Overview
Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) is the engine that powers our cloud services. As a Sourcing and Contract 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.
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
- Lead end to end supplier identification, qualification, tendering, and contracting for all data centre operational services, equipment, and materials — including IT cabling labour and materials, as well as broader IT, mechanical, and electrical systems.
- Review and manage maintenance, upgrade and project contracts to ensure compliance, alignment with operational goals, and identification of risk or improvement areas.
- Conduct cost benchmarking and financial analysis across service agreements to optimize spend and support strategic sourcing decisions.
- Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to identify operational efficiencies, streamline processes, and drive continuous improvement initiatives
- Oversee supplier relationship and performance management, fostering strategic partnerships and ensuring service levels through KPIs and scorecards
- Provide thought leadership and subject matter expertise related to financial controllership (accuracy, forecasting & compliance) of datacenter financials.
- Manage the financial and commercial aspects of site contracts including related PO and invoice reviews.
- Prepare quarterly spend management review materials at datacenter site
- Assist with tracking of datacenter Maintenance and Repair activities
- Evaluate cost savings opportunities and implement strategic projects to realize savings
- Identify and implement efficiency opportunities across technical systems, operational workflows, and resource deployment to enhance performance, reduce costs, and support scalable data center operations.
- Leverage local subject matter expert's tribal knowledge, spread adoption of best practices
- Act on opportunities to increase agility, and contribute to workstreams to evolve processes, services, and solutions for Operations and Service Level Agreements for CO+I
- Coordinate closely with datacenter field operations to foster alignment and partnerships for business success
Capabilities important to success include:
- Operational Planning & Project Management: Show structured thinking, planning, and the ability to execute by working through others, influencing without authority, and dealing with ambiguity
- Exceptional written and Interpersonal skills: Communicate effectively and concisely with stakeholders, senior managers, and leaders about our programs and objectives
- Customer/Stakeholder Focus: Gather stakeholder impressions of services and programs, integrating this feedback into decision making. Allocate and align resources to optimize the stakeholder and partner experience.
- Performance Goal and Standards Setting: Develop and communicate to realistic timelines via plans that consider potential obstacles and immediate + long-term consequences
- Understand datacenter business objectives: Critically review multiple plans and adjust as needed. Proactively communicate and address necessary trade-offs
- Flexibility and Adaptability: Regularly scan the environment to help anticipate changes that could affect key programs and projects. Effectively changes plans, goals, actions or priorities to respond to changing situations.
- Team Player: Ability to both contribute strategically to this relatively new team and support strategic decisions once debate is over
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Qualification in IT, Engineering, Project Management, or a related field; OR trade certification combined with practical industry experience
- OR 5+ years industry experience and college course work.
While not required, we also look for the following Preferred Qualifications:
- 2+ 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).
- Technical College degree in Computer Science, Math, Telecommunications, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering or related field.
- Applicable certifications: ASICS/Inventory Control, CompTIA, Microsoft, Network Certifications, PMP, ITIL, CDCP.
- 2+ years experience with critical environment maintenance and repair cost management
- 2+ years experience with industry program and project management skills
- Exposure to Data Centre commissioning and construction
- 2+ years experience working with collaboration platforms (e.g. SharePoint, MS Teams etc.)
- 2+ years experience with reporting and data analysis systems & platforms (e.g. PowerBI)
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.
