Senior People Operations Manager - Continuous Improvement

Senior People Ops Manager - Product Optimization

Overview

People Operations continues to evolve its operating model to drive scale, quality, and efficiency through structured Continuous Improvement (CI), Lean, and Six Sigma practices, augmented by automation and AI where appropriate. This role serves as a senior individual contributor responsible for orchestrating CI programs, ensuring disciplined intake, prioritization, execution governance, and measurable value delivery.

The role is centered on process excellence and CI program management—owning the mechanisms that convert operational problems into clearly defined improvement initiatives, tracking them through execution, and ensuring benefits realization. While the role partners closely with automation and AI solution teams, its primary accountability is process design, CI rigor, and execution flow.

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.

Responsibilities

Continuous Improvement (CI) Program Ownership 

• Own and operate the CI intake model, ensuring ideas are consistently assessed using Lean and Six Sigma principles (problem clarity, root cause, value, feasibility).
• Translate intake requests into well‑formed CI charters with defined scope, problem statements, baseline metrics, target state, benefits, risks, and dependencies.
• Ensure CI efforts focus on cycle time reduction, waste elimination, defect reduction, standardization, and flow efficiency.
• Manage the CI delivery cadence, ensuring initiatives progress predictably from intake through implementation and benefit realization. 

 

Lean & Six Sigma Application 

• Apply Lean methodologies (value stream mapping, waste identification, handoff reduction, flow optimization) to diagnose and improve end‑to‑end processes.
• Apply Six Sigma techniques (root cause analysis, variation reduction, control mechanisms) to address recurring defects and quality issues.
• Ensure improvements are designed into the process, not reliant on individual behavior or workarounds.
• Support establishment of process controls, KPIs, and monitoring mechanisms to sustain gains. 

 

Backlog, Governance & Execution Discipline 

• Own and maintain the ADO backlog, ensuring CI work items are properly scoped, prioritized, tracked, and documented.
• Support security, privacy, and compliance reviews by ensuring CI initiatives have complete artifacts and meet governance entry criteria.
• Track dependencies, risks, and constraints across CI, operations, platform, and policy stakeholders.
• Maintain strong operational hygiene—clear decision logs, status transparency, and audit‑ready documentation. 

 

Reporting & Insights 

• Own CI program reporting, providing visibility into throughput, aging, risks, blocked items, and delivered value.
• Produce structured insights that highlight systemic bottlenecks, recurring failure points, and improvement themes.
• Enable leadership visibility into CI health without taking on performance or people management responsibilities. 

 

Cross‑Functional Collaboration 

• Partner with operations, COEs, automation teams, engineering, and governance functions to keep CI initiatives unblocked.
• Act as the coordination point between problem identification, CI design, and execution.
• Influence outcomes through data, structure, and CI rigor. 

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources (HR), Business, or related field AND 11+ years experience in process improvement, continuous improvement, operations excellence, or program execution roles.
  • OR Master's Degree in Human Resources (HR), Business, Operations or related field AND 7+ years experience in process improvement, continuous improvement, operations excellence, or program execution roles.
  • OR equivalent experience.
• Proven ability to manage CI intake, charters, backlogs, dependencies, and delivery cadence.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to break down complex, ambiguous problems into structured improvement initiatives. 

 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Strong hands‑on experience applying Lean and/or Six Sigma methodologies in operational environments. Ideally with formal Lean / Six Sigma certification (Black Belt).
• Experience in Program or Project Management, particularly for transformation or CI initiatives.  
• Experience in low code/no code development, alongside exposure to automation or AI‑enabled process redesign -- without requirement for citizen development or solution engineering ownership.
• Familiarity with ADO or similar work‑tracking systems.
• Experience working across multiple stakeholders in complex, compliance‑sensitive environments. 

 

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.

Experience Level

Senior Level