Senior Manager, Trade Screening Operations

Company: Microsoft
Location: Mount Rainier
Posted on: December 31, 2025

Job Description:

The Senior Manager, Trade Screening Operations supports the execution and optimization of Microsoft’s global sanctions and restricted-party screening program, ensuring compliance with international trade regulations and internal policy requirements. The role provides operational and technical support across Microsoft’s internal screening tools, assisting with system configuration, data quality validation, and process governance. This position partners with Business Engagement, Legal, Engineering, and Audit teams to enhance the effectiveness of list management, alert adjudication, and system tuning, using data analytics and automation to improve match accuracy, reduce false positives, and strengthen control performance. The Senior Manager contributes to rule-set calibration, model performance reviews, and integration testing across multiple screening platforms, ensuring alignment with OFAC, BIS, EU, and UN regulatory frameworks. Additionally, the role supports the development of monitoring dashboards, KPI reporting, and operational analytics, helping maintain system integrity, audit readiness, and continuous improvement of the global trade screening infrastructure. 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. Responsibilities The responsibilities of a Trade Operations Senior Manager: Support oversight and management of Trade tools, systems, and processes. Support internal audit inquiries for trade sanctions and screening operations, including providing responses to general audit requests, issue resolution, and Manager Action Plans (MAPs). Collaborate with Engineering teams to enhance trade screening system logic, algorithms, and matching thresholds. Partner with Engineering, Operations, and Analytics teams to implement process improvements, system tuning, and AI/ML-enabled screening enhancements. Define and implement key performance indicators (KPIs) and service-level agreements (SLAs) for trade screening operations. Help define and maintain system requirements for list integrations, entity enrichment, and matching logic improvements to ensure global scalability. Lead initiatives that reduce operational overhead while improving compliance precision and partner experience. Lead periodic health checks and risk assessments to ensure effective control design, data accuracy, and procedural compliance. Partner closely with and support the Microsoft trade business engagement and trade screening teams on any risks, gaps or opportunities identified through their processes. Manage, analyze, and coordinate the trade sanctions and screening risks through the trade risk repository ,consult with key stakeholders (e.g., Legal, business/cohort partners, engineering) and monitor the associated remediation action plans to closure. Identify and escalate issues which may not be addressed by current policies or standards, and support the development and implementation of possible solutions, especially emerging regimes, and programs. Compliance You will be working closely with other Global Trade partners, Internal Audit, Engineering and business unit customers and partners to provide subject-matter expertise and support related to OFAC and other country sanctions programs, as well as U.S. export control laws and regulations. Perform compliance reviews and investigations, identifying sanctions/OFAC-related risks or concerns and proposing remediation solutions. Maintain awareness of regulatory changes related to trade sanctions, ensuring proper communication and timely implementation of new procedures and/or enhanced due diligence programs in compliance with any change in laws and regulations. Support the business engagement team with their sanctions/OFAC/export control reviews, including transactional lookbacks, process improvements, system tuning, and segregation. Draft memos for internal clients and stakeholders detailing risk and mitigation measures. Provide guidance and ensure compliance with sanctions’ laws, including end-user and end-use regulatory requirements. Regulatory reporting, management reporting, operational metrics, visibility, communication, and sharing achievements. Stakeholder Engagement Provides consultation, communications, direction, roadmap objectives, and awareness to senior stakeholders in various business functions to ensure Trade compliance covering Sanctions & Embargoes, Export controls and Customs. Partners with global business stakeholders to ensure compliance with export and import control laws and regulations in Microsofts numerous jurisdictions. Facilitates an environment of inclusion that leverages diverse perspectives and talent, to better represent and understand global customers. Conduct Executive Briefings Audit Plans for review of trade controls, compliance reviews, and audits supporting Microsofts government-controlled programs. Identifies areas for improvement, provides feedback to staff and auditors, and executes corrective action plans. Reporting Helps the team provide appropriate data-collection efforts for regulatory obligations. Manages trade related risk analysis, setting metrics and KPIs, and defining the requirements for trade solutions. Contributes to the research development and implementation of reporting and insights across the enterprise. Establishes standardized reporting frameworks and dashboards to enhance visibility across trade screening operations. Partners with analytics and engineering teams to ensure data integrity, accuracy, and availability for internal and external (e.g., government) reporting requirements. Deliver concise, actionable reporting to Trade leadership, highlighting trends, compliance risks, and system efficiency insights. Process Improvement Drive efficiencies for trade processes by monitoring feedback (e.g., from internal controllership), determine needed updates, institute policy changes by overseeing updates for Procedures, and provide executive communication updates. Drive innovation across the organization to support process improvement. Leadership Capabilities Demonstrates a strategic mindset — balancing operational efficiency with regulatory rigor. Drives continuous improvement and innovation in compliance operations. Communicates with clarity and influence across technical, legal, and business audiences. Embodies Microsoft’s values of integrity, accountability, and global impact. Qualifications Required/Minimum qualifications Bachelors Degree in Business Administration, Law, or related field AND 4 years corporate, trade, or supply chain experience in an export compliance function OR Masters Degree in Business Administration, Law, or related field AND 3 years corporate, trade, or supply chain experience OR equivalent experience 5 years’ experience managing trade screening systems (SAP BIS, Oracle GTS, Dow Jones, Descartes, or equivalent and all associated processes) Additional or Preferred qualifications Masters degree in Business Administration, Law, or related field AND 6 years of corporate, trade, or supply chain experience OR Bachelors degree in Business Administration, Law, or related field AND 8 years of corporate, trade, or supply chain experience OR equivalent experience Licensed Customs Broker or in-country equivalent 5 years’ experience managing trade screening systems (SAP BIS, Oracle GTS, Dow Jones, Descartes, or equivalent and all associated processes Certification with ECTI (similar export certification program) or equivalent or in-country professional trade certifications or licenses Strong knowledge of OFAC, BIS, EU, UK, and UN sanctions regulations and related compliance frameworks Experience with system and process design Import Export Trade IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $96,500 - $188,400 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 $123,500 - $206,400 per year.

Keywords: Microsoft, Sterling , Senior Manager, Trade Screening Operations, IT / Software / Systems , Mount Rainier, Virginia