Senior Director, Human Resources Business Partner/Human Resources Chief Operating Officer

Microsoft•Redmond, WA

About The Position

Xbox is seeking an experienced Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) leader to fill a hybrid Senior Director, HR Business Partner and Xbox HR Chief Operating Officer (COO) role. This position reports directly to the Xbox HR CVP and involves a strong partnership with the HR leadership team. The role aims to unify and elevate operational and people strategy functions across the Xbox organization by centralizing critical processes and aligning talent strategies with business objectives. This ensures the Xbox division operates with precision, agility, and impact, translating strategic vision into scalable programs and measurable outcomes. The Senior Director will act as a trusted business partner and strategic advisor to members of the Xbox leadership team, specifically partnering with the Xbox Chief Operating Officer and the Xbox Executive Office. The mission is to align the people agenda with business priorities, driving clarity and conviction in decision-making while fostering a high-performance, creative culture. By blending deep HR expertise with operational excellence, the role will empower studios and protect the unique culture and games as Microsoft pursues its ambitious Xbox strategy. The ideal candidate will possess strategic HR leadership experience combined with strong business acumen, enabling the Xbox organization to navigate transformation with clarity, agility, and bold innovation. This unique opportunity focuses on driving both people and operational excellence to ensure creative excellence in games is matched by world-class talent practices and seamless operational support. The role serves as a key integration point between Xbox’s business leadership and the HR organization, shaping the future of Xbox’s business and culture by ensuring operational and people strategies work in tandem to drive innovation, community, and excellence in gaming. The company is looking for a strategic, inclusive HR leader with extensive HR Business Partner experience and proven operational acumen, capable of seamlessly switching between strategic planning and hands-on execution, bridging business and people strategy. They should thrive in dynamic, ambiguous environments, guiding the Xbox organization through rapid change with clarity and confidence, possessing strong business acumen, analytical skills, and a people-first mindset grounded in data, empathy, and what players and creators value most.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Business, Human Resources, or related field AND 9+ years experience in experience in human resources, business operations, strategy/planning, or related processes (e.g., hiring, performance management) OR Master's Degree in Business, Human Resources, or related field AND 6+ years experience in human resources, business operations, strategy/planning, or related processes (e.g., hiring, training, performance management) OR equivalent experience.
Be a big-picture thinker who connects organizational and talent strategies, aligning HR priorities with business goals.
Bring a clarity and conviction mindset to planning and can simplify complexity in a fast-moving environment.
Act as a trusted advisor with strong relationship skills, influencing and aligning senior leaders on talent and culture initiatives.
Coach and challenge leadership to achieve the best organizational outcomes.
Possess deep HR functional knowledge: talent management, organizational design and effectiveness, succession planning, and change management.
Experience in workforce planning and building high-performing teams.
Passionate about coaching leaders, developing talent, and shaping culture.
Understand how to leverage data and HR insights to drive business decisions.
Be a systems thinker who can design efficient processes and manage HR programs at scale.
Bring a disciplined approach to HR operations, budget/headcount planning, and program execution, ensuring accountability and measurable results.
Embraces new ideas and technologies (e.g., AI in HR) that advance the Gaming organization’s strategy and culture, without compromising creativity.
Encourages bold experimentation and continuous improvement.
Maintains composure and provides guidance amid uncertainty, keeping teams focused on what’s important.
Have genuine enthusiasm for the gaming industry – our products, our community, and our creative process.
Understand the unique blend of art and technology in game development and is motivated by our mission to build incredible games that bring joy and community to players.

Nice To Haves

MBA or Master’s degree in Business Administration, Organizational Development, or related field.
Leadership Experience: Proven track record of leading through influence at senior levels of a complex organization.
Preferably 5+ years in people management or cross-functional leadership roles, with experience building and leading high-performing teams.
Strategic & Analytical Skills: Demonstrated ability to develop and execute multi-year business or people strategies.
Strong analytical and financial acumen; experience with budget management, resource planning, and organizational metrics.
Communication & Influence: Excellent executive communication skills, both written and verbal.
Experience presenting to senior leadership and driving alignment on strategic initiatives.
Ability to influence without direct authority across a matrixed organization.
Change Management: Substantial experience leading organizational change, transformation initiatives, or post-merger integration efforts.
Skilled in change management and able to drive adoption of new processes and cultural norms across diverse groups.
Industry Experience: Experience in the gaming, entertainment, or technology industry with an understanding of the creative development process and gaming market dynamics.
Insight into the Xbox ecosystem, gaming studios, or similar environments is a plus.
Operational Excellence: Proven achievements in scaling operations or programs globally.
Familiarity with modern operational frameworks (e.g., agile methodologies, OKRs) and leveraging technology (including AI/data analytics) to improve efficiency without compromising creativity.
HR Center of Excellence Collaboration: Experience working closely with HR centers of excellence (talent acquisition, rewards, learning, etc.) to deliver comprehensive people solutions.
Executive Presence: Recognized for executive presence and the ability to credibly represent HR and business interests at the leadership table.
Able to serve as a trusted advisor and proxy for top executives, acting with integrity, discretion, and a deep sense of responsibility for the organization’s success.

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic thought partner to the CVP of Xbox HR and leadership team as Xbox HR COO, as well as to the Xbox COO and Executive Office Leadership Team as their aligned HRBP, providing counsel on business direction, organizational effectiveness, and culture across Xbox businesses to align people priorities with the Xbox strategy.
Shape and drive talent plans that support our core commitments to great games, creative excellence, and bold innovation.
Act as a trusted advisor and coach to executives, promoting decisions grounded in player and developer needs and in Microsoft’s culture and values.
Lead the people agenda for Xbox COO and Xbox CEO Executive Office, ensuring our talent strategies support key business objectives.
Champion succession planning, talent development, and workforce analytics to build future-ready capabilities across the Xbox teams and entities.
Drive strategic workforce planning, alongside the HR CVP, to ensure we have the right talent pipeline to win in new platforms and markets (Xbox, PC, mobile, cloud).
Partner with HR Business Insights to leverage people data for strategic decisions, and align talent programs (hiring, development, retention) to player-centric strategies.
Support leaders in organizational restructuring or growth initiatives, aligning teams to deliver on our creative and business goals.
Own the HR rhythm-of-business, translating high-level people strategy into clear execution plans.
Manage HR operational cadences - planning cycles, HR budget/headcount reviews, QBRs – ensuring HR resources and programs support our commitments to great games and player experience.
Collaborate with Finance and business operations on workforce investments and organizational priorities.
Streamline HR processes for agility, removing barriers and driving efficiencies so creative and engineering teams can focus on building extraordinary games.
Orchestrate collaboration across the OneHR team: aligning HR Business Partners, COEs (Talent, D&I, etc.), and analytics – to deliver integrated people solutions.
Break down silos and promote “One Xbox HR” ways of working.
Align HR processes, policies, and culture across all of Gaming to create a unified, high-trust environment where best practices are shared and duplication is minimized.
Lead change management efforts for any organizational shifts or major new talent initiatives, communicating clear narratives and guiding teams through transitions.
Model and cultivate the leadership behaviors and creative, inclusive culture that Microsoft values.
Champion initiatives to improve manager excellence, employee experience, and organizational health and drive change where needed, ensuring the Xbox organization retains its creative, high-performing culture as it grows and transforms.
Foster an environment of clarity, accountability, and inspiration, where every team member understands the plan and how their work contributes to our mission.