Overview

The mission of Microsoft’s Digital Safety Unit is to empower every user to have safe and trusted experiences across Microsoft’s consumer services. As digital safety becomes increasingly central to trusted technology—spanning devices, software, services, and generative AI—we are seeking a Director, Governance & Technology to provide strategic leadership, operational excellence, and technical enablement at enterprise scale.

In this role, you will shape and drive Microsoft’s digital safety governance model, risk and control framework, and operational rhythms. You will lead a multi-disciplinary team responsible for incubating technology and scaling processes to improve measurement, accountability and digital safety outcomes across Microsoft. You will partner closely with digital safety specialists, lawyers, engineering leaders, product teams, and executives across the company to establish clear accountability, durable systems, and measurable outcomes that advance digital safety by design and regulatory compliance.

This role is ideal for a leader with both strategic vision and deep operational discipline—someone who can translate complex regulatory, technical, and organizational requirements into scalable frameworks across multidisciplinary teams that work in a highly matrixed, global environment.

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

Governance, Risk, and Accountability

• Design, land, and continuously evolve a clear digital safety governance, risk, and control framework, aligned with the Microsoft Digital Safety Standard and broader enterprise risk management expectations.
• Drive clarity of accountability across a broad range of stakeholders, including accountable executives, engineering leaders, and operational owners, ensuring ownership is explicit and durable.
• Establish and maintain executive-ready governance rhythms, including reporting, escalation paths, and decision forums that enable timely, informed leadership action.
• Identify opportunities to align with other regulatory disciplines to drive cross-functional efficiencies

Strategy, Measurement, and Maturity

• Lead delivery of measurement frameworks, maturity models, and performance indicators that assess and raise the bar on digital safety technical and operational compliance across Microsoft’s consumer portfolio.
• Translate business priorities—including consumer products, generative AI, and children’s access to technology—into durable digital safety strategies that scale across services and geographies.
• Partner with senior leaders to ensure insights and progress are clearly communicated and actionable within the rhythm of business.

Technical and Operational Enablement:

• Drive cross-division technical leadership initiatives that advance the future of digital safety across devices, software, applications, and generative AI features.
• Oversee core operational functions including incident management, operational effectiveness, governance execution, and risk and control assurance.
• Partner with engineering, product, legal, policy, and operations teams to embed digital safety into system design, development, and delivery.

People and Culture:

• Lead and grow a high-performing, inclusive team responsible for critical elements of Microsoft’s digital safety program.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability grounded in the belief that digital safety is foundational to Microsoft’s mission to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more.

Partnership and Influence:

• Serve as a trusted partner across Microsoft through consultation, training, education, and guidance, enabling teams to deliver trusted technology to consumers.
• Influence without authority in a highly matrixed environment, aligning diverse stakeholders around shared goals and outcomes.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree AND 6+ years experience in engineering, product/technical program management, data analysis, or product development OR equivalent experience.
• 1+ years people management experience.
• 3+ years of experience managing cross-functional and/or cross-team projects.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree AND 12+ years experience engineering, product/technical program management, data analysis, or product development OR equivalent experience.
• 4+ years people management experience.
• 8+ years of experience managing cross-functional and/or cross-team projects.
• 1+ year(s) of experience reading and/or writing code (e.g., sample documentation, product demos).
• 10+ years of experience leading large‑scale programs in technology, safety, governance, or related domains within complex, global organizations with 5+ years of direct manager experience.
• Proven ability to translate strategy, regulatory, and policy requirements into scalable, operational systems with clear ownership, measurable outcomes, and adoption by product and engineering teams.
• Technical fluency, with a track record of close partnership with engineering leaders on platforms, services, or AI‑enabled systems.
• Experience owning or overseeing enterprise operational functions such as incident management, governance execution, voice of customer, quality, or trust & safety operations.
• Demonstrated success influencing senior leaders and driving alignment across highly matrixed, cross‑functional teams (Legal, Engineering, Product, Operations, and Executives).
• Analytical capability, including defining, tracking, and optimizing Customer Experience, Trust & Safety, or operational performance metrics.
• Passion for digital safety, trust, and protecting users—especially children—in online and AI-enabled environments.

Technical Program Management M5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $274,800 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 $188,000 - $304,200 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.