Principal Technical Program Manager - AI Frameworks

Microsoft is laying the foundation for the next generation of cloud and AI platforms-systems that must operate reliably, safely, and at global scale. This role is central to ensuring that engineering execution matches product intent across complex, interdependent infrastructure systems.

As the Principal Technical Program Manager - AI Frameworks you will drive how work happens at scale. You will bring order, clarity, and operational discipline, ensuring teams can deliver reliably and sustainably. You will orchestrate execution across multiple services, manage critical-path dependencies, surface risks before they become issues, and create the transparency needed for leaders to make high-quality decisions. You will act as an essential partner to the head of product management and engineering technical leads.This role is ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguity, can navigate across organizational boundaries, and excels in turning complex engineering realities into actionable clarity. You will bring rigor, insight, and a systems-oriented mindset to an environment where infrastructure reliability, developer velocity, and operational excellence are paramount. Much of this role is ambiguous; success involves transforming ambiguity into actionable clarity. The successful candidate thrives in uncertain environments, is committed to delivering high-quality results, embraces ongoing learning and adaptability, works collaboratively with cross-functional teams, and demonstrates strong ownership and accountability for their contributions.

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.

• Execution orchestration: Drive multi-team execution across numerous infrastructure components, services, and systems. Maintain the single source of truth for execution health, delivery status, and alignment to product intent. Ensure schedule integrity and build mechanisms to detect slippage or divergence early.
• Dependency management: Identify, track, and manage dependencies across org boundaries, plus writing white papers.
• Build and maintain critical-path plans that reveal coupling, blockers, and downstream risks.
• Operations: Establish and run cross-team rhythms of business (RoB), including reviews, readiness checkpoints, and launch orchestration.
• Risk identification and mitigation: Surface execution risks, capacity constraints, misalignment, and timeline threats before they impact delivery. Drive mitigation strategies without altering product priorities or increasing scope. Reveal implications and tradeoffs with clarity and objectivity.
• Governance and compliance: Ensure teams meet security, privacy, and compliance milestones. Track audit status and ensure risks are surfaced and addressed proactively.
• Resource utilization: Develop and maintain visibility into team utilization, workload distribution, and bottlenecks. Highlight when teams are overloaded, underutilized, or misaligned with business priorities.
• Accountability: Ensure engineering execution supports reliability, availability, and operational health requirements. Track execution debt and ensure teams have mechanisms to resolve or mitigate it.

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree AND 8+ years experience in engineering, product/technical program management, data analysis, or product development OR equivalent experience.
• 6+ years of experience managing cross-functional and/or cross-team projects.

Other Qualifications:

• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Additional/Preferred Qualifications

• 10+ years of infrastructure technical project and program management experience in a large tech company working with cloud infrastructure, AI/ML systems, or hyperscale distributed services.
• Familiarity with security and privacy compliance reviews, operational readiness, and service reliability practices.
• Ability to model long-range execution plans, capacity forecasts, and critical-path scenarios.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence across organizations.
• Systems-thinking mindset with a strong bias for transparency, accountability, and operational excellence.
• High tolerance for ambiguity
• Ability to work with executive stakeholders across business units

#AIInfra

Technical Program Management IC6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $163,000 - $296,400 per year. There is a different range 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 $220,800 - $331,200 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

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.