Senior Business Development Manager, Gaming

Microsoft is on a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Our culture is centered on embracing a growth mindset, a theme of inspiring excellence, and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. In doing so, we create life-changing innovations that impact billions of lives around the world. As Team Xbox, we are on a mission to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet. We deliver on that vision by putting players at the center, enabling you to play the games you want, with the people you want, anywhere you want. We work with gaming publishers, developers, platform, and technology partners from around the world to bring Xbox and Windows games and services (e.g., Game Pass, Xbox Cloud Gaming) to Microsoft’s customers.   

 The Global Platform Business Development team at Microsoft is looking for a Senior Business Development Manager to help accelerate platform growth through strategic analysis, opportunity evaluation, and cross-functional collaboration that informs high-impact business decisions. You will have the opportunity to work across various teams in Xbox including product, engineering, marketing, finance, legal, sales, and others, as well as a broad set of additional stakeholders across Microsoft.  

In this role, you will serve as a key contributor within the Xbox Platform Business Development team, helping shape the future of the Xbox ecosystem through rigorous analysis, structured problem solving, and cross-functional collaboration. You will lead strategic assessments of new business opportunities, develop data-driven recommendations, and influence decision-making across product, engineering, and partner teams. You will be expected to proactively identify whitespace opportunities and emerging trends that could accelerate Xbox’s platform goals. This role requires a strong strategic mindset, comfort with ambiguity, and the ability to translate complex insights into actionable plans that drive platform growth and innovation.  

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.

The position is based in the United States, with consideration for onsite and/or virtual work flexibility and will require international and domestic travel. This description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this position.  

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Liberal Arts, Sciences, or related field AND 5+ years relevant work experience (e.g., investment banking, consulting, finance, marketing, corporate strategy, sales, venture capital, legal, business development, product management, project management, software development, or related field)
  • OR equivalent experience.

• Experience leading strategic initiatives and drive cross-functional collaboration, resulting in measurable outcomes from data-driven insights.

• Analytical skills with experience in financial modeling and market analysis. 

• Communication and storytelling skills, with experience presenting to senior executives. 

• Experience working in or with the gaming/entertainment industry,  platform businesses, or related fields.  

  
Preferred Qualifications: 

• Master's/Advanced Degree in Business, Sciences, or related field  

• 7+ years of experience in Gaming or Entertainment corporate strategy, management consulting, or investment banking roles 

• Track record of identifying high impact strategic opportunities that deliver customer acquisition and revenue growth.  

• Ability to develop high-quality presentations, lead communication with an executive audience, and generate alignment with internal stakeholders.  

• Analytical and interpersonal skills, with the ability to grasp new concepts quickly, simplify complex situations, and create clarity in ambiguous environments.  

• Ability to get creative and problem solve in complex deal situations.    

Business Development IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $106,400 - $203,600 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 $137,600 - $222,600 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

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until October 01, 2025.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

#GamingJobs

• Develop and drive strategic initiatives that support Xbox platform growth, including new business models, partner opportunities, and ecosystem expansion. 

• Conduct market, competitive, and financial analyses to inform decision-making and identify emerging trends. 

• Translate and present strategic insights into clear recommendations and execution plans to senior leadership. 

• Proactively collaborate across functions to identify and pursue strategic opportunities using tailored approaches and innovative business models. 

• Monitor and report on key performance indicators and strategic outcomes. 

• Contribute to long-range planning and annual strategy reviews. 

• Oversee the creation of partnership assessments and business plans for new deal proposals.   

• Collaborate proactively cross functionally and seek opportunities with customized approaches and new models.   

• Manages leadership expectations and escalations, with a strong ability to drive influence and consensus across key internal stakeholders.  

• Troubleshoots complex issues and course corrects as appropriate.   

• Embody our Culture  &  Values