Senior Director of Partner Relations & Business Development, Gaming

At Microsoft, our goal is to enable every individual and organization on the planet to achieve more. In the Game Content & Studios (GCS) division, we support this mission by bringing joy and community of gaming to everyone. To accomplish this, it is essential that our gaming vision and strategy are clearly understood by the teams that make up Microsoft Gaming. From our skilled studio personnel to our dynamic marketing and sales teams, and everyone in between, every team member feels connected to the goals we strive to achieve.

As Senior Director of Partner Relations & Business Development, you will report to the GM (General Manager) of Game Content & Studios Business Development and Platform Relations to support our publishing efforts with key strategic end point partners.

As a candidate for this role, you will oversee strategic partner relationships, evaluate and negotiate high-impact deals, and help drive commercial optimization opportunities for Minecraft and other key franchises, while working cross-functionally internally with key partners across studios, product, marketing, sales, legal and finance.

In the end, it's the people of Game Content & Studios that make this place truly special. When you join, you'll find yourself in the company of incredibly bright, warm, and creative individuals - all united and working toward a single goal. Come help us reach it!

Account Management

• Own and manage relationships with key end point partners.
• Oversee product briefings, regular business reviews, performance tracking, and GTM planning across key partners.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for partner coordination across internal teams (product, sales, marketing, legal, finance) while managing overall business governance and escalation needs.

Business Development/Strategic Partnerships

• Identify, evaluate, and execute new partnerships and commercial opportunities aligned with overall business strategy.
• Lead negotiations on value accretive deals, working closely with legal, finance and other key stakeholders.
• Structure agreements that align commercial and strategic objectives, with long-term mutual value creation.
• Prepare deal recommendations and presentations for internal senior leadership teams.

Commercial Optimization/Strategy

• Advise teams on commercial best practices to optimize go-to-market execution, lifecycle management and maximize player engagement and commercial results.
• Leverage partner performance insights and market trends to help shape publishing strategies and opportunities.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Liberal Arts, Sciences, or related field AND 12+ years relevant work experience (e.g., investment banking, consulting, finance, marketing, corporate strategy, sales, venture capital, legal, business development, product management, project management, software development, or related field)
  • OR equivalent experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, strategy, or related commercial roles within entertainment, media or gaming.
• Proven experience managing external partners and successful track record of negotiating complex, high-value partnerships.
• Financial acumen and analytical skills, including deal modeling and performance analysis.
• Executive-level communication and presentation skills and ability to influence senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, highly matrixed, relationship-driven environment.
  
  

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Business Development IC6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $155,800 - $277,200 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 $202,400 - $303,600 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.