The public and private sectors have a unique opportunity to work together to address the world’s most pressing challenges. Microsoft is committed to doing its part by working closely with governments and others to help achieve important economic and social goals. To that end, we are seeking a State Government Affairs Director to join our team. The State Government Affairs Director will play a critical role in working in the Southeast states and with local and state government leaders to develop and achieve the company’s policy, political, business and relationship goals in a way that reflects the values of Microsoft. The State Government Affairs Director is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to influence public policy at the local, state, and federal level that support Microsoft’s business objectives and values. The State Government Affairs Director leads the formation of Microsoft’s policy agenda and positions on a broad range of issues, including technology, privacy, cybersecurity, education, health care, cloud computing, AI and more. The State Government Affairs Director also builds and maintains relationships with elected officials, government agencies, regulators, key opinion formers, and other key stakeholders to advance Microsoft’s interests and reputation.
The State Government Affairs Director will be responsible for state and local legislative and executive branch lobbying, and will also work with the U.S. Public Sector sales organization in its efforts to sell Microsoft’s products, services and solutions to government and education customers. This role will represent Microsoft externally with government, regulators, key opinion formers, and third-parties to advance Microsoft’s public policy and business objectives. In addition to working with government officials, this role will also involve interaction with senior Microsoft personnel and executives and numerous other internal and external audiences.
Qualifications:
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy, Public Administration, or related field AND 4+ years experience in government affairs, corporate affairs, public policy, or government.
- OR 6+ years experience in government affairs, corporate affairs, public policy, or government.
Preferred Qualifications:
- 8+ years experience in developing and managing strategic relationships to advocate and influence public/technology policy priorities.
- Experience with direct lobbying and ability to conceive and execute policy campaigns with the help of external consultants.
- Experience with emerging technology public policy or an ability to quickly get up to speed on complex technical and regulatory issues
- Experience in drafting responses to policy and legislative processes.
- Excellent political, analytical, communications, and government relations skills.
Government Affairs IC5 – The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $124,800 – $242,600 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 $159,000 – $264,000 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 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.
#CELA
Responsibilities:
Strategy/Program Management:
- Provides strategic vision and leadership for developing and executing top-priority program frameworks for achieving policy, regulatory and political goals.
- Responsible for determining and managing key policy campaigns and coordinating with cross-functional peers locally and with colleagues globally.
- Manage political consultants in the region.
Policy Development and Advocacy:
- Leads the formation of Microsoft’s policy agenda and positions on a broad range of issues, including designing and executing strategic campaigns, and identifying strategic opportunities for Microsoft to advance its long-term goals.
- Provides advice and counsel to executive management on unusually complex and critical issues or matters of concern to Microsoft and the industry.
- Anticipates and addresses novel issues and opportunities facing Microsoft and/or the industry in a rapidly changing and ambiguous environment and lead the development of associated strategies.
- Manage lobbying compliance in the region.
Stakeholder Engagement:
- Directs strategies to ensure regulations and legislation positively impact Microsoft’s products, operations, associates, and customers by collaborating with coalitions and relevant interest groups to achieve desired regulatory or legislative outcomes; negotiates and aligns complex or conflicting policy with Microsoft’s goals and strategy; monitors and responds to complex regulatory issues and new policies.
- Builds and maintains relationshipswith elected officials, government agencies, regulators, key opinion formers, and other key stakeholders to advance Microsoft’s interests and reputation.
Subject Matter Expertise and Influence:
- Develops and implements strategies for leveraging partnerships with external partners and key influencers to significantly impact the advancement of Microsoft’s policy and/or political agenda.
Maintains relationships with key influencers to gather and apply intelligence findings through a network of key senior executives and external stakeholders regarding highly strategic or sensitive issues affecting Microsoft’s long-term objectives or future issues. - Advises and partners with executives and key/ external stakeholders to gain buy-in on policy positions by providing expertise and strategic vision, and anticipating future issues; prepares senior and executive stakeholders for public testimony on complex issues.
- Provides thought leadership and/or champions cutting-edge initiatives and solutions that significantly impact the advancement of Microsoft’s long-term objectives and priorities.
External Relationships:
- Leads efforts to create strategic partnerships and coalitions with highly complex governmental and non-governmental thought leaders (e.g., peer and industry organizations, think tanks, academics, businesses, community leaders) to align stakeholder interests to Microsoft and optimally position them as advocates for Microsoft policy, political, and business priorities; drives strategic long-term, meaningful relationships with key political leadership and/or trade/think tank organizations and looks for opportunities to partner on public policy issue
- Provides thought leadership for identifying and unblocking potential regulatory issues that prevent access to market opportunities; strategically partners with the Public Sector and other key business/client leads.
Internal Collaboration:
- Designs, leads, and collaborates on cross-group projects that are of strategic importance to Microsoft, or that involve senior executive participation, to develop scalable and sustainable solutions.
- Leads the resolution of competing policy approaches by collaborating with Microsoft senior executives within legal and non-legal organizations to ensure a coordinated approach on issues with Microsoft-wide impact or high external visibility.
- Collaborates with, and influences, senior-level internal stakeholders and subject matter experts within and outside of Government Affairs to ensure a mutual understanding and alignment of objectives, priorities, and resources.
- Coordinates communication efforts with other departments within the organization to ensure that all stakeholders are aware of relevant issues.