Head of Government Affairs, Middle East

Overview Overview: Microsoft is on a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Our culture is centered on embracing a growth mindset, a theme of inspiring excellence, and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. In doing so, we create life-changing innovations that impact billions of lives around the world. You can help us achieve our mission. Microsoft Corporate, External and Legal Affairs (CELA) has an opening for a motivated, skilled and talented corporate and government affairs professional to support innovation, drive the diffusion of artificial intelligence, and build trust with key external stakeholders, including by: (1) leading, managing and inspiring members of the CELA Middle East team; (2) providing market leading government affairs and public policy advice, support and counsel to the Middle East Area Vice President and wider Microsoft Customer & Partner Solutions (MCAPS) team in Middle East; (3) partnering with the MCAPS business to achieve the company’s revenue, deployment and growth objectives; and (4) supporting the company’s public policy objectives in a wide range of areas. The role reports to Jeff Bullwinkel, VP & Deputy General Counsel for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Responsibilities Primary responsibilities include:

• Team Leadership and People Management: The CELA Middle East Lead will lead, manage, coach, and develop a talented team of government affairs specialists and other business professionals and also oversee and orchestrate a larger community of CELA professionals focused on Middle East, inspiring them to achieve high impact, top performance and individual growth.
• Cloud and AI Adoption and Public Policy Engagement: The CELA Middle East Lead will support innovation, drive the diffusion of artificial intelligence, and build trust with key external stakeholders, with a focus on accelerating our customers’ move to the cloud and adoption of AI-powered solutions. This individual will devote considerable time externally focused on positioning Microsoft as the most trusted, responsible and inclusive cloud and AI services provider. In that connection, the larger CELA Middle East team is responsible for promoting an enabling public policy environment in Middle East with a focus on new and emerging regulations relating to digital services, digital markets, data, and AI.
• Public Affairs and External Communications: The CELA Middle East lead will be responsible for ideating, developing, and executing public affairs and external communications relating to CELA’s work, with an emphasis on creating and driving high-impact campaigns aimed at connecting with key external stakeholders, influencing public policy debates and outcomes, and building trust with the larger communities we serve in the Middle East.
• MCAPS Digital Transformation Support: The CELA Middle East lead will help to coordinate the legal services support for sales teams across the region. The successful candidate must be able to blend corporate affairs and public policy guidance and business-focused insights to conceive and implement creative solutions, with a focus on supporting the digital transformation of Microsoft’s existing and new customers.
• Trusted Advisor: The CELA Middle East Lead will serve as a trusted advisor and counselor to the Middle East Area Vice President and their leadership team and will serve as a member of the MCAPS Middle East business leadership team.
• Microsoft Runs on Trust: The CELA Middle East Lead will serve as a primary CELA representative on the Middle East MCAPS Compliance Committee and will play a key role in ensuring the MCAPS business runs on trust, complies with the law, and adheres to company policies.
• CELA EMEA and Global Leadership Teams: The CELA Middle East lead will be an important part of the CELA EMEA Leadership team and be expected to make positive and active contributions to this diverse and dynamic community, including contributing to the setting of strategy, tactics and commitments in support of the company’s and the department’s long-term, annual and quarterly goals.
• Budget, Vendor and Outside Counsel Coordination: The CELA Middle East Lead will manage the CELA Middle East budget and drive synergies in management and retention of strategic advisors, outside counsel, and other vendors.

Qualifications Required Qualifications

• Graduate degree in political science, public policy, law, or a related field.
• Extensive experience across corporate and/or field environments managing complex regulatory, government affairs, public affairs, legal, or related policy matters.
• Demonstrated experience leading teams and serving as a trusted advisor to senior executives, with executive presence and the ability to operate effectively across complex, matrixed organizations.
• People leadership experience, with a track record of coaching, developing, motivating, and inspiring high-performing teams.
• Highly developed written and verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to provide clear, pragmatic government affairs and public policy advice in a business context.
• This role requires proficiency in written, reading, and conversational Arabic & English as all business operations as well as customer communications are conducted in Arabic & English.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven ability to navigate ambiguity, assess and mitigate risk, adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, and make sound decisions in complex environments.
• Experience acting as an internal and/or external spokesperson and engaging effectively with senior public and private sector leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute medium-to-long-term strategies and advocacy campaigns involving complex issues and multiple stakeholders.
• Prioritization and program management skills, with the ability to focus teams on the highest-impact activities in resource- and time-constrained environments.
• Track record of building trusted relationships, collaborating across functions, facilitating effective problem resolution, and contributing to collective success.
• Demonstrated growth mindset, including experimentation, learning from successes and failures, and driving resolution with urgency.
• Demonstrated commitment to high ethical standards, integrity, and inclusive leadership.

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. 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 with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.