Program Manager, AI Transformation & Continuous Improvement, Vendor Operations

Organization Summary At Global Vendor Delivery & Solutions (GVDS), we are transforming how Microsoft delivers business operations at scale. As part of MBO (Microsoft Business Operations), GVDS combines operational excellence, AI-powered innovation, and strategic partnerships to create secure, scalable, and high-performing services across a global vendor ecosystem.   As Microsoft evolves toward a Frontier Firm model, AI, automation, and agentic systems are reshaping how work gets done. GVDS plays a critical role in enabling that transformation by helping operations become more intelligent, adaptive, and outcome-focused. We are looking for leaders who can challenge legacy approaches, accelerate adoption of AI-first ways of working, and build sustainable systems that continuously improve customer and business outcomes.

Summary   The AI Transformation & Continuous Improvement Lead is responsible for embedding a culture of continuous improvement across Vendor Operations while accelerating the adoption of AI-enabled operating models. This role serves as a strategic bridge between operations, engineering, service design, and vendor partners to identify opportunities for transformation, eliminate inefficiencies, and drive measurable business outcomes.   Success in this role requires equal parts transformational leadership, operational excellence, and change management. The ideal candidate will build scalable improvement systems, champion AI-driven innovation, and advance Vendor Operations toward a Frontier Firm model that delivers greater quality, productivity, customer satisfaction, and business value.   This is not a traditional Continuous Improvement role focused solely on Lean methodologies. It is a transformation leadership role responsible for helping redefine how operations are designed, executed, measured, and continuously optimized in an AI-first world.

Capability Portfolio Ownership & Feature Management   Own the strategy, roadmap, prioritization, business cases, implementation governance, adoption, benefits realization, and continuous improvement of a portfolio of artificial intelligence-driven operational capabilities.   Maintain accountability beyond deployment to ensure capabilities continue to evolve and deliver measurable business outcomes.   AI Transformation & Frontier Firm Enablement   Lead the adoption of AI-first and agentic operating models across Vendor Operations.   Identify opportunities to automate manual processes and improve decision-making through AI-enabled workflows.   Partner with engineering, service design, and operations teams to scale AI and automation capabilities.   Drive operational readiness for Microsoft's Frontier Firm vision.   Continuous Improvement System Deployment   Establish and scale continuous improvement practices across Vendor Operations using Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA), Lean, or other structured problem-solving methodologies.   Build repeatable improvement frameworks that create sustainable operational gains.   Facilitate cross-functional improvement initiatives that drive measurable business impact.   Ensure improvements are standardized and institutionalized through governance and operational rhythms.   Operational Excellence & Performance Management   Define and track metrics that reflect customer value, operational efficiency, quality, productivity, and adoption of AI-enabled capabilities.   Develop performance insights that enable leaders to prioritize investments and improvement opportunities.   Create visibility into operational health and transformation progress through data-driven reporting.   Change Management & Organizational Adoption   Lead adoption strategies for new capabilities, operating models, tools, and ways of working, using stakeholder feedback and performance data to guide ongoing capability improvements.   Partner with stakeholders to remove barriers and accelerate behavioral change.   Ensure