Senior Director, Supplier Development, Quality & Technology

Microsoft•,

4d•$165,600 - $331,200

About The Position

Microsoft Cloud Operations + Innovation (CO+I) is seeking a senior leader to develop a high-performing, technically capable, innovative, and resilient global supplier ecosystem for its datacenter supply chain. The role spans supplier quality, supplier development, technical capability, and supplier-enabled innovation, partnering across Procurement, Engineering, Operations, and the CTO organization to improve supplier performance, build capabilities, reduce quality and technical risk, and identify technologies that can support Microsoft’s future datacenter roadmap. The leader will define and execute global supplier quality and development strategies, address critical supplier issues, assess and improve supplier maturity, and align strategic suppliers’ investments and roadmaps with Microsoft’s future requirements. The role also connects suppliers with CTO and Engineering priorities, advancing promising supplier solutions from technical evaluation through qualification, industrialization, and scaled deployment. This position requires translating business and technology needs into scalable supplier capabilities and solutions, while communicating supplier performance, opportunities, risks, and implications to senior and executive leadership.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field and 8+ years of experience in procurement, supply chain, sourcing, engineering, operations, or relevant sales-related roles; OR bachelor’s degree in one of those fields and 10+ years of such experience; OR equivalent experience.
Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements, including the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire or transfer and every two years thereafter.

Nice To Haves

Significant experience in Supplier Quality, Supplier Development, Engineering, Manufacturing, Reliability, Technology, Operations, or related disciplines.
Demonstrated leadership experience in a complex global supplier, engineering, manufacturing, or technology environment.
Experience developing supplier technical and operational capabilities in addition to managing supplier performance.
Ability to engage supplier engineering and technology organizations to solve complex technical challenges and introduce new capabilities.
Experience working across Engineering, Procurement, Operations, Product Development, technology organizations, and external suppliers.
Executive communication, technical judgment, analytical thinking, influencing, negotiation, and problem-solving capabilities.
Experience in datacenter infrastructure, mission-critical equipment, electrical, mechanical, power, cooling, controls, or other complex technology environments.
Experience developing and executing global supplier development or supplier quality programs.
Experience partnering with CTO, R&D, engineering, or technology-development organizations.
Experience identifying and introducing supplier-generated technical solutions into complex infrastructure or product environments.
Experience advancing new technologies from concept and evaluation through qualification, industrialization, and scaled deployment.
Experience with supplier qualification, manufacturing assessments, process capability, structured root-cause analysis, corrective and preventive action, and new technology introduction.

Responsibilities

Define and execute global supplier quality strategy, governance, standards, and performance management.
Drive improvements in supplier quality, process capability, reliability, yield, defect reduction, and corrective-action effectiveness.
Lead resolution of critical supplier quality and technical issues through structured root-cause analysis and sustainable corrective actions.
Establish supplier qualification, audit, assessment, and readiness processes appropriate to supplier and technology risk.
Identify and mitigate supplier risks that could affect datacenter capacity, schedule, reliability, or business continuity.
Develop and execute strategies to strengthen supplier technical, engineering, manufacturing, quality, capacity, and operational capabilities.
Assess supplier maturity and establish development roadmaps to close capability and performance gaps.
Lead supplier improvement, transformation, and recovery initiatives with strategic and critical suppliers.
Develop suppliers to support future capacity growth, new technologies, new product introductions, and evolving engineering requirements.
Build technical relationships with strategic suppliers and align their investments and capability roadmaps with Microsoft’s future needs.
Expand and develop the supplier ecosystem to increase resilience, technical capability, competition, and innovation.
Connect Microsoft’s supplier ecosystem with CTO and Engineering organizations, translating future technology priorities and technical challenges into supplier opportunities.
Engage supplier engineering and technology leaders to understand emerging technologies, manufacturing capabilities, materials, designs, and solutions.
Create a pipeline of supplier-enabled innovation and advance promising solutions from technical evaluation through qualification, industrialization, and scaled deployment.
Facilitate supplier technology reviews, innovation workshops, and joint technical development opportunities.
Partner with suppliers to improve manufacturability, scalability, reliability, sustainability, cost, and deployment velocity of emerging solutions.
Ensure strategic suppliers understand Microsoft’s evolving technology direction and can align engineering resources, investments, capacity, and product roadmaps.
Partner across Engineering, CTO, Procurement, Planning, and Operations to integrate supplier quality, development, and innovation into broader business and technology strategies.
Establish strong executive and technical relationships with strategic suppliers.
Build organizational capability in supplier quality, supplier development, technical problem solving, manufacturing excellence, and technology assessment.
Use digital tools, analytics, and supplier performance insights to identify emerging risks and drive proactive decision-making.
Communicate supplier performance, technical opportunities, risks, and business implications to senior and executive leadership.
Meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements, including the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire or transfer and every two years thereafter.