scalable adoption, and measurable business outcomes. Our team sits at the intersection of sales strategy, demand planning, launch operations, field sales excellence, and partner teams; ensuring sellers have the guidance, resources, processes, and tools required to execute against Microsoft Advertising’s priorities with clarity and confidence. The Director of Sales Readiness is a senior people manager accountable for leading the end-to-end readiness system across the horizontal frameworks that enable our sellers and customers for success. This leader will partner closely with Sales Leadership, Demand Planning, Field Sales Excellence, Launch Operations, Product Marketing, Business Planning, Revenue Management, Learning & Development, and others to convert strategic inputs into practical sales execution guidance. The role owns the operating model, governance, communication channels, readiness planning cadence, and accountability mechanisms that help the field prioritize what matters, reduce seller friction, adopt new tools and processes, and deliver against business priorities at scale. 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. Starting January 26, 2026, Microsoft AI (MAI) employees who live within a 50- mile commute of a designated Microsoft office in the U.S. or 25-mile commute of a non-U.S., country-specific location are expected to work from the office at least four days per week. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction.
Requirements
- 8+ years experience with active participation in sales, sales operations/management, account management, program management, business development, marketing, consulting, or a related field OR equivalent experience.
- 5+ years of experience using data to drive business outcomes or inform business decisions.
- 5+ years of experience managing relationships with stakeholders, clients, and/or customers.
- 3+ years people management experience.
Nice To Haves
- Bachelor's Degree in a related field.
- 5+ years managing projects, including planning, managing timelines, and tracking progress, and/or change management experience.
- Proven experience leading complex, cross‑functional programs that span multiple teams, stakeholders, or feature areas, with demonstrated ability to define strategy, evaluate customer and market signals, and prioritize initiatives across a portfolio of work.
- Demonstrated ability to identify unmet or emerging customer needs through both quantitative (e.g., usage data, telemetry, operational metrics) and qualitative (e.g., customer interviews, listening systems, market trends) insights and translate those needs into scalable solutions or program improvements.
- Ability to operate effectively in highly ambiguous environments, independently scoping problems, defining success criteria, and driving execution across organizational boundaries.
- Solid analytical and communication skills, with the ability to use data to tell compelling stories and influence decision‑making at multiple levels of the organization.
- Proven track record of exceptional performance, high productivity and meeting deadlines in a leadership role; high personal accountability for self and others.
- Experience in digital advertising, understanding the way customers buy, sellers sell, and what’s required to enable that output.
Responsibilities
- Build, inspire, and retain a high-performing, diverse team by modeling Microsoft's culture and values, coaching for clarity and capability, and caring for each person's growth and success.
- Set clear direction and priorities, hold the team accountable to outcomes, give candid and timely feedback, and create an inclusive environment where people do their best work and grow their careers.
- Define and lead the Sales enablement readiness strategy across the horizontal frameworks that support all sales motions (accounts and billing, change management, seasonal moments, and sales touchpoints, communications and operational programs), ensuring priorities are translated into clear execution plans with defined outcomes, owners, and timelines.
- Partner with Demand Planning, Sales Strategy and Business Planning to align on growth opportunities, market and segment priorities, seasonal moments, and field needs that shape proactive readiness plans.
- Establish a repeatable rhythm of business for planning, execution, measurement, and feedback so readiness work is prioritized, sequenced, and adjusted based on business impact and field adoption.
- Own the end-to-end readiness system that connects strategic inputs to field action, including readiness plans, execution guidance, launch support, sales communications, tool adoption, and success measurement.
- Partner with Field Sales Excellence and Sales Leaders to identify where sellers need clarity, where blockers are slowing execution, and where processes or resources are required to remove friction and accelerate revenue impact.
- Define measurement and accountability mechanisms that keep stakeholders aligned on adoption, execution progress, field feedback, and business outcomes without shifting ownership from partner teams.
- Partner with corporate teams to surface MSA billing challenges, influence scalable process improvements, and maintain seller-facing Accounts & Billing resources and education.
- Build an annual seasonal moments calendar with vertical Readiness Leads, Business Planning, Demand Planning, Marketing, and Sales LT; orchestrate required artifacts and ensure consistent field landing.
- Program-manage seller-facing change initiatives in partnership with sales motion-aligned Readiness Leads, ensuring each effort has clear ownership, readiness plans, adoption expectations, and field landing support.
- Manage and evolve core sales readiness touchpoints and channels to drive seller awareness; govern how partner content is submitted, prioritized, and distributed; and ensure seller feedback is collected, routed, and shared back with stakeholders and sales.
- Reinforce the team’s identity as trusted advisors to sales and Readiness leaders.
- Communicate effectively with senior leadership, technical teams, and field audiences, both verbally and in writing.
- Craft compelling context that connects strategic priorities and product capabilities to customer value and business outcomes.
- Lead large‑scale, cross‑functional programs with end‑to‑end ownership, from problem definition through execution and measurement.
- Establish clear documentation, operating rhythms, and success measures to manage complex program portfolios.
- Proactively manage stakeholder expectations, dependencies, and risks while maintaining momentum and trust.
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
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
Education Level
Associate degree
