Go-to-Market Retail Execution Category Manager

Microsoft•Redmond, WA

2d•$106,400 - $203,600

About The Position

The Go-to-Market (GTM) Retail Execution Category Manager leads our WW (worldwide) retailer execution, ensuring field-managed retail partners are fully prepared to activate strategy and deliver consistent, high-quality execution across the channel. The role is responsible for translating Windows Consumer priorities into retailer-ready actions, driving aligned activation across Top Market Maker retailers, ensuring Collections participation and guideline compliance, and partnering across planning, portfolio, silicon, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), and channel marketing to deliver retail execution focused on improving conversion & share. As a strategic individual contributor, this role operates at the intersection of strategy, portfolio, category management, and channel marketing — shaping how Windows shows up for consumers in partnership with our key retail partners worldwide. This role ensures Windows strategy becomes reality in the retail channel — connecting portfolio direction, category guidance, and channel activation into a cohesive execution engine. The GTM Retail Execution Category Manager shapes how consumers experience Windows at the point of sale, driving conversion, partner confidence, and competitive share worldwide.

Requirements

4+ years experience in GTM (go to market), channel strategy, category management, or sales/marketing execution within a global consumer technology environment, or related work experience
Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Economics, Public Relations, Engineering, or related field OR equivalent experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with or for major consumer electronics retailers (big-box, e-commerce, or specialty).
Understanding of retail partner dynamics, field-managed execution models, and conversion drivers at the point of sale.
Proven ability to translate strategy and portfolio complexity into clear, actionable guidance for retailers.
Demonstrated influence across cross-functional teams (Planning, Marketing, Business Groups, Finance) without direct authority.
Communication skills with a bias for execution, clarity, and measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities

Set and evolve the Windows retail channel strategy to drive growth, deepen partner engagement at Top Market Maker retailers, and scale globally.
Coordinate retailer commitments in close partnership with GTM OEM Execution to ensure plans are grounded in OEM and silicon realities and translate into consistent, high-quality execution across brick-and-mortar and online retail.
Deliver clear, actionable GTM briefs for Top Market Maker retailers, defining Collections, assortment intent, compliance requirements, and success metrics.
Drive consistent activation through anchor moments and frameworks such as CES, Executive Briefing Centers (EBCs), and Internal briefings, ensuring retail teams are aligned, enabled, and confident in how to bring Windows priorities to market.
Provide crisp retail priorities to enable Channel Marketing to activate — aligned campaigns, merchandising, and clear purchase storytelling and experience at the point of sale.
Ensure retail-ready offers, training, and seller readiness reach the field with consistency across markets.
Translate OEM, silicon, and portfolio roadmaps into simple, compelling retail guidance that informs assortment, positioning, and in-store and online execution.
Influence offers, financing, bundles, and attach motions to support portfolio intent, win share across key price bands and segments, and reinforce Collections strategies in close partnership with retailers and category teams.
Lead Project orchestration across retail surfaces.
Partner closely with retail planning and execution teams to drive end-to-end activation readiness, including alignment on key beats, milestones, and dependencies.
Ensure early assortment and floor-set reviews, validate merchandising and content maturity, and proactively identify risks — driving mitigation plans to ensure high-quality, on-time activation with minimal execution gaps.
Establish and run a disciplined retail performance loop that tracks execution against commitments, KPIs, and investment effectiveness.
Identify gaps in planning or execution, and work with Planning and Business Group partners to rebalance investments, adjust strategies, and refine Collections and category guidance — continuously improving performance and outcomes over time.