Senior Submarine Project Manager

Over the past years, Microsoft has made significant 1st party investments into submarine network systems around the world to help drive industry innovation and ensure our global capacity demands are met. We hold our obligations in these investments, commitments with investment partners and host nations, as well as our duties to the end user customers in the highest standards. As such, Microsoft is seeking world class talents to drive the on-going success of these long-term projects from the operational angle. Projects which are highly strategic to our overall capability as a cloud provider and AI services used by millions of consumers and business around the world. We're looking for an experienced and courageous professional who can support, influence, and deliver network infrastructure in a fast-paced production environment—you must be agile and able to adapt to changing conditions and priorities. The successful candidate will need excellent analytical, communication, people management and collaboration skills. You will be working with people from many different teams and backgrounds requiring an open mind-set. You must be able to influence others and work cross-functionally to achieve broad goals. A proven track record of successfully managing projects, great talent and stakeholders are skillsets needed to be demonstrated resulting in measurable impact to be successful in this role.

In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

The Submarine Operations Manager will be responsible for managing, normalizing, and driving steady state execution across several aspects of our subsea investment portfolio. This position will hold deep submarine projects and operations responsibilities supporting several systems.

Required Qualifications

• B.S - Engineering, Communications Infrastructure Related
• Effective executive communication, organizational and presentation skills
• Executive level budgeting and strong financial acumen
• Demonstrated outstanding contracts organization skills, contractual risk and priority assessment skills and obligation evaluation acumen.
• Minimum 5+ Years' Experience Planning, Budgeting and Executing submarine cable projects.
• Minimum 5+ Years proven experience and deep understanding of the following types of agreements in the subsea communications industry on one or several major subsea cable systems as a first party owner:
• Project implementation
• Planning
• Engineering
• O&M
• NOC
• 5+ Years' cable project implementation in Subsea or Terrestrial Fiber Optical Networks, Optical Line Systems, and technologies - Carrier, Cloud/AI/Big Tech or OEM
• 5+ Years proven experience managing Backhaul access planning, programs, and relationships - US & Global

• Ability to work with people in different time zones. 

Ability to travel globally up to 30%

Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings: Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in submarine cable station, cable project planning and implementation
• 3+ years of daily operation experience in submarine cable station. Solid working understanding of domestic and global carrier networks
• 5+ years of experience in Network, Data Center/Colo sourcing/acquisition and contracting.
• Great problem solving, strategic thinking and technical skills.
• Business Acumen demonstrated through prior work or education.
• Self-driven and ability to work with minimal direction.
• Experience with a data driven/metrics-driven mindset and the ability to experiment, learn and improve.

• Familiarity with service catalog /workflow methodologies

• Previous direct work with a Telecom provider or/and OTT Subsea team
• Experience working with Telecom and Subsea providers.

Previous experience working with Microsoft telecom and network capacity planning teams

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.

• Aligning with Microsoft network investment and commercial managers bringing a system operators approach and outlook to engagements in and to the submarine consortium or joint investment community on a system-by-system basis.
• Active and key contributor at consortium/committee meetings, particularly in CCM, IPG, MWG & TWG to effectively represent the needs and interests of Microsoft.
• Responsible for ensuring submarine cable project implementation, be a part of a dynamic workforce ensuring smooth operations, maintenance and technical excellence.
• Establish partnership strategies for long term relationships with key vendors and peers including pulling parties together into submarine cable projects with negotiating ITT, JBAs / C&MAas, Supply Contracts & Non-Supply Contracts.
• Internally responsible for planning, communicating, representing, and securing the ongoing funding year over year needed to meet and exceed our obligations to the system often as the Maintenance Authority.
• Responsible for ensuring billing milestones and payment are met with predictability and ease through proper long range & detailed budgeting across all Supply and Non-Supply contracts. Heavy engagement with Microsoft Finance and Tax team
• Planning, communicating, and executing against budgets on system upgrade plans.
• Work with and across procurement organizations, planning annual purchase orders and executing contracts as needed, ensuring a predictable rhythm to this business.
• Serve as the escalation point and remediation expert for all matters related to MSFT owned Cable systems and Cable landing station infrastructure (access and related works), Network Operations (NOC) and Data Centre (DC) as needed across multiple systems. Works closely with Security, Facilities Management, External Service Providers and Vendors.
• Partner with global Microsoft Legal teams to ensure contract clarity, contract integrity, contract compliance in each country of operation or/and obligation.
• Ensure all MSFT contracted year over year obligations is clearly communicated to CO+I executive leadership, perform executive briefings on the status and health of the systems, cost reviews and the partnering relationships around the system.
• Ensures and develops internal repository and secure access and availability to information pertaining to all aspects of MSFT's involvement in MSFT contracted subsea programs.
• Works externally representing MSFT and / or a "system" to various environmental groups and 3rd party industry committees of which we are in deep cooperative efforts to ensure the health of our systems.