If you've been wondering what it means to be a Program Manager at Microsoft, let me introduce you to Eric Richardson.

Eric is a Group Program Manager who works in the Product Activation space within Operations, running the day-to-day business of protecting MS customers against counterfeit and non-genuine software.

Many people are confused when they hear the title Program Manager. Program Management is a great career for all types of people, whether you are a die-hard coder, love making things work better, enjoy communication, or just think that putting all the pieces together is very rewarding.

Eric has been gracious enough to answer a few questions to let the readers know what is really behind this great position.  

Eric, please tell me a little bit about yourself.

Before coming to Microsoft, I was working in Manhattan at a few “dot coms”. Prior to that, I spent several  years at Nabisco, running a large number of websites that used shockwave gaming as a great way to help with brand awareness.  Before that, I worked at a few software companies and spent a few years as a self-employed author and magazine article writer. 

For my education, I went to Penn State University right out of high school and then the University of Phoenix. My plan was to be an engineer, I have 5 consecutive generations of EE in the family; We have a family circuit, not a family tree, so being an EE is what we do. Oddly, I ended up getting an undergrad degree in Information Systems and went on to get an MBA in Technology Management.

What Brought You to Microsoft?

As you can tell, technology runs in my family. I was drawn to Microsoft since I would get to use technology about a year or so before anyone else in the world would see it.  I love being at a company that looks to the future.  I also always heard about how stunning the Northwest is, and I wanted to see it for myself. I have not been disappointed for a second. It was a dramatic change, but a welcome one, from the frenetic life of Manhattan! 

How much coding do you do?

While I’m a technical guy, I don’t code anymore as that’s not my job function. Do I play with code in my spare time? SURE!  But in the 7 + years I’ve been at Microsoft, I went from a technical Program Manager (PM) using my undergrad degree to a Group Program Manager (GPM), “run the business” guy, using my MBA.   

How much interaction do you have with Developers and Testers?

My team relies on applications to perform our role, so I still have the pleasure of working with some very, very smart Devs and Testers! 

What does a PM actually do at Microsoft?

Our PMs really are there to set the direction of the application, or feature their own. They have to work with the business team to identify what features are needed and drive the schedule and communication.  PMs need to know what the various functional areas (i.e. Dev and test) are working on, but also need to integrate that work into a larger whole. That could be rolling out a huge billing system into an existing infrastructure or perhaps integrating a few small features in Office, etc.  As a PM, you own the schedule, scope, and resources for the features or app you are assigned. 

What skills are required for PMs?

Communication is #1, it’s also #2!  You have to be able to communicate in team meetings, status meetings, lucid issues logs, follow-up on actions and mapping out and identifying dependencies on your work. As a PM, you are the heart of the team. 

What career path is available for PMs?

Usually, you start out as a fairly junior PM and then move to a larger and wider impacting project. If you and your manager agree that the next step is to be a manager, you’ll be Senior Program Manager and then eventually a Group Program Manager.

The next step is to become a Director (or Product Unit Manager depending on the group) and you can keep moving up from there.  PMs are very frequently where Directors come from due to the scope of work that they do; They understand all technical aspects, but also are strategic enough to see and manage the big picture. 

What has been your most rewarding moment as a PM?

When I was working with Dev and Test teams day-to-day, I was building an application to help us manage our Volume Licensing customers. It was called “Subscription Management Component” and was launched years ago with little fanfare. This application today ensures that customers who are responsible for 75% of our revenue get what they need on time.  For the most part, this was a true “Dream Team” that I worked with, and I truly enjoyed that project.

Any last thoughts?

Never will you find yourself more challenged and having to use every bit of your skills and abilities, as you do working here! It’s really an awesome place to work!

Thanks, Eric!

-Janelle