Senior Category Manager
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 14, 2026. First seen by Alion on Jul 23, 2026. Microsoft scores B on the Alion truth index.
At Microsoft Consumer Sales, our mission is to earn fans and drive growth by creating meaningful connections that delight and empower customers. We engage consumers around the world throughout their shopping journey, whether in physical retail stores or digital experiences across partner channels for Windows, Microsoft 365, Surface, and Copilot.
In partnership with retailers, OEMs, and silicon partners, we drive profitable growth across Windows, Surface, and Microsoft 365 while helping customers discover how Copilot can be their preferred AI companion to achieve more.
As a member of our team, you’ll be part of growing a multi-billion-dollar business, charting new areas of innovation and impacting billions of lives around the world. You also will be a part of a culture centered on embracing a growth mindset, a theme of inspiring excellence, and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. If that appeals to you, it’s an exciting time to be a part of the Consumer Sales Team.
In Surface, our business goal is clear: Profitably Grow Surface Volume & Share. We accomplish this goal in two ways:
- Selling TO our retail partners: Use consumer insights, market data, store level analysis, and device sales information to evaluate our business performance and develop seasonal, launch & sustain plans to improve our partners business, win share, sell units, and drive revenue/ GM.
- Selling THRU our retail partners: Plan and execute thoughtful and impactful promotions and full-funnel-marketing plans, focused on driving purchase intent, conversion & post purchase advocacy & consumer lifetime value for Surface devices & accessories.
Responsibilities
Key areas of responsibility:
1. Sell-In & Demand Planning (CPFR/ADP)
- Own the Americas CPFR/ADP process end to end - cadence, assumptions, consolidation, and publishing the demand signal.
- Hold accountability that Sell-In revenue and gross margin (GM) are met or exceeded.
- Run monthly demand-plan reviews with each market-maker account, holding the consolidated plan within tolerance of their financial targets.
- Reconcile Sell-In and channel inventory to Sell-Through / WOS targets, ensuring aligned signals across Sales, Channel Ops, Category, and Supply Chain.
- Own launch and EOL supply readiness, and build contingency / agility models that turn demand shifts into supply action.
2. Weekly Operating Rhythm (ROB)
- Stand up and run the weekly cadence that keeps supply and demand synced early: Monday supply update; Tuesday account outlook (Sell-In and Sell-Through); Wednesday consolidated Americas Sell-In view vs. plan; Thursday readout to WW Category.
- Continuously improve Sell-Through demand forecasting and channel-inventory monitoring.
3. Sell-In Outlook & Insight
- Own the Sell-In outlook by account within the consolidated Americas plan (sell-thru and promo by account are set by the account and category owners).
- Provide the context and insight behind the Sell-In plan - the assumptions, drivers, and risks that explain the numbers, not the numbers alone.
4. Cross-Team Orchestration (Partner & Direct)
- Orchestrate across NA account, operations, finance, supply chain, and marketing teams to converge on one plan - leading through influence without authority across partner and direct.
- Partner with the US and Distribution/Canada account leads (including D&H, Ingram, and Synnex) to align sell-in and inventory positions; the role owns the cross-account process and consolidation, while the account relationships remain with the account leads.
- Optimize MSFT, distributor, and end-retailer inventory positions across the portfolio.
Qualifications
Required/minimum qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Economics, Public Relations, Engineering, or related field AND 4+ years category management, product management, marketing strategy, business planning, product planning, or related work experience
- OR equivalent experience.
Additional or preferred qualifications
- Master's Degree in Business Administration, Business, Marketing, Communications, Economics, Public Relations, or related field AND 6+ years category management, product management, marketing strategy, business planning, product planning, or related work experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Economics, Public Relations, Engineering, or related field AND 8+ years category management, product management, marketing strategy, business planning, product planning, or related work experience OR equivalent experience.
- 4+ years experience managing and expanding a category and attaining sales and profitability targets within a complex (e.g., multinational or matrixed) organization OR equivalent experience.
Category Management 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.