Engineering Program Lead, Accessibility

The CELA (Corporate External Legal Affairs) organization is looking for an experienced Engineering Program Lead to manage the Corporate Accessibility Technical Team. The team has a deep focus on deepening inclusion and advancement in accessibility across all products, services, and websites at the company to deliver inclusive growth. The role of the Engineering Program Lead and team is to develop and maintain a unified plan, across all engineering, technical stakeholders' teams to drive for a raised bar of accessibility and innovation across devices, software, websites, apps, and experiences. This, while managing a core set of accessibility subject matter expert resources to help drive accessibility compliance, consultations, and guidance to our engineering partners. This person will welcome change, grounded on empowering all customers to achieve more, especially 1+ billion people around the work with disabilities. Focus on creating world-class accessible products and services and thrive on teams that constantly adapt and evolve to meet the ever-changing landscape and needs. If this sounds like you, this may be a great fit!
Responsibilities

Develop and execute strategic plans to build world-class accessible products across devices and experiences across Microsoft portfolio.
Drive the technical leadership program for accessibility, cross-division with clear strategic horizontal accessibility initiatives that advance the future of accessibility in devices, software, apps, websites, and services with providing equitable delightful experiences for everyone.
Understand the business priorities and strategies when it comes to the training and education of accessibility policies, engineering practices, and inclusive design to enable durable accessibility.
Manage a team of accessibility subject matter experts who enable our engineering partners via the hub and spoke model to deliver world-class accessible products and services via consultations, training, education, and guidance.
Accountable for delivery of measurement frameworks, processes, and maturity models to both understand and improve the bar of technical compliance across the portfolio that meets needs of the rhythm of business with exec leadership.
Define the cross company technical accessibility roadmap along with expected return on investment.
Partner with teams across Microsoft to ensure success in the development and implementation of accessible hardware, software, and experiences.
Identify, leverage, and advance opportunities to improve accessibility inclusive design practices and awareness across company.
Identify, leverage, and advance the future of accessibility via AI/ML, AR/VR, Robotics, and other future applications with the goal of producing pathways to drive delightful, efficient, productive accessible experiences.
Work as a core member of the Accessibility Leadership Team, in partnership with the Chief Accessibility Officer and peers across company to drive the future of accessibility at Microsoft and across the industry.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications


Bachelor's degree AND 8+ years’ experience in one or more of the following areas or combination thereof: Accessibility, Engineering Leadership, Diversity, and Inclusion, Inclusive Design.
OR 11+ years of proven Engineering Program Management or Product Development, driving efforts across multiple disciplines and teams.
OR 11+ years’ experience in Hardware/Software Development, Hardware/Software Development Management, or equivalent.
Experience leading technical teams both directly and indirectly (via hub and spoke) and implementing large-scale transformations and/or driving cultural change management.
Engineering knowledge, and experience driving technical innovation in pursuit of customer goals.
Customer obsession, and a real passion for accessibility.
Knowledge and or experience in accessibility industry/practice.
Demonstrated people management capabilities.
Ability to develop quality measures and metrics and use those metrics to drive product feature decisions.
Ability to deal well with – and potentially thrive – in ambiguity and successfully execute across a complex, highly matrixed environment.
Exceptional communication skills with the ability to adapt and tailor communications for different audiences.
Strategic thinker who can identify inclusive business opportunities across multiple business groups, independently drive alignment, and execute action plans that bring focus and cooperation.


Desired Qualifications

18+ years’ experience in proven Engineering Program Management, Hardware/Software Development, Hardware/Software Development Management or Product Development, or related area.
Bachelors, MBA, or master’s desirable.
Technical and engineering depth, evaluating, and determining roadmaps both directly and indirectly through others, a natural aptitude for communicating with senior leadership and addressing implementation challenges that arise from customer, company, or policy decisions.


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.