Critical Environment Program Manager

Overview

Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) is the engine that powers our cloud services. As a CO+I Critical Environment Program Manager, you will perform a key role in delivering the core infrastructure and foundational technologies for Microsoft's online services including Bing, Office 365, Xbox, OneDrive, and the Microsoft Azure platform. As a group, CO+I is focused on the personal and professional development of all employees and offers trainings and opportunities including Career Rotation Programs, Diversity & Inclusion trainings and events, and professional certifications.

Our infrastructure is comprised of a large global portfolio of more than 200 datacenters in 32 countries and millions of servers. Our foundation is built upon and managed by a team of subject matter experts working to support services for more than 1 billion customers and 20 million businesses in over 90 countries worldwide.

With environmental sustainability and optimization at the forefront of our datacenter design and operations, we continue to grow and evolve as we meet the ever-changing business demands that hold Microsoft as a world-class cloud provider.

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.

Responsibilities

• Adheres to compliance and security standards with Data Center business units and contractual service agreements.
• Ensures third parties are compliant with Microsoft security, safety, and all other guidelines.
• Abides by all service level agreements (SLAs) to meet compliance requirements.
• Exercises judgement and discretion to suggest improvements to policies.
• Identifies and proposes improvements to policies to enhance security posture across operations.
• Investigates root causes of policy faults, degradation, or security incidents and suggests improvement plans.
• Delivers policy plan improvements per Data Center business unit(s).
• Manages multiple complex technologies projects or programs within a single discipline to meet service delivery Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Participates in pilot programs or task forces to ensure smooth implementation for future service delivery.
• Escalates to appropriate stakeholders to remove obstacles.
• Maintains a security-oriented perspective in escalation procedures to safeguard infrastructure integrity.
• Recommends improvements to service execution tooling standards and supports the adoption of standard toolsets across their discipline.
• Promotes the adoption of security-enhancing tools and practices.
• Applies information regarding changes resulting from escalations as communicated by managers or leaders as appropriate.
• Adopts and effectively leverages approved engineering released tools and systems to support day-to-day operational processes and procedures and protect against current and emerging threats.
• Supports escalation of issues to appropriate owner(s).
• Conducts audits or risk assessments for potential security vulnerabilities or threats and recommends remediation plans to address findings.
• Monitors Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and reports on trends and anomalies.
• Leads key processes, such as project, program or triage meetings, informing prioritization requirements for the team, and rebalances priorities to respond to changes.
• Reviews contracts with landlords and third-party vendors and evaluating alignment with security needs and standards.
• Participates in regular operational meetings to review OKRs and/or KPIs.
• Analyzes data and collaborates with internal business partners, clients, and vendors to improve OKRs and/or KPIs and increase efficiency.
• Identifies discrepancies in data and reports observations to drive reporting improvement opportunities.
• Understands strategic vision as communicated by leaders and learns to align strategies with a security-first culture.
• Identifies potential improvements aligned with this vision, including security enhancements.

Qualifications

Required/minimum qualifications

• High School Qualification or equivalent AND 3+ years experience supporting IT equipment or related technology or delivering server and network deployment projects in large-scale environments OR equivalent experience

Additional Or Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Technical College Degree in Computer Science, Math, Telecommunications, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, Supply Chain Management or related field AND 8+ years experience in critical environment infrastructures (e.g., UPS, Generator, AHU), or working in physical IT infrastructures (e.g., Servers, SANs, Networking, Capacity, DC Rack/Enclosures, structured cabling) OR High School Qualification or equivalent AND 10+ years experience in critical environment infrastructures (e.g., UPS, Generator, AHU), or working in physical IT infrastructures (e.g., Servers, SANs, Networking, Capacity, DC Rack/Enclosures, structured cabling) OR equivalent experience.
• Applicable certifications: APICS/Inventory Control, CompTIA, Microsoft, Network Certifications, CCNA Certifications, ITIL v3 Foundation, Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) Certifications.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent build or expansion projects across a metro or regional portfolio.  
• Experience managing general contractors, trade partners, and commissioning agents across large‑scale construction programs.  
• Ability to communicate complex build risks, timelines, and trade‑offs to senior leadership.  
• Familiarity with AHJ requirements, permitting, inspections, and regulatory dependencies affecting data center construction timelines.  
• Experience delivering capacity at scale, including phased turnover aligned to business demand.

 

Background Check Requirements

• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:
  • Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

 

Pay and Benefits

Data Center Operations Management IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $102,600 - $202,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $137,500 - $225,800 per year.

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

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.