Manager, Operational Excellence, Microsoft Licensing Operations

Why you’ll love Softchoice:

At Softchoice, a World Wide Technology (WWT) company, we work together to make a new world happen. As an IT solutions provider serving U.S. commercial and SMB organizations, as well as the entire Canadian market, we help organizations turn ambition into real‑world outcomes. We do this through the delivery of secure cloud, AI, software and digital workplace solutions that enable agility, innovation and growth.

With a highly engaged, high-performing team, we are certified as a Great Place to Work® in both Canada and the United States, and have been recognized as a Best Workplace in Canada for more than 20 years. We stand proudly for our people and their success through career development and advancement, and continuously strive to do what’s good for our people and communities.

As part of WWT, we connect customers to the global scale, advanced innovation, world-class partnerships, and deep expertise of a leader in AI and digital transformation. This includes access to WWT’s Advanced Technology Center (ATC), a collaborative ecosystem featuring state-of-the-art hardware and software that enables customers and partners to conceptualize, test, and validate innovative solutions before deploying them at scale.

The Impact You Will Have:

The Manager, Operational Excellence is responsible for leading the operational execution of Microsoft's licensing business and ensuring customer transactions are completed accurately, efficiently, and in alignment with Microsoft program requirements and internal business standards.

This role provides people leadership and operational oversight across the full licensing transaction lifecycle, including quoting, contract creation and maintenance, ordering, amendments, renewals, and other related licensing activities. The Manager will work closely with Microsoft and internal stakeholders to translate program requirements into clear, practical, and sustainable operating processes. The role supports customers across commercial, public sector, and education segments and must understand how customer-specific requirements can affect licensing execution, documentation, compliance, and service delivery.

A key focus of the role is establishing and maintaining strong operational controls. This includes partnering with Microsoft and internal compliance teams, monitoring adherence to program and contractual requirements, maintaining audit readiness, and ensuring compliance requirements are consistently applied throughout each transaction.

The successful candidate will bring strong operational judgment, licensing knowledge, and a continuous-improvement mindset. They will strengthen the business through disciplined execution, clear accountability, effective controls, and thoughtful improvements to processes and tools.

What You'll Do: 1. People Leadership and Team Development

• Lead, coach, develop, and retain a high-performing Microsoft Operations team.

• Establish clear objectives, expectations, and accountabilities aligned with department and business priorities.

• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, performance discussions, development planning, and objective monitoring.

• Build team capability through coaching, cross-training, knowledge sharing, and succession planning.

• Ensure employees understand the Microsoft program requirements and internal controls applicable to their work.

• Manage staffing, workload allocation, scheduling, and coverage to support business volumes and service commitments.

• Foster a collaborative environment grounded in ownership, accuracy, continuous learning, and customer focus.

• Act as an escalation point for complex operational, customer, compliance, and people-related matters.

2. Operational Leadership and Execution

• Lead the day-to-day execution of Microsoft licensing operations across quoting, contracting, ordering, amendments, renewals, and ongoing agreement maintenance.

• Ensure transactions are completed accurately, on time, and in accordance with Microsoft requirements, customer commitments, and internal standards.

• Establish clear priorities, workflows, ownership, and escalation paths across the business.

• Monitor operational performance through scorecards, service levels, productivity measures, quality results, and other relevant indicators.

• Identify trends, capacity risks, process gaps, and recurring issues, and ensure appropriate corrective action is taken.

• Provide leadership and direction during complex licensing scenarios, high-volume periods, and customer-impacting escalations.

• Maintain effective business rhythms that give leadership and stakeholders appropriate visibility into performance, risk, and required decisions.

3. Microsoft Program and Transaction Compliance

• Partner with Microsoft to understand changes to licensing programs, operational requirements, transaction rules, and partner obligations.

• Translate Microsoft requirements into clear internal procedures, controls, training, and operational practices.

• Ensure Microsoft compliance requirements are maintained throughout the transaction lifecycle.

• Partner with internal Compliance, Legal, Finance, Sales, and other teams to establish and manage controls that support both partner and organizational obligations.

• Maintain appropriate transaction documentation and evidence to support internal reviews, Microsoft assessments, audits, and other compliance activities.

• Conduct or oversee periodic reviews of transactions, processes, and controls to identify gaps and confirm adherence to established requirements.

• Ensure compliance findings, transaction exceptions, and control failures are documented, escalated, remediated, and monitored through completion.

• Promote a culture in which compliance is embedded into daily operations rather than treated as a separate review after the transaction is complete.

• Maintain current knowledge of Microsoft program requirements, contractual obligations, and relevant internal policies.

4. Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to simplify processes, eliminate unnecessary steps, improve quality, and reduce operational risk.

• Lead practical improvements to workflows, documentation, controls, reporting, and supporting tools.

• Use operational data, quality findings, audit results, and employee and stakeholder feedback to prioritize improvements.

• Partner with IT and operational improvement teams to define business requirements and support changes to systems and tools.

• Ensure process or system changes are tested, documented, communicated, and adopted effectively.

• Support automation where it improves accuracy, control, capacity, or customer experience without weakening operational oversight.

• Establish sustainable standard operating procedures and ensure they remain current as Microsoft requirements and internal business needs evolve.

• Measure the effectiveness of implemented improvements and adjust when expected outcomes are not achieved.

5. Cross-Functional Partnership and Stakeholder Management

• Build effective working relationships with Microsoft and internal stakeholders across Sales, Customer Success, Finance, Legal, Compliance, IT, Enablement, and other business areas.

• Serve as a key operational contact for Microsoft on volume licensing execution, program changes, compliance matters, and escalations.

• Develop and maintain an understanding of the operational, contractual, documentation, and compliance considerations that may apply when supporting public sector and education business.

• Ensure new Microsoft requirements and internal business changes are evaluated for operational impact before implementation.

• Clarify roles, responsibilities, handoffs, and escalation paths across teams involved in the licensing transaction lifecycle.

• Provide clear, fact-based updates to senior leaders regarding operational performance, business risks, compliance matters, and improvement priorities.

• Educate internal stakeholders on operational requirements and the information needed to support accurate and compliant execution.

• Balance customer and business needs with Microsoft program requirements, contractual obligations, and operational controls, including the distinct requirements that may apply to public sector and education customers.

6. Governance, Risk, and Business Management

• Identify operational, compliance, financial, and customer risks within the processes managed by Microsoft Licensing Operations.

• Establish mitigation plans, monitor corrective actions, and escalate material risks appropriately.

• Maintain operational scorecards and reporting that provide visibility into service levels, quality, productivity, compliance, and improvement progress.

• Oversee process documentation, control ownership, decision records, and audit evidence within the team's scope.

• Contribute to operational planning, capacity planning, technology roadmaps, and business cases for process or system investment.

• Ensure changes to programs, processes, or systems have clear ownership, documentation, controls, training, and implementation plans.

• Provide functional guidance to internal teams on how Microsoft Licensing Operations integrates with their business processes and customer responsibilities.

What You Will Bring to the Table:

• At least three years of progressive experience in licensing operations, customer operations, sales operations, or a related technology environment.

• Demonstrated people-leadership experience, including coaching, performance management, talent development, and workload planning.

• Strong experience managing complex, high-volume, transaction-based operations.

• Practical knowledge of software licensing, contract processing, quoting, ordering, renewals, and agreement maintenance.

• Experience interpreting external program or partner requirements and translating them into internal processes and controls.

• Experience supporting compliance reviews, audits, operational controls, or risk-management activities.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify root causes and drive issues through resolution.

• Proven ability to work cross-functionally with Sales, Finance, Legal, Compliance, IT, Customer Success, and external partners.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate operational risks and requirements to senior stakeholders.

• A strong customer focus balanced with appropriate attention to compliance, accuracy, financial risk, and contractual obligations.

• Post-secondary education in business, operations, technology, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.

• Business improvement, project management, risk, compliance, or process-management certification is considered an asset.

• Microsoft licensing or comparable software-vendor program experience is strongly preferred. Experience supporting public sector or education customers, licensing transactions, contracts, or operational requirements is considered an asset.

Compensation:

A reasonable estimate of the current base pay range for this position in Canada is $95,000 to $110,000, annually + 12% as target incentives.

Actual salary will be based on a variety of factors, including location, experience, skill set, education, and related certification. The range for this position in other geographic locations may differ.

Softchoice offers a comprehensive and competitive benefit plan to all full-time employees, which includes:

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Health and Wellbeing: Medical and Dental Care, Employee & Family Assistance Program

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Financial Benefits: RRSP/DPSP Retirement Savings Plan with Company Matching, Life and Disability Insurance

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Paid Time Off: Vacation and Sick Leave, Holidays, Parental Leave, Volunteer Days, Bereavement Leave

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Additional Perks: Employee Discount Program

Softchoice uses artificial intelligence (AI) at one or more stages of its hiring process, including to screen, assess, select and/or rank applicants. AI is used to support, and not to replace, human decision-making, and a member of our hiring team reviews candidates before employment decisions are made. Depending on the location of the role and the applicant, additional notices and rights may apply and will be provided separately where required.

Not sure if you qualify? Think about applying anyway:

We understand that not everyone brings 100% of the skills and experience for the role.

At Softchoice, we offer opportunities to a diverse group including those with a variety of workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you are new to corporate tech, returning to work after a gap in employment, or looking to transition and take the next step in your career, we are excited to learn more about you and encourage you to apply.

Why You’ll Love Working Here:

• The People: You’ll thrive in our collaborative environment, surrounded by incredible colleagues who foster support and innovation, driving our collective success

• High-Performing Culture: At Softchoice, we are dedicated to achieving our goals and committed to success for our customers and each other

• Flexibility: Plan your workdays in a way that suits you best

• Award-Winning Workplace: Proudly recognized as a Great Place to Work for 21 consecutive years

• Inclusive Culture: We are committed to a company culture where every team member can be their authentic self

• Competitive Benefits: Benefit from competitive perks that start on day one

Inclusion & Equal opportunity employment:

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, inclusion & belonging. People seeking employment at Softchoice are considered without regard to any protected category including but not limited to, race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, disability, veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

Require accommodation? We are ready to help:

We are proud to provide interview & employment accommodation during the recruitment and hiring process. If you require any accommodation to apply or interview for a position, please reach out directly to asktalentacquisition@softchoice.com. We are committed to working with you to best meet your needs.

Our commitment to your experience:

We are committed to the safety of all applicants and team members. With that in mind, we have implemented digital interviewing for everyone. We understand that you may need to interview with distractions around you (such as children or furry friends) and we will be doing the same.

Before you start with us, we will conduct a criminal record check, verify your education, and check your references.

When you join Softchoice, we will onboard you remotely. Don't worry. It's quick, simple and you'll be connected with your new team in no time.

Job Requisition ID: 7767

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