Readiness Lead

Are you ready to shape the future of global commerce and delivery? At Global Vendor Delivery and Solutions, we don’t just support Microsoft’s business, we redefine how it operates. We are the architects of transformation, blending AI-powered innovation with continuous improvement (CI) to deliver scalable, secure, and high-quality solutions across a dynamic vendor ecosystem.As part of Microsoft Business Operations (MBO), you’ll be at the heart of a team that:- Supercharges operational excellence through AI+CI, driving step-function improvements in productivity, speed, and quality- Partners to accelerate growth, enabling compliant revenue expansion and risk mitigation across global markets.- Delivers differentiated customer experiences, making it easier to do business with Microsoft through streamlined, trustworthy operations.- Builds the AI-powered frontier firm, where bold goals, inclusive culture, and human ambition converge to reshape business processes and customer engagement.We embrace “AND”—holding paradoxes like agility AND stability, innovation AND compliance—to unlock breakthrough ideas and solutions. Our work is challenging, creative, and deeply impactful, with opportunities to co-innovate with strategic suppliers and transform legacy operations into AI-enabled services at scale.If you thrive in complexity, lead with curiosity, and aspire to make a global impact—Global Vendor Delivery & Solutions at MBO is your next destination.

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.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Operations, Finance or related field AND 4+ years work experience in program management, process management, process improvement Operations
  • OR equivalent experience
• 3+ Years experience in vendor management

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Business, Operations, Finance or related field AND 6+ years work experience in program management, process management, process improvement Operations
  • OR Bachelor's Degree in Business, Operations, Finance or related field AND 8+ years work experience in program management, process management, process improvement Operations
  • OR equivalent experience
• Experience collaborating with cross functional teams
• Ability to align readiness activities with governance frameworks and performance metrics
• Ability to integrate process improvements with AI adoption
• Experience leading readiness planning and execution for major change initiatives

Business Program Management IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $96,500 - $188,400 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 $123,500 - $206,400 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

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until September 30th, 2025

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

The Change Readiness Lead is responsible for elevating the quality and impact of change management across vendor operations, with a focus on readiness and adoption. This role encompasses more than just Change Request (CR) management—it involves end-to-end ownership of the readiness lifecycle, ensuring successful adoption, organizational change management, updates to Work Instructions (WI), training, taxonomy, and all functional tasks necessary to drive change effectively. The Readiness Lead is accountable for the CR process, ensuring that changes are not only approved but also fully adopted and sustained across the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

End-to-End Change Planning & Readiness

• Own the readiness lifecycle from intake through go-live and post-release validation.
• Ensure teams are fully prepared to adopt and sustain changes, especially AI-driven transformations.
• Lead readiness planning and execution for major change initiatives, including process transformation and technology adoption. 
• Accountable for supplier updates to Work Instructions (WI), training, taxonomy, and other functional tasks necessary for effective change.
• Maintain accountability for the CR process, ensuring changes are managed, tracked, and adopted.

Vendor Management

• Ensure that vendors are managing change properly.
• Address gaps in vendor maturity, moving beyond a narrow focus on CR sign-off to a holistic approach that includes adoption, work instructions, and training.
• Measure the successful execution of change by its outcomes for stakeholders.

Supplier Enablement & Accountability

• Drive supplier readiness and accountability for change initiatives.
• Enable vendors to adopt new processes and technologies, ensuring sustained performance and compliance.

AI Adoption & Process Integration

• Champion the adoption and integration of AI-powered solutions across vendor operations.
• Develop and execute readiness plans for new AI tools, automation workflows, and analytics platforms.
• Integrate process improvements with AI adoption to maximize operational impact.

Governance & Metrics Alignment

• Align readiness activities with governance frameworks and performance metrics.
• Develop leading indicators that predict the success of change management, establishing a proactive approach to managing change.
• Monitor and report on readiness KPIs to ensure sustained adoption and impact. 
• Ensure change management and readiness efforts are auditable and structured for operational agility.

Collaboration and Communication

• Work closely with stakeholders, including the vendors Change Management and Readiness team, to ensure change management processes are integrated into their weekly reports with updates.
• Collaborate across Microsoft Business Operations, vendors, and other teams to align on scope, timing, and impact of major change initiatives. 
• Ensure readiness plans, progress, and outcomes to leadership and operational teams.

Collaboration with Knowledge Content Program Manager

• Partner closely with the Knowledge Content Program Manager to ensure change readiness and adoption are fully supported by robust knowledge content, architecture, and governance. 
• Align on knowledge management strategies, synchronize updates to work instructions and process documentation, and integrate change management workflows with knowledge content initiatives.
• Collaborate to ensure that all knowledge assets (work instructions, process maps, decision trees, and embedded guidance) are version-controlled, auditable, and structured to support operational agility and successful change adoption.