We are looking for an experienced software professional to be the technical lead for standards compliance in China. The position will require the combination of software development experience with business decision support to help our product teams address the unique challenges associated with standards implementation in China. The role will include deep liaisons with product groups, direct engagement with China standardization agencies, interaction with software industry participants, and close coordination with the sales & marketing teams to support business decisions by product leads.  The individual in this role will be part of a globally distributed team dedicated to Microsoft’s participation in standards organizations. They will be responsible for developing positive, constructive relationships and must have a strong ability to communicate complex issues in simple, actionable terms.

The individual who will be successful in this role will work with clarity, credibility, and leadership on a complex set of issues with a wide range of stakeholders. Software development experience is a critical factor for the individual in this role. It is essential that the candidate have deep understanding of Microsoft technologies and a willingness to consistently learn about new technologies in order to spot issues in advance of their becoming a problem. Furthermore, it is essential that this individual have strong communication skills in both Chinese and English. The individual in this role will be expected to work effectively across organizational and geographic boundaries both within Microsoft as well as externally.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities will include:

Maintain a comprehensive map of all standards in China that affect our products from a compliance standpoint.

Build and maintain the core technical documentation necessary to educate engineers from the product groups on what must be implemented in order to meet compliance.

Manage relationships with all product teams that plan to ship products into China and work with them to build and deliver project plans for compliance that enable them to meet delivery and release timelines.

Work closely with the Corporate Standards Group in China to support negotiations with Chinese standards organizations regarding compliance and standards creation issues for our products.

Be the technical liaison on standards technical issues for services delivery and hardware partners for products and services delivered in China.

Externally represent Microsoft in standards committees when required.

Internally advocate issues or actions that affect Microsoft’s ability to successfully sell its products in China. Provide detailed and actionable insight and guidance to Microsoft’s sales organizations and product development teams as necessary. Work with corporate resources such as legal counsel, public policy teams, and the executive staff to provide guidance for the company to adopt optimal strategies.

Qualifications

Team/Department Mission

The person in this role will be part of the Corporate Standards Group (CSG) in the Corporate, External and Legal Affairs Division. Though the corporate team is based out of Redmond, WA in the United States, this role will be physically based in China. The Compliance Program Manager will work closely with the CSG China team and will be part of the global community working on related issues across the company. All members of this community are experienced, senior industry, and technical leaders in their countries. The person in this role will also be an integral part of the local Microsoft organization and will have a high degree of visibility with the local product group leadership. 

Travel Requirements

The person in this role will be required to travel domestically as necessary to address China issues. In addition, they will make trips to Redmond, USA to work with product teams and to meet with the rest of the Corporate Standards Group community (post-COVID). This role may require as much as 30% travel time. 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

1)         Essential Experience

5+ years of experience in software development. Experience working on standards issues as they relate to products sold in China would be preferred. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent is required, postgraduate qualifications preferred. Proven experience in standards setting issues is also preferred.

2)         Technical / Functional Skills

The ideal candidate has in-depth knowledge and understanding of the process and implementation issues associated with standardization in China. This candidate has an understanding of character encoding technologies, including Unicode. He/she has Microsoft product software development experience and has worked with product teams to make technical decisions based on business trade-offs.  He/she has knowledge of the local standards bodies in China and how those organizations interact with industry. He/she is an excellent communicator in Chinese and English with strong interpersonal skills. He/she has exemplary attention to detail, strong project management skills, understands political and diplomatic interactions and can cultivate relationships with key stakeholders both internally and externally.

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.