Continuous Improvement Lead

Overview

Microsoft Cloud Operations and Innovation (CO&I) is the team behind the cloudand AIinfrastructure.Within CO&I, theEngineering Procurement & Construction (EPC)organizationis responsible fordelivering core datacenter infrastructure for Microsoft's cloudandAIbusiness. TheMicrosoftportfolio consists of complex, multi-disciplinary, large scale, multi-year datacenter construction and lease projects.

If you want to havefundamentalimpact on how Microsoft's Cloud Infrastructure is built andoperatedglobally and want to bepart ofastrategic teamwithinMicrosoft,this job is for you!

We are looking for apassionate and high-energyContinuous Improvement Leadto helpaccelerate the construction process, driveoperational excellence, andstrengthen theknowledge basefor our Datacenter Construction organization.

Your role will focus on both performance improvementand knowledge managementacross theDatacenterConstructionorganization.Successful candidates will havea combination of technical and business acumen, coupled withexperience in drivinglarge-scaleprograms across multiple stakeholder groups.

This role islocatedeither in one or all hub locations - Atlanta, GA, Redmond, WA, San Antonio, TX or Phoenix, AZ.Relocation support will be provided, and successful candidates must relocateorresidewithin 50 miles of the hub office location.This role is eligible for hybrid or remote work, up to (40) %.

Relocation support will be provided, and successful candidates must relocateorresidewithin 50 miles of the hub office location.

Key Responsibilities

Your role will be split across both Continuous Improvement and Knowledge Management. Time spent on each scope will vary based on business needs and initiative deployment. The role partners closely with several stakeholders to extract key learnings from ongoing projects, develop forward-looking solutions, and position the organization for sustained long-term growth.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify, prioritize, and structure improvement opportunities that drive measurable gains in schedule, quality, cost, safety, or reliability.

• Apply disciplined continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., PDCA, root cause analysis) to diagnose issues and develop sustainable solutions.

• Partner with crossfunctional teams to redesign processes,eliminatewaste, and improveend-to-endexecution.

• Lead workshops, working sessions, and forums to capture learnings, align stakeholders, and drive adoption of improvements.

• Lead requirements gathering with internal teams to define functional needs for new and evolving internal tools

• Establish governance, tracking, and reporting mechanisms tomonitorprogress,benefitsrealization, and recurrence reduction.

• Enable teams through targeted training, coaching, and just-in-time guidance to embed continuous improvement into daily operations.

• Maintain andevolveroadmaps, tools, and knowledge repositories to ensure scalability and long-term impact.

Knowledge Management

• Own andoperatetheEPCLessons Learned programfrom end to end, including intake, quality review, governance,tooling,andresolution ofentries.

• ChairregularLessons Learnedsessions, preparing materials,facilitatingdiscussions, and managing all pre-and post-meeting communications.

• Review new submissions regularly and engage directly with originators tovalidatecontext, root cause, and intent prior to SME assignment.

• Lead program communications and recurring community meetings to drive awareness and adoption.

• Identify, plan,facilitate, and synthesize Lessons Learned workshops and retrospectives, translating outcomes into actionable insights.

• Compile and curate lessonstodeliver targeted, just-in-time training sessions.

• Coordinate closelywithpartner programsto ensure alignment, integration, and shared insights.

Required/minimum qualifications

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

Background Check Requirements:

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 or preferred qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree AND 12+ years experience engineering, product/technical program management, data analysis, or product development OR equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of experience managing cross-functional and/or cross-team projects.

• Proven experience in Construction Project Management (min. 8 years experience), preferably in Data Centers
• Strong problem-solving capabilities and experience driving Continuous Improvement initiatives
• Demonstrated track record of working cross-functionally and across geographies to drive impact and deliver results
• Ability to influence others without having direct authority over them
• Self-driven individual who can define and implement roadmap with minimal guidance

#COICareersand #EPCCareers