Business Planner - Change Management & Readiness

Monetization Strategy & Licensing (MSL) sits at the center of Microsoft's commercial strategy. The organization brings together the teams that shape how Microsoft prices, packages, and monetizes commercial products, alongside the programs, partner motions, and operational frameworks that bring those models to market.

MSL's charter is to modernize the commercial engine for an AI- and cloud-led market. The organization connects economic strategy, go-to-market design, field and partner adoption, licensing programs, and regulatory considerations so that Microsoft can create durable customer value while operating with commercial clarity and discipline.

The Business Planner– Change Management & Readiness is an individual contributor responsible for coordinating the execution and adoption of commercial and partner program changes across the Microsoft partner ecosystem and Microsoft internal seller organizations.

This role translates defined business and program priorities into integrated partner and field readiness plans. The successful candidate will assess impacts across partners, sellers, customer-facing roles, managers, support teams, and operations; manage integrated workback plans; coordinate communications, role-based enablement, landing activities, and feedback channels; track risks and dependencies; and drive issues to resolution with program, operations, support, marketing, field, and engineering stakeholders.

Success is measured by consistent launch execution, partner and field preparedness, role clarity, adoption progress, reduced support and seller friction, and clear operational follow-through. The role works closely with the GCPS Channel Programs Readiness team, field readiness and landing organizations, and MSL program owners to connect business requirements with scalable partner, seller, manager, and segment execution.

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. 

Program Planning & Partner and Field Impact Management

Convert approved commercial and partner program changes into clear execution plans. Document impacts across partners, distributors, resellers, sellers, managers, customer-facing roles, support teams, and operations. Define audience-specific actions, deliverables, owners, milestones, dependencies, decision points, and launch criteria, and maintain an integrated workback plan through launch, landing, and early adoption.

Partner and Field Readiness, Launch & Cross-Functional Execution

Coordinate end-to-end readiness for CSP launches and commercial program changes, including stakeholder alignment, communications, role-based training, manager enablement, seller guidance, operational procedures, support preparedness, feedback channels, and escalation paths. Translate business requirements into clear guidance on what each audience needs to know, do, and reinforce. Partner closely with the GCPS Channel Programs Readiness team, field readiness and landing organizations, and MSL program owners to ensure consistent partner- and field-facing execution across Enterprise, SME&C, and other impacted segments.

Governance, Risk Management & Adoption Tracking

Run operating rhythms that provide clear visibility into status, risks, dependencies, decisions, and readiness by audience. Track adoption indicators, training and engagement signals, support trends, escalations, seller and partner feedback, and in-market friction. Identify readiness and behavior-change gaps, assign and follow up on corrective actions, and capture lessons learned to improve future launches and repeatable business processes.

Execution Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership

Own assigned workstreams from planning through stabilization, creating clarity on responsibilities, timelines, risks, decisions, and next steps. Build alignment across MSL, GCPS, MCAPS field and landing teams, business operations, marketing, support, and engineering. Ensure partner and field perspectives are incorporated into launch planning, escalate decisions with concise options and recommendations, and communicate progress effectively to program leaders and senior stakeholders. Improve execution by standardizing readiness assessments, audience-impact templates, launch criteria, feedback mechanisms, and operating practices that can be reused across initiatives.

Required/minimum qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Operations, Finance, Marketing, or related field AND 4+ years business planning, program management, process management, change management, readiness, field enablement, sales operations, or related experience 
  • OR equivalent experience.

Additional or preferred qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Operations, Finance, Marketing or related field AND 8+ years business planning, program management, process management, change management, readiness, field enablement, sales operations, or related experience 
  • OR Master's Degree in Business, Operations, Finance, Marketing, or related field AND 6+ years business planning, program management, process management, change management, readiness, field enablement, sales operations, or related experience 
  • OR equivalent experience.
• Experience translating business or program requirements into integrated partner and field execution plans, workback schedules, audience-specific actions, communications, training, manager enablement, seller guidance, and operational readiness deliverables.
• Knowledge of partner ecosystems, field and sales organizations, partner lifecycle management, indirect business models, and go-to-market execution; familiarity with CSP, authorization frameworks, marketplaces, commercial partner programs, or segment-based field motions is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex cross-functional initiatives, manage dependencies, maintain execution discipline, and drive closure without direct authority.
• Experience assessing impacts across partner and field roles, identifying readiness and behavior-change gaps, managing launch risks, and supporting adoption of commercial, policy, process, or program changes.
• Experience developing role-based readiness approaches that clarify what sellers, managers, partner-facing teams, support organizations, and operational stakeholders need to know, do, and reinforce before and after launch.
• Ability to use adoption metrics, enablement and engagement signals, support and escalation trends, and partner and field feedback to monitor outcomes and recommend practical corrective actions.
• Written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing status updates, decision materials, readiness plans, role-based guidance, and stakeholder communications for field, partner, business, and senior leadership audiences.
• Experience building repeatable processes, governance rhythms, templates, launch criteria, feedback mechanisms, or change-management practices; familiarity with Prosci ADKAR or similar methodologies is a plus.

Business Planning IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $106,400 - $203,600 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 $137,600 - $222,600 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.