Head of Consumer Partner Marketing

The purpose of Microsoft’s Consumer Sales Organization (CSO) is to earn fans and drive growth by building emotional connections to delight and empower everyone. We engage with consumers globally throughout their shopping journeys, navigating both physical storefronts and digital visits across Direct and Partner Channels in Gaming, Windows, M365 and Surface.

The Gaming Retail Sales Team is part of the Consumer Organisation and is responsible for selling gaming devices and multi-platform content through our retail, etail, telco and distributor channels worldwide. Xbox is a key partner in the retail industry, leveraging the strength of our entire portfolio across 1P and 3P devices, accessories and content, maximizing our retail partners unique capabilities, and implementing a player-centric go-to-market strategy.

With the help of our retail partner ecosystem, we are creating “Xbox Anywhere” experience to influence the way millions of gamers across the world search, experience and buy gaming devices and content.

As Head of Consumer Partner Marketing, you’ll be part of growing a multi-billion-dollar business, charting new areas of innovation, and impacting billions of lives around the world. You also will be a part of a culture centered on embracing a growth mindset, a theme of inspiring excellence, and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. If that appeals to you, it’s an exciting time to be here in Gaming Retail Sales.

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.

Target location - Sydney AU, also considering Singapore.

Responsibilities

Xbox is Microsoft’s Gaming brand and has been revolutionizing gaming and entertainment for over 20 years. You will play a pivotal role in continuing Xbox’s success by bringing existing and new gaming experiences to life and help our many global game studios deliver great games to our fans, wherever they play – on console, PC, mobile devices, and smart TVs. From blockbuster franchises like Halo, Call of Duty, Minecraft, Forza, Gears, and Fable, to new and growing IP, Xbox is dedicated to uniting our fans, because when everyone plays, we all win. Coupled with industry-defining services like Xbox Game Pass and Cloud Gaming, our gaming business is one of the most exciting places to work in technology.

In this role, you will be accountable to plan and execute consumer-centric, omni-channel marketing with partners that is aligned to global priorities, functional expertise and local market insights with the goal of driving conversion, sell-through and ROI for our Gaming Consumer Solution Area.

With a passion and depth of knowledge across our Gaming portfolio, you will work with partners to influence the design of unique Microsoft experiences across channels and at every touchpoint in the customer journey, working across organizational boundaries to deliver integrated consumer marketing, and execution excellence.

You will act as a trusted advisor to drive strategic decisions about our marketing investment strategy and marketing mix, leveraging multiple funding sources and working with partners to optimize impact and create joint value.

By joining the Consumer Channel & Partner Marketing team, you’ll collaborate closely with Category and Sales teams locally to drive marketing through a range of partners.

As part of the Asia Gaming leadership team, you’ll have the opportunity to share learnings and best practices across markets as well as leverage the global infrastructure for support and shared platforms.

Team leadership is important in this role and we look to our leaders to create clarity, generate energy and deliver results. You’re a culture-builder, attracting and retaining talent across unique perspectives and diverse backgrounds.

This role is flexible in that you can work up to 50% from home depending on Microsoft office proximity.

Consumer and Partner Marketing Execution

• Partner with WW CCPM and other Regional leads to measure and articulate ROI and value of thru partner marketing executions and investments against business outcomes aligned to MSFT Gaming strategies.
• Drive partner planning and investment strategy leading to Partner Marketing Plans to maximize reach and effectiveness across our retail and distribution partners.
• Localize global strategy to territories and global retail partners, driving adoption and usage of global tools, programs and playbooks.
• Assess partner capabilities to maximize opportunities and create joint value.
• Activate partner marketing principles to co-create targeted marketing campaigns with partners to support our lines of business, establishing clear KPIs and marketing value.
• Coordinate with International Gaming marketing teams across the organization to ensure effectiveness in thru the line planning.
  
  

Omnichannel Strategy

• Influence conversion in-store and online through seamless and connected shopper journeys.
• Land best-in-class product launches, key seasonal initiatives and sustain marketing.
• Develop co-marketing opportunities and plans with retail, distributor and telco and partners.
• Collect and identify test and learn opportunities for consideration worldwide.
• Activate ecommerce sales motions through digital marketing excellence, mobile-first executions and social commerce.
  
  

Team Growth & Development

• Actively participate in functional communities, ensuring effective communication and clarity.
• Attract, build and retain a high-performing, diverse team.
• Inspire people to do their best work and ensure the growth in the team skills and capabilities.
  
  

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing or related field.
• 12+ years' digital, retail, channel marketing, marketing, category experience, retail sales.
  
  

Preferred Experience

• 10+ years of Gaming industry experience preferably in the retail space with experience managing multiple product categories and a complex sales motion.
• Business and financial acumen. Experience in P&L management and specifically return on marketing investment. Experience in managing suppliers, working across business functions and entrepreneurial flexibility to support trends, market dynamics and new channels.
• Ability to engage and influence at senior levels – strong executive presence and cross-functional collaborator.
• Passion for Gaming, and for acting as a cultural ambassador for Gaming, making deep connections with fans and gaming communities across the region.
• Experience working across Asian markets preferably with key retailers, etailers and distributors.
• Direct experience interfacing with partners and a proven track record delivering growth/performance metrics.
• Understand the omnichannel buying journey, well-versed in sales channels, commerce platforms. Expertise landing and coordinating cross-discipline marketing programs and sales programs.
• Track record of marketing execution excellence and ROI through planning, operations-savvy, creative execution, readiness and analytics/insights.
• Strong, demonstrated, presentation skills to groups of all sizes and levels and a successful track record of sales and negotiation skills.
• Experience managing ambiguity and rapid change – demonstrate agility and risk-taking.
• Proven track record managing and developing high-performance, diverse, cross-cultural and hybrid teams.
  
  

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, 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 and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.