Community Research Manager EMEA

Job Description

Overview

The Datacenter Community Affairs team is part of Microsoft’s datacenter organization – Cloud Operations + Innovation (CO+I) – supporting the growth and operations of Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure by bringing insights and understanding of potential new communities and developing local community engagement strategies to effectively manage social impact, risks and opportunities. In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

We are looking for an experienced communications, research, and community engagement professional to support the evolution of the datacenter community engagement and communication strategy in the EMEA region, which includes Europe, Middle East, and Africa. The individual in this role will be responsible for managing research initiatives that will inform site selection and formation of community entry plans. Research activities include gathering qualitative and quantitative data about datacenter communities and key stakeholders. Research data will be used to develop local community engagement plans, coordinate implementation with local teams, and development of targeted content.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include:

• Use your strong balance of consultancy, communication, and project management skills to manage community research for datacenter projects from kickoff through construction.
• Conduct research, including qualitative, quantitative, and desktop research, on community factors related to the siting, design, and development of datacenters in communities across the EMEA region.
• Work with cross section of Microsoft and CO+I stakeholders, including Construction, Permitting, Engineering and Design, Land Acquisition, Land Development, Energy, and Government Affairs as well as with local Microsoft teams to integrate community issues into datacenter project evaluation and decision-making processes.
• Analyze research findings to identify and assess risks to datacenter projects and identify potential risk mitigation strategies.
• Tracks community risks by project through integrated risk register and assures risks are assigned and assigned to appropriate owners.
• Uses learnings, data, and research findings from previous projects to identify process improvements that can be standardized and implemented across regions, working with cross-functional teams to communicate and implement changes.

Qualifications

The Research Manager will have a strong balance of consultancy, communication, and project management skills. The candidate will have at least five-year’s experience in research related to and supporting public affairs, marketing, communication or social science and has the ability to turn data into actionable insights that drive decision-making and business impact.

• Experience in community research and engagement planning
• Experience with large-scale development projects, such as major infrastructure or large industrial construction projects, is a plus
• Understanding of research principles and tactics along with modern communication strategies
• Experience developing and presenting strategic recommendations from a broad range of information (e.g., survey data, social intelligence, qualitative research, online telemetry, business metrics)
• Skilled at prioritization, creating order out of ambiguity, and marshalling resources toward achieving a common goal and a strong drive for results
• Excellent communications skills (e.g., listening, written, oral, and data visualization)
• Exceptional cross-group collaboration, including the ability to build and nurture partnerships, collaborate and influence across multiple stakeholders both inside and outside Microsoft.
• Experience with community research and engagement in a variety of communities (e.g., rural, suburban, urban)
• Experience coordinating and managing contractors
• Experience with infrastructure development
• Advanced abilities with Microsoft 365 apps and services including, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Sharepoint, Teams, and Power BI

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.

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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.

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