Manager, Gaming Strategy

AtMicrosoft Gaming, we aspire to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet. Gaming, the largest and fastest growing category in media & entertainment,representsan important growth opportunity for Microsoft. We are leading with innovation across our entire business, highlightedby ourplatform,which spansXboxPC;XboxConsole;Xbox CloudGaming;alongsideourworld-classgamingstudios: Activision, Blizzard, King, Bethesda, Mojang, and Xbox Game Studios.

The Gaming Strategy team is a specialized group serving as the corporate strategy function for Microsoft's Gaming Division. We work closely with the Gaming CEO and Leadership Team toidentifyand evaluate transformative growth opportunities, helpingshapethe division's direction in partnership with Microsoft's CEO, Senior Leadership Team, and Board of Directors. We focus on:

• Driving research, analysis, and framing of competitive and audience dynamics within the gaming industry and broader media &entertainment;

• Supporting the Leadership Team in defining and articulating strategic direction forGaming;

• Leading project-based quantitative and qualitative decision support on critical business questions and strategic initiatives across MicrosoftGaming;

• Supporting Microsoft'scorporatestrategyrhythm of business.

We are looking for a Manager of Gaming Strategy with distinctive analytical, financial, problem solving, and communication capabilities to lead high-impact projects in collaboration with senior leaders. Ideal candidates bring experience from management consulting, investment banking, private equity, or equivalent roles. Success in this role requires the ability to frame and analyze complex problems, uncover insights,problem-solvecreatively, communicate clearly, and collaborate across a diverse set of stakeholders.

This role reports to the Senior Director of Gaming Strategy and partners closely with leaders across Product, Engineering, Finance, Business Planning, Business Development, Corporate Development, Legal, Marketing, and more. It requires comfort navigating ambiguity, building trusted relationships, and driving strategic impact across a dynamic, cross-functional environment.

• Drive competitive and market analyses to inform strategic planning, including modeling player behavior, evaluating industry shifts, andidentifyingwhitespace opportunities across console, PC, cloud, and mobile

• Championa player-first mindset by integrating player insights, behavioral data, and cultural trends into strategy development, ensuring our work reflects the evolving needs of global gaming audiences

• Lead cross-functional strategic initiatives that shape Microsoft Gaming's long-term direction, spanning platform, player engagement, and monetization

• Develop and articulate executive-ready narratives for senior division- and corporate-level stakeholders), synthesizing complex data into clear insights and recommendations that influence decision-making at the highest levels

• Support strategic planning cycles by coordinating cross-functionally,driving alignmenton priorities, and ensuringtimelydelivery of high-impact materials

• Collaborate on business model innovation by framing hypotheses, testing scenarios, and aligning with stakeholders across Gaming and broader Microsoft teams

• Conductcomprehensiveoperational andfinancial modelingof strategic initiatives, in close partnershipwithFinance andotherpartner teamsacross the division

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Liberal Arts, Computer Science, or related field AND 1+ year(s) marketing, strategy, business planning, consulting, banking, finance, economics, and/or partner organization experience OR equivalent experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Liberal Arts, Computer Science, or related field AND 5+ years strategy, business planning, consulting, banking, and/or finance experience

• OR Master's Degree in Business Administration or related field AND 3+ years strategy, business planning, consulting, banking, and/or finance experience

• OR equivalent experience.

• 4+yearsexperiencein Strategy, Management Consulting, and/or Finance.

• A solidtrack recordof driving strategic insight, considering product, technology, marketing, business model, and third-party/partner perspectives.

• Instincts for portfolio management, sound business judgment, and proven framing skills to support key trade-offs and decisions.

• Demonstrated hypothesis-driven, problem-solving orientation with the ability toleverageboth quantitative and qualitative analyses for decision-making.

• Proven ability to engage, influence, and manage positive relationships with key stakeholders, includingexecutivecommunities across engineering, marketing, finance, corporate strategy, business development, etc.