[Hiring] Director, Cost Management @Microsoft

Role Description

Microsoft Cloud Operations + Innovation (CO+I) is the team behind the cloud. CO+I is responsible for delivering over 200 Microsoft web portals, Live and Online Services around the world including infrastructure, security and compliance, operations, globalization, and manageability. Our focus is on smart growth, high efficiency, and delivering trusted experience to customers and partners worldwide. We are looking for a passionate individual to help build the network that powers the world’s largest online services.

This position requires verification of United States citizenship due to citizenship-based legal restrictions applicable to the role. You will need to provide a valid passport, or other approved documents, or verified US government clearance to verify your citizenship.

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.

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.

Responsibilities

• Cost & Estimation Leadership
  • Lead the Air-Gapped Cloud Cost and Estimation function, establishing strategy, operating rhythms, standards, priorities, and measurable outcomes across the portfolio.
  • Establish consistent estimating methodologies from feasibility and conceptual planning through progressively refined construction estimates.
  • Drive development and governance of Basis of Estimate documentation, including assumptions, clarifications, exclusions, quantities, unit rates, productivity assumptions, benchmarks, and estimate validation.
  • Establish consistent Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS) and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) alignment to enable transparent comparison of estimates, forecasts, commitments, and actual costs.
  • Lead estimate validation using quantity analysis, unit-rate analysis, historical data, benchmarking, market intelligence, and risk analysis.
  • Develop scalable cost models and estimating approaches supporting scenario planning, feasibility analysis, design alternatives, value engineering, and portfolio planning.
  • Current AGC estimating materials emphasize quantity-led estimating, CBS/WBS mapping, unit-rate analysis, benchmarking, and detailed Basis of Estimate development.
• Cost Management & Portfolio Governance
  • Establish the operating framework connecting estimates, budgets, forecasts, Estimate at Completion (EAC), cash flow, risk, changes, commitments, and actual costs.
  • Establish clear accountability and governance for major cost artifacts throughout the project lifecycle.
  • Lead portfolio-level analysis to identify cost trends, variance drivers, systemic risks, opportunities, and corrective actions.
  • Establish benchmarking and cost-performance capabilities that improve future estimates and inform investment decisions.
  • Partner with Finance to strengthen portfolio forecasting, EAC accuracy, cash-flow visibility, and cost governance.
  • Present executive-level cost information that translates complex construction and financial data into clear risks, decisions, and recommendations.
• Preconstruction & Estimating Excellence
  • Lead development and continuous improvement of estimating standards, templates, cost models, reference data, benchmarks, and controls.
  • Ensure estimates appropriately capture project scope, quantities, labor, materials, equipment, indirects, escalation, procurement assumptions, construction strategy, and risk.
  • Partner across Design, Construction, and Procurement to identify scope gaps, overlaps, assumptions, exclusions, and cost ownership early in the lifecycle.
  • Establish effective cost benchmarking using historical project and market information.
  • Evaluate escalation, commodity, labor, and market impacts and translate those findings into actionable cost insights.
  • Promote early identification and quantification of cost and scope risks to reduce avoidable downstream changes.
• Construction Cost Control
  • Provide leadership for cost management throughout procurement and construction execution, including change evaluation, forecasting, payment review, and financial closeout.
  • Establish mechanisms for evaluating cost impacts associated with design development, procurement decisions, field changes, schedule impacts, and construction risk.
  • Ensure accurate and timely visibility into project and portfolio financial performance.
  • Provide cost information and recommendations that support project governance, funding, and business decisions throughout delivery.
• People Leadership
  • Recruit, lead, coach, and develop a diverse team of cost-management and estimating professionals.
  • Establish clear roles, responsibilities, goals, decision rights, and accountability across the organization.
  • Build technical depth and succession capability through coaching, standards, knowledge sharing, and structured development.
  • Create an environment where people surface risks early, challenge assumptions constructively, collaborate effectively, and continuously improve.
  • Foster a culture of growth mindset, inclusion, customer focus, accountability, and One Microsoft collaboration.
• Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Serve as a Cost and Estimation leader across Air-Gapped Cloud Delivery & Execution.
  • Build strong partnerships across Engineering, Design, Construction, Procurement/Supply Chain, Finance, E2E Program Management, Security, and business leadership.
  • Lead resolution of complex and ambiguous cost issues through quantitative analysis and clear decision frameworks.
  • Represent Cost and Estimation in portfolio governance and executive reviews.
  • Balance construction-industry practices with the specialized execution requirements of Air-Gapped Cloud.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree AND 8+ years experience in engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, Architecture, Finance, Business, Project Management and experience in construction estimating, cost management, project controls, commercial management, or major capital programs OR equivalent experience.
• 3+ years people management experience.
• 6+ years of experience managing cross-functional and/or cross-team projects.

Requirements

• Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.
• Citizenship & Citizenship Verification: This position requires verification of U.S. citizenship due to citizenship-based legal restrictions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven experience leading cost estimating and/or cost-management activities for large-scale capital construction or infrastructure programs.
• Experience leading and developing people, setting organizational priorities, establishing accountability, and delivering results through teams.
• Experience developing or governing construction estimates across multiple stages of project maturity.
• Experience in several of the following areas:
  • Basis of Estimate development
  • Quantity-based estimating
  • Cost planning and budgeting
  • Forecasting and EAC
  • Cost benchmarking
  • Change management
  • Cash-flow forecasting
  • Construction risk and contingency
  • Procurement and contract cost analysis
  • Cost reporting
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders and navigating complex or ambiguous business requirements.
• Advanced experience leading Cost Management or Estimating within hyperscale datacenters, mission-critical infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, energy, semiconductor, industrial construction, or similarly complex capital programs.
• Experience managing a Cost and/or Estimating function across a portfolio of concurrent projects.
• Experience developing enterprise estimating standards, cost models, benchmarking datasets, and governance frameworks.
• Experience with quantitative cost-risk analysis.
• Experience evaluating escalation, commodity pricing, market conditions, labor productivity, and supply-chain impacts.
• Experience with multiple construction contracting and commercial models.
• Demonstrated ability to convert large volumes of technical and financial information into concise executive insights and recommendations.

Benefits

• The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 per year.
• A different range is 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 $188,000 - $304,200 per year.
• Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation.