Senior Human Resources Manager, Data Center Operations

Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) team is the engine that powers our cloud services. Our infrastructure is comprised of a large global portfolio of more than one hundred datacenters and one million servers. Our foundation is built upon and managed by a team of subject matter experts working to support services for more than one billion customers and twenty million businesses in over ninety countries worldwide. And with environmental sustainability and optimization at the forefront of our datacenter design and operations, we continue to grow and evolve as we meet the ever-changing business demands that hold Microsoft as a world-class cloud provider.  

We are looking for an experienced Senior Human Resources Manager (HR), Data Center Operations professional to directly partner with and support one of our fastest growing datacenter campuses in Boydton, VA.  The Boydton metro has a workforce of over 600 employees and growing, keeping operations running 24/7, 365 days a year.  The Senior HR Manager will be fully dedicated to support Boydton’s datacenter operations leadership, managers and employees, and work directly on-site. 

This is an exciting opportunity to exercise a broad range of HR skills to support a unique and diverse workforce (datacenter technicians and managers) while scaling through the broader Microsoft HR ecosystem. We are looking for someone who is highly proactive and results driven.  You are someone who is an effective collaborator (both with the business and within the HR function), a trusted adviser, and a proactive problem solver who can work autonomously in a fast-paced environment.   

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Required/Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources (HR), Legal, Business, Psychology, or related field AND 7+ years experience with HR or related experience (e.g., hiring, training, performance management) involving applicable employment laws and policies 

• OR equivalent experience. 

Additional or Preferred Qualifications 

• Master's Degree in Human Resources (HR), Legal, Business, Psychology, or related field. 

• Human Resources Professional Certification (e.g., PHR, SPHR, SHRM). 

• 5+ years of experience partnering with a wide network of clients and across Human Resources to deliver effective business solutions 

• Experience working in a production, mission-critical 24/7 environment (such as manufacturing, warehouse, retail, military, physical operations in an IT and/or critical environment infrastructure) 

• General knowledge of employment and labor laws in the US 

• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with employees at all levels of the organization 

• Experience with facilitating and supporting change management initiatives 

• Effective communication and interpersonal skills 

• Ability to handle sensitive information confidentially 

HR Generalist IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $103,800 - $200,300 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $133,700 - $219,200 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until January 28, 2025.

Employee Experience / Engagement 

• Through in-person relationship-building and observation (“connecting with employees”), develop clear perspective on local employee and manager experiences, areas of risk, and culture of the local area to provide necessary context and guidance to datacenter (DC) leadership and broader HR team   

• Create and execute people strategies and programs that create a positive work environment, improve employee engagement, etc. 

• Be a trusted, neutral resource to employees and managers in helping them seek out support on HR questions and concerns leveraging Microsoft’s HR operating model 

• Act as employee advocate by looking beyond process implementation into the lived experiences of employees, managers, and leaders 

• Provide support to employees and managers on time-sensitive, urgent questions on the spot in accordance with Microsoft policy and process 

• Be present onsite during some evenings and weekends to connect with employees and managers on evening/night shifts. 

• Partner across the HR model to foster seamless, high-quality delivery of HR services (e.g., onboarding, offboarding, statutory reporting, tracking and reporting). 

HR Community Leadership 

• Have a regular seat at datacenter leadership and team meetings to partner and provide HR perspective on site strategy, goals, and challenges. 

• Partner with the Boydton metro leadership and HR Business Partner team to develop the broader team’s skills and capabilities, by providing training, coaching, feedback, etc. 

• Compile, share and leverage insights (anecdotal, case insights, other listening systems) with leadership and partners to propose and develop needed solutions and risk assessment plans.    

• Assists managers and leaders through organizational change and recommends inclusive leadership practices. 

• Supports the implementation of interventions to improve leadership and team performance.  

Projects, Programs, & Initiatives 

• Design and implement specific manager capability building efforts at the site attune with the different professions, shifts, and needs. Leverage and build upon existing broader manager capability resources and efforts.   

• Identify opportunities and engages local communities while promoting culture with stakeholders such as professional networks, schools, community-based organizations, etc. 

• Collaborate with Global Talent Acquisition (GTA) to support the recruitment and onboarding of the right workforce for the site, and collaborate with the recruiters and broader HR team. 

• Partner with CO+I HR Business Partners with various HR projects and initiatives. 

Crisis Management Team (CMT) and Disaster Recovery 

• Partners with the leadership team to design and orchestrate crisis management strategy, including emergency responses, disaster recovery, risk management, communications, and business continuity 

• Ensures assistance for employees by activating the company’s Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and employee well-being programs, during and after a crisis 

Operational Compliance 

• Maintain contemporary knowledge of laws, regulations, standards, emerging trends that may affect Human Resources (HR) policies and execution of these (e.g., legal signatories, court representation, health and safety, benefits, local documentation requirements).  

• Ensure compliance with applicable labor laws and regulatory environment.  Provides information on questions from leadership. 

• Facilitates the localization/update of policies and procedures related to managed projects and programs by analyzing trends and making recommendations to HR Business Partners; may manage and initiate the updates to policies (e.g., benefits-related) in collaboration with peer HR disciplines. 

Embody our and