Senior Director, EMEA Energy Markets

Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) team is responsible for the full lifecycle of Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure, spanning site selection, development, and operations. Our global footprint includes more than 400 datacenters in 34 countries, supported by over 165,000 miles of fiber-optic cable. These facilities form the backbone of Microsoft Azure and are central to our commitment to reliable, secure, and sustainable digital infrastructure.

As part of the CO+I Energy Team, you will join a global organization responsible for securing resilient power capacity, negotiating energy and infrastructure agreements, and delivering the utility infrastructure required to support Microsoft’s datacenter growth. The team works across the full datacenter lifecycle, from regional strategy, power screening, and site due diligence through design, construction, energization, operations, and future expansion, to optimize time to market, reliability, sustainability, and economic value.

As the Senior Director, EMEA Energy Markets, you will lead Microsoft’s regional Energy Markets team across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (“EMEA”). You will own the regional strategy to identify and secure future power capacity, maintain a credible pipeline of grid and alternative supply options, and deliver contracted capacity on time and at a competitive cost. You will establish trusted relationships with governmental authorities, electric utilities, transmission and system operators, independent power producers (“IPPs”), energy suppliers, regulators, policymakers, and strategic partners to enable Microsoft’s cloud and AI infrastructure growth.

The Senior Director, EMEA Energy Markets will serve as the sponsor for EMEA power delivery. The role will align cross-functional teams in Finance, Legal, Accounting, Engineering, Construction, Land, Leasing, Operations, Sustainability, Procurement, Legal, and Government Affairs to establish clear accountability for utility readiness and achievement of the Power On milestone. The leader will anticipate and mitigate risks associated with grid connection, transmission, substations, off-site cables, permitting, regulatory approvals, long-lead equipment, energy supply, and commercial dependencies.

This leader will also shape regional energy policy and market strategy; oversee utility interconnection, energy supply, and infrastructure agreements; advance cost, capital, and risk management; and evaluate innovative solutions such as bridge-to-grid and behind-the-meter generation where they can responsibly accelerate capacity. The ideal candidate combines deep EMEA power-market expertise with strong commercial judgment, technical fluency, executive influence, and a proven ability to build and lead high-performing teams through rapid growth and ambiguity.

In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

• Develop and execute a multi-year EMEA energy strategy that aligns datacenter demand, regional growth plans, power-market conditions, sustainability commitments, and infrastructure delivery requirements.
• Lead the regional Energy Markets team responsible for capacity origination, power due diligence, utility engagement, commercial negotiations, infrastructure delivery, and energy-related support across the operating datacenter portfolio.
• Maintain a prioritized and risk-adjusted pipeline of power opportunities across EMEA, including grid-connected capacity, utility expansion, powered-land opportunities, bridge-to-grid solutions, and behind-the-meter generation.
• Oversee power screening and due diligence for new markets, land acquisitions, leases, expansions, and strategic capacity opportunities, with clear recommendations on deliverability, timing, cost, reliability, regulatory exposure, and scalability.
• Develop trusted commercial relationships with policymakers, regulators, ministries, electric utilities, transmission and distribution system operators, IPPs, energy suppliers, technology providers, landowners, developers, and third-party engineering and advisory firms.
• Lead commercial valuation, structuring, negotiation, and execution of utility service agreements, interconnection agreements, energy supply contracts, power purchase agreements, infrastructure contribution agreements, lease-energy arrangements, and other strategic energy transactions.
• Lead regional cost and capital planning for energy infrastructure, including utility contributions, grid upgrades, substations, transmission, off-site cables, long-lead equipment, energy supply, and alternative generation solutions.
• Establish rigorous governance, portfolio reporting, and escalation mechanisms covering schedule, cost, contracting, permitting, interconnection, equipment, policy, and operational risks.
• Anticipate and mitigate market and project risks associated with constrained grids, connection queues, curtailment, reliability, congestion, permitting, regulatory approvals, equipment availability, local opposition, energy pricing, and execution dependencies.
• Partner with Finance, Legal, Accounting, Tax, Engineering, Construction, Land, Leasing, Operations, Sustainability, Procurement, Corporate External and Legal Affairs, and Government Affairs to secure approvals and deliver coordinated regional outcomes.
• Shape EMEA energy policy and regulatory engagement in support of datacenter growth, market access, grid investment, faster permitting and interconnection, energy resilience, and responsible infrastructure development.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and first-of-a-kind commercial structures that can improve time to market, reliability, sustainability, flexibility, or economic value.
• Support the operating datacenter portfolio through tariff and rate analysis, supply strategy, utility relationship management, reliability planning, and resolution of material energy-related operational issues.
• Recruit, develop, coach, and retain a diverse, high-performing regional team; establish clear accountabilities, operating rhythms, succession plans, and professional development pathways.
• Represent Microsoft with senior external stakeholders and communicate complex energy strategies, risks, tradeoffs, and recommendations to executive leadership.
• Business travel will likely be required, approximately 25%, subject to fluctuation based on business requirements.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Economics, Finance, Engineering, Law, Public Policy, Energy, or a related field and 15+ years of experience in the energy industry, including electric utility operations, transmission or distribution, energy infrastructure, power trading, energy procurement, project development, or IPP power origination;
  OR
• Master’s Degree in Business, Economics, Finance, Engineering, Law, Public Policy, Energy, or a related field and 10+ years of relevant energy-industry experience;
  OR
• Equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of people-management or senior leadership experience, including leadership of multidisciplinary or geographically distributed teams.
• Demonstrated experience originating, negotiating, and delivering complex energy, utility, or infrastructure transactions.
• Demonstrated knowledge of EMEA power markets, utilities, transmission and distribution systems, regulatory structures, grid-connection processes, and energy-policy environments.
• Experience managing a portfolio of large, complex infrastructure projects with material schedule, cost, regulatory, and commercial risk.
• Proven ability to influence senior internal and external stakeholders and lead through ambiguity, competing priorities, and rapidly changing business requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• 20+ years of experience in the energy industry, including 5+ years at the senior leadership level.
• Experience in digital infrastructure, hyperscale datacenters, or another power-intensive industry, including site selection, utility interconnection, energy contracting, infrastructure delivery, and operational energy support.
• Strong understanding of regulated and competitive energy markets, tariffs, power procurement, project finance, accounting considerations, commercial risk allocation, and capital planning.
• Demonstrated experience delivering first-of-a-kind energy solutions, including bridge-to-grid, behind-the-meter generation, utility expansion, lease-energy, or alternative capacity structures.
• Experience engaging with European institutions, national governments, regulators, system operators, utilities, and community or industry stakeholders.
• Strong executive communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical, regulatory, financial, and commercial matters into clear recommendations and decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to build inclusive teams, develop senior talent, establish operating discipline, and deliver measurable results across multiple countries and cultures.
• Ability to balance accelerated capacity delivery with reliability, sustainability, affordability, community impact, and responsible growth commitments.

Background Check Requirements: 

Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings: 

• Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Sourcing Engineering M6 - The typical base pay range for this role across Ireland is € 127,800.00 - € 191,600.00 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation.

Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/corporate-pay/ireland-corporate-pay.html

Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/corporate-pay/united-kingdom-corporate-pay.html

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.