Construction, Project Management & Sr. Program Manager

Overview Global Workplace Services (GWS) plans, delivers, and operates Microsoft's global real estate portfolio of approximately 40 million square feet (SF) across an outsourced, multi-region delivery model. This role provides the global operating backbone for construction project delivery by establishing the standards, playbooks, frameworks, and analytics that enable consistent execution across Microsoft's global capital portfolio, and by leading the Program Management Office (PgMO). As capital delivery scales across regions, GWS needs common frameworks for how projects are planned, budgeted, scheduled, and de-risked. The Senior Program Manager authors the frameworks that regional PM leads and Tier 1 suppliers apply in-region, balancing global consistency with the flexibility that regional markets, contract models, and permitting environments require. The role is global in remit, operating across AMERICAS, ASIA, EMEAL and LATAM. It requires sustained engagement across multiple time zones with regional PM leads, Tier 1 partners, and regional leadership. The role also maintains a structured feedback loop with the regional PM leads, capturing lessons learned from key projects and translating them back into refreshed benchmarks, updated playbooks, and improved standards so the global framework evolves with real delivery experience. Regional leadership retains accountability for in-region project execution and delivery decisions. Responsibilities Standards and Playbooks • Author and maintain global construction delivery standards, stage-gate playbooks, process flows, and templates used by regional PM teams and Tier 1 suppliers across the full project lifecycle. • Define the minimum global requirements at each stage gate, from initiation and design through procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout, while allowing documented flexibility for regional market differences. • Establish standard deliverable definitions, RACI, and documentation requirements so projects are governed consistently regardless of region or delivery partner. • Drive adoption of and compliance with the standards through onboarding, training, and periodic reviews with regional PM leads and Tier 1 partners. Cost Benchmarking and Budget Structures • Establish a common cost taxonomy and standardized budget structures, including work breakdown, cost codes, and consistent allowance and contingency definitions applied across all regions. • Define the global cost benchmarking methodology, including normalization for market, currency, scope, and escalation, so cost performance is genuinely comparable across regions. • Maintain benchmark datasets by project and asset type and refresh them from completed project actuals so estimates and validation reflect current delivery experience. • Partner with Capital Planning and Real Estate & Facilities Finance (REFFIN) so budget structures and benchmarks inform capital planning, funding requests, and estimate validation. Schedule and Risk Frameworks • Define standard schedule structures, milestone definitions, and duration benchmarks by project type so schedule performance is measurable and comparable across the portfolio. • Establish the global risk management framework, covering risk taxonomy, assessment criteria, contingency logic, escalation thresholds, and mitigation reporting. • Set the schedule and risk reporting requirements for Tier 1 suppliers, including baseline discipline, change control, and early-warning indicators. • Define and report program performance measures such as schedule adherence, cost variance, change-order rates, and forecast accuracy. PgMO Center of Excellence • Lead the GWS Program Management Office as the center of excellence for construction delivery standards, tools, and capability building. • Partner with regional PM leads, Capital Planning, Sourcing, and Tier 1 suppliers to socialize standards and secure consistent application in-region. • Run a structured lessons-learned loop from key projects and translate findings into refreshed benchmarks, updated playbooks, and improved standards. • Lead the rhythm of business for the global PM community, including portfolio reviews, scorecards, escalation management, and best-practice sharing. • Define the data, tooling, and dashboard requirements that make cost, schedule, and risk performance visible at portfolio level and support continuous improvement of the framework. Team Leadership and PgMO Resource Management • Operate as an individual contributor, leading through influence and through vendor and supplier resources as PgMO Lead. • Direct and prioritize the work of the vendor-delivered PgMO team, currently five resources delivered through a professional-services partner, and of the Tier 1 PgMO leads, setting deliverables, quality standards, and delivery cadence. • Own onboarding, capability development, performance feedback, and the rhythm of business, including 1:1s and team cadence, for the vendor PgMO team, escalating commercial and contractual performance matters to Supplier Governance. • Chair the PgMO rhythm of business, including weekly platform updates, the monthly financial review, quarterly Tier 1 supplier QBRs, and the annual Global Partnership Forum. Platform Budget, Forecast and PO Management • Own the annual PM Platform budget submission and quarterly forecast, including validation of SOW costs, variance analysis, and consolidation of the PM & PgMO Platforms forecast. • Manage annual purchase order and contract submissions, monthly accruals, and supplier invoice validation. • Review month-end close activities and monthly spend-versus-budget and forecast variance partnering with Real Estate & Facilities Finance (REFFIN). • When necessary partner with Capital Planning and Finance on capital approvals and project and Capital ID posting. Contract and SOW Ownership • Own the PM scope of the Global PgMO Master Statement of Work, including renewals, extensions, scope changes, updated RACI, and scorecards. • Develop and maintain Tier 1 PM global statements of work, child SOWs, and amendments in partnership with CELA and Procurement. • Define PM and PgMO KPIs and scorecards, consolidate supplier performance reporting, and feed it into the global QBR cycle. • Support RFP and RFS pipeline planning and contract extensions for PM services. • Supplier Governance retains ownership of supplier performance conversations, commercial risk, and contract compliance; this role provides the PM scope, deliverable definitions, and performance standards. Tools, Platforms and Automation • Own the GWS Platforms HUB, including content accuracy, Tier 1 communications, and onboarding and training materials. • Own the PM Playbook, including content, update cadence, the stakeholder feedback loop, and change communications. • Own the Cost Model Report as the cost benchmarking decision engine, covering data validation, project inclusion, PER budget addition, guidance and commentary, and expansion to external benchmarking and new data sets. • Own the Scheduling Analytics tool and scheduling standards, the PER workbook and its Phase 2 automation, and the Lessons Learned process and tool, each with the relevant Business Data, Finance, or Transaction Management counterpart. • Identify and sponsor AI-assisted automation across various tools Global Construction Project Management Platform. Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership • Partner with Development Model Team, Regional PM leads and regional leadership across AMERICAS, ASIA, EMEA, and LATAM on adoption of the global standards, escalations, and lessons learned. • Engage Tier 1 PM suppliers and the PgMO delivery partner on deliverables, performance standards, and delivery cadence. • Work with Platforms Supplier Management and CELA on contract templates, must-have clauses, FIDIC and JCT localization, and legal process guidance. • Work with Finance and Capital Planning on the PER, budget submissions, capi