Marketing Manager (contract)

Microsoft is seeking a Marketing Manager for a contract role to lead product portfolio management for a digital direct store initiative. The role involves strategic planning, vendor negotiations, and cross-functional collaboration to drive category performance and achieve retail sales revenue goals.

Responsibilities:

• Lead comprehensive category strategy development and execution to achieve annual revenue and gross margin targets for assigned product portfolio
• Negotiate pricing, terms, and agreements with third-party vendors and suppliers to optimize profitability and competitive positioning
• Conduct extensive analysis of business data, inventory, orders, and invoices to ensure accuracy and inform strategic decisions
• Develop and maintain assortment plans that balance customer demand, market trends, and business objective
• Drive product pricing strategies and positioning to maximize purchase intent, conversion, and customer lifetime value
• Orchestrate end-to-end rhythm of business cadence, including partner review meetings and senior leadership presentations
• Partner with cross-organizational teams to create alignment on priorities and develop complementary strategies across sectors
• Execute thoughtful, full-funnel marketing initiatives focused on driving conversion and post-purchase advocacy
• Reconcile inventory, orders, and invoices with high accuracy and attention to detail
• Manage vendor setup processes and ensure operational excellence in supplier performance
• Leverage financial performance data and models to track outcomes and provide market feedback to corporate stakeholders
• Deliver clean, decision-ready analyses with minimal rework to support timely business decisions
• Support sales teams in leading regular partner review meetings and business performance discussions

Requirements:

• Minimum 5 years of overall professional experience in category management, product management, or related fields
• Minimum 3 years of hands-on experience in category management
• Minimum 3 years of experience with product pricing and vendor management
• Minimum 3 years of experience in product planning
• Proven track record of successful vendor negotiations and partnership management
• Marketing background with demonstrated ability to drive product value and selection
• Category management and portfolio optimization
• Vendor negotiation and supplier relationship management
• Product pricing strategy and competitive analysis
• Business planning and financial modeling
• Data analysis and performance metrics interpretation
• Cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management
• Strategic planning and execution
• Marketing strategy development
• Inventory and order reconciliation
• Project management and prioritization
• Market research and competitive intelligence
• Revenue and margin optimization
• Marketing, business, or related field of study preferred but not required
• Experience in consumer goods, retail, or related industries strongly preferred
• Background in dropshipping, marketplace, or e-commerce retail operations highly desirable