Governance Risk and Compliance Lead

Organization Summary

Are you ready to shape the future of global commerce and delivery? At Global Vendor Delivery and Solutions, we don’t just support Microsoft’s business, we redefine how it operates. We are the architects of transformation, blending AI-powered innovation with continuous improvement (CI) to deliver scalable, secure, and high-quality solutions across a dynamic vendor ecosystem.

As part of Microsoft Business Operations (MBO), you’ll be at the heart of a team that:
- Supercharges operational excellence through AI+CI, driving step-function improvements in productivity, speed, and quality
- Partners to accelerate growth, enabling compliant revenue expansion and risk mitigation across global markets.
- Delivers differentiated customer experiences, making it easier to do business with Microsoft through streamlined, trustworthy operations.
- Builds the AI-powered frontier firm, where bold goals, inclusive culture, and human ambition converge to reshape business processes and customer engagement.

We embrace “AND”—holding paradoxes like agility AND stability, innovation AND compliance—to unlock breakthrough ideas and solutions. Our work is challenging, creative, and deeply impactful, with opportunities to co-innovate with strategic vendors and transform legacy operations into AI-enabled services at scale.

If you thrive in complexity, lead with curiosity, and aspire to make a global impact—Global Vendor Delivery & Solutions at MBO is your next destination.

Role Summary

The Compliance Lead drives compliance governance, audit readiness, Responsible AI (RAI) oversight, supplier controls, and continuous improvement initiatives across Global Vendor Delivery and Solutions (GVDS).

This role serves as the bridge between audit, compliance, risk, supplier operations, and business leadership, translating governance requirements into scalable operating models that support compliant growth and operational excellence. This role does not have direct reports.

The successful candidate will lead audit readiness, compliance programs, audit optimization efforts, and governance modernization initiatives. A key focus of the role is reducing non-value-added audit activity, rationalizing controls, and advancing risk-based, automation-enabled governance practices while preserving regulatory compliance, control effectiveness, and stakeholder confidence.

Key Responsibilities

Audit Readiness & Compliance Governance

• Lead audit planning, readiness, evidence management, remediation activities, and executive reporting across GVDS.
• Partner with Internal Audit, Risk, Compliance, Privacy, Legal, and operational stakeholders to manage audit support and compliance activities.
• Establish and run governance mechanisms that improve audit preparedness, transparency, and accountability.
• Support Microsoft Data Security Program (MS DSP) and Responsible AI governance requirements across supplier-delivered operations.

Audit Optimization & Continuous Improvement

• Lead audit optimization initiatives focused on control rationalization, process simplification, and governance modernization.
• Apply risk-based decision frameworks to evaluate audit coverage, automation maturity, control effectiveness, and materiality.
• Identify opportunities to reduce duplicate controls and eliminate non-value-added audit activity while maintaining compliance obligations.
• Champion automation, AI-enabled solutions, and scalable monitoring approaches to improve assurance outcomes.

Supplier Governance & Operational Controls

• Drive supplier governance activities related to audits, compliance requirements, corrective actions, and operational controls.
• Partner with service delivery and supplier leaders to ensure effective remediation, evidence management, and ongoing control effectiveness.
• Oversee management action plan tracking, issue resolution, and governance reporting.
• Maintain critical audit and compliance repositories, governance documentation, and operational knowledge assets that support business continuity and regulatory readiness.

Stakeholder & Executive Engagement

• Act as a trusted advisor to leadership on audit, compliance, risk, governance, and transformation initiatives.
• Build strong partnerships across Microsoft, suppliers, and external stakeholders to drive governance alignment and operational outcomes.
• Deliver concise executive communications, decision materials, governance reviews, and risk updates.

Required Qualifications

• 8 years’ experience in compliance, audit, risk management, governance, supplier management, or business operations within a complex global organization.
• Demonstrated success supporting audits, remediation programs, evidence management, and control governance activities.
• Knowledge of risk-based controls, governance frameworks, internal audit practices, and compliance programs.
• Experience driving operational transformation, continuous improvement, or governance modernization initiatives.
• Strong executive communication, stakeholder management, and influence skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with supplier-delivered operations and vendor governance models.
• Familiarity with SOX, operational risk management, audit optimization, and control rationalization practices.
• Experience supporting Responsible AI, data governance, privacy, security, or compliance programs.
• Experience leveraging automation and AI-enabled governance approaches to improve compliance or assurance outcomes.

Success Measures

Success in this role will be measured through:

• Improved audit readiness and governance maturity.
• Reduction of non-value-added audit effort through optimization and automation.
• Effective management of compliance and Responsible AI obligations.
• Strong supplier accountability and remediation outcomes.
• Clear executive visibility into audit, risk, and governance priorities.
• Sustainable governance models that balance compliance, operational efficiency, and business agility.

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.