Director, Cybersecurity Policy (Europe) in Brussels, Belgium

Improving cybersecurity and resiliency is a top priority for Microsoft and an increasing priority for governments globally, especially at a time of continued technological change and artificial intelligence driving innovation. Our Global Cybersecurity Policy team works with governments and industry partners to help inform public policies that advance cybersecurity and enable Microsoft and our partners and customers to innovate and compete in a complex global geopolitical, policy and regulatory environment.  

Microsoft is seeking a Brussels-based Director as part of its Customer, Security and Trust organization to help advance cybersecurity and resiliency both within Microsoft and across the ecosystem and help shape cybersecurity policy in Europe, including with respect to emerging technologies. The Director will engage with public and private sector stakeholders in Europe as well as collaborate internally with engineering and product groups to understand and help drive Microsoft’s security investments and prepare business groups for forthcoming security policy and regulation. 

The Director should have strong analytical skills, such as recognizing major drivers and trends, forecasting and prioritizing issues, identifying challenges and opportunities, and recommending and implementing courses of action that align resources and investments. The Director should be able to clearly communicate complex technical and policy issues to different audiences. Excellent writing skills as well as experience with cybersecurity, whether policy, operational, or technical, are required. The Director should ideally have an engineering or computer science background or experience engaging with engineers and technical experts.

Responsibilities

The Director will:  

• Lead and engage on a specific set of cybersecurity policies and initiatives, including with respect to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, consistent with Microsoft principles and practices and as part of the Global Cybersecurity Policy team. 

• Develop and deliver cross-company, globally applicable policy positions on cybersecurity, including with respect to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, as well as strategies to help advance positions in Europe. 

• Represent Microsoft in industry fora and public private partnerships. 

• Help assess and create internal awareness of key policy, legal, and regulatory initiatives and implications for Microsoft. * *  

• Advocate for, and manage, policy issues (e.g., social, political, technical), and lead the company’s engagement and campaign with internal stakeholders related to government affairs on priority issues, strategies, and/or programs. 

• Contribute to, and develops, Microsoft’s policy agenda and/or advocacy strategies for top priorities. 

• Respond to key strategic issues and recommend well thought-out actions by prioritizing, ensuring alignment with stakeholder positions, leveraging specialists, or escalating matters.  

• Manage affairs in rapidly changing and ambiguous political, policy, and industry environments. 

• Develop strategies for multiple regulatory and/or legislative initiatives by serving as a subject matter expert on regulatory and/or legislative issues to assess their impact on Microsoft goals and objectives; delivers materials (e.g., strategy, policy briefings, other documentation) to internal stakeholders. 

• Participate in internal/external events and supports executive engagement and participation in international events. 

• Build and maintain a strongnetwork and coalition with governmental and non-governmental stakeholders (e.g., peer and industry organizations, think tanks, academics, businesses, community leaders) to align interests to significantly advance Microsoft’s objectives in key priority areas; builds strategic relationships that position Microsoft as a key trusted advisor to targeted global political leadership and/or trade/think tank organizations.  

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Public Policy, Public Administration, or related field AND extensiveexperience in the private sector, government, or academia.  

• Proven track recordengaging with engineering groups and/or government officials. 

• Ability to build, sustain, and grow relationships internally with engineering subject matter experts, and externally with public and private sector partners. 

• Ability to incorporate different perspectives and collaborate, within Microsoft and with our partners, to drive outcomes.  

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to discuss and advance complex technical and policy concepts with diverse stakeholders at various levels. 

• Expertise in developing written materials and communicating content about security or technology policy issues. 

• Strong sense of commitment and drive to address complex challenges, individually and as part of a team. 

• Aptitude for learning, understanding, discussing, and representing industry and corporate policy positions for technologies and practices that are constantly changing. 

*Preferred Qualifications: *  

• Extensive experience in developing and managing strategies and relationships to advocate and influence technology policy priorities OR working on cybersecurity as part of an engineering or product team. 

The position will be based in Brussels. The Director will also work closely with corporate external and legal affairs, public sector, and engineering groups on proposed and emerging policies. The position will require travel, both within the European Union and internationally. 

#CELA

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, 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 and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations (https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/accessibility.html) .