Principal UX Research Manager
Principal UX Research Manager
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If you’re passionate about technology, have a knack for creative ideas, and lead with a growth mindset, we want to hear from you.
The Microsoft AI Design & Research team is a creative community of designers and researchers on a mission to create and deliver holistic customer experiences while imagining the future of web experiences. Between Copilot, Edge, Bing, and apps, we’re creating end-to-end web experiences from shopping, to search, to ads, news, sports, and gaming. Our diverse team works collaboratively to create products and ideas that empower us to move fast to build seamless and delightful experiences for billions of customers worldwide. Join us!
We are seeking a Principal UX Research Manager to help us set the path for our next generation of AI-powered products. We are looking for a “player coach” who will contribute both as an IC and people manager. Someone who can move themselves and their team between exploratory, generative research to rapid evaluations of prototyped ideas. Someone who works across organizational roles to uncover the unspoken questions and beliefs and answers them with precision, detail, and durability. Someone who always puts people first and centers their needs, problems, goals, and aspirations for the team. Someone who is energized by direct, tangible product impact. Someone who leads with humility, by example, and is always pushing the team further with their full support. If this sounds like you, please apply!
Responsibilities
- Lead a team of UX Researchers creating clarity, generating energy and delivering results
- Understand the behaviors, motivations, needs, and aspirations of our customers to create a differentiated advantage in our ability to build relevant and impactful experiences for people across the world
- Drive product strategy through rigorous programs of multi-stage research executed to the highest standards
- Balance rigor with scrappiness and the ability to push with a fast-moving team
- Drive cross-team collaborations among all disciplines from early product stages to final implementations
- Guide teams in creative new directions and help set ambitious goals that stand out from the crowd
- Identify new opportunities and generate innovative ideas to improve our processes, culture, and influence our approach to research (e.g. mindsets, methodologies)
- Lead research on highly visible products or set of business initiatives with notable risk and complexity
- Regularly influence at the highest levels of organizations
- Elevate the research craft of the team
- Elevate and accelerate the team’s adoption of the thoughtful application of AI to our workflows, including coding by team members
- Create an environment where people can do their best work and grow
- Embody our culture and values
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- Doctorate in Human-Computer Interaction, Human Factors Engineering, Computer Science, Technical Communications, Information Science, Information Architecture, User Experience Design, Behavioral Science, Social Sciences, or related field AND 5+ years user experience research experience and/or product development experience or related experience in research
- OR Master’s Degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Human Factors Engineering, Computer Science, Technical Communications, Information Science, Information Architecture, User Experience Design, Behavioral Science, Social Sciences, or related field AND 6+ years user experience research experience and/or product development experience or related experience in research
- OR Bachelor’s Degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Human Factors Engineering, Computer Science, Technical Communications, Information Science, Information Architecture, User Experience Design, Behavioral Science, Social Sciences, or related field AND 8+ years user experience research and/or product development experience or related experience in research
- OR equivalent experience
- 5+ years people management experience
- 8+ years experience working in UX research or a related field
- High level research skills across methods, qualitative and quantitative (i.e. a Mixed Methods researcher)
- Excellent communication and presentation / storytelling skills, with the ability to energize and activate teams
- Demonstrated championing of fundamentals of user experience, including accessibility and inclusive design
- Experience with commonly used research tools, specifically AI-powered research tools
UX Research M6 – The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $163,000 – $296,400 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 $220,800 – $331,200 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
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.
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Sr. Product Designer
Sr. Product Designer
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Microsoft AI is shaping the future of human-AI interaction by designing technology that earns trust, amplifies human potential, and makes life meaningfully better. As part of the MAI design and research team, you will help define the next generation of generative AI experiences, balancing product strategy, interaction design, and brand expression to create engaging products for over a billion users.
We’re seeking a Senior Product Designer with strong consumer product design, visual design, and storytelling skills to join the Content team. Our mission is to inform, entertain, and inspire, and we’re reimagining how people discover and engage with media across Windows, Edge, and the Copilot app in the age of AI.
As a Senior Product Designer, you’ll work within a cross-functional team of product managers, engineers, researchers, and designers to craft thoughtful, high-quality experiences. You’ll contribute to product strategy, drive features end-to-end, and bring a strong point of view to the work while growing your craft in a collaborative, ambitious team environment.
This is a hybrid position, 4x a week in office in Redmond, WA, Mountain View, CA or New York City.
Responsibilities
- Design Excellence & Craft: Understand the behaviors, motivations, and needs of our customers to design relevant, high-impact experiences. Bring strong visual and interaction design skills to every surface, maintaining a high bar for quality and craftsmanship
- AI-Powered Product Design: Design innovative features that leverage generative AI to transform how users discover and engage with media and content. Contribute to defining what AI-native experiences look and feel like at scale
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with product managers, engineers, researchers, and content strategists to define, iterate, and ship features — ensuring alignment across user needs, business goals, and technical constraints.
- Compelling Communication & Storytelling: Present design concepts and decisions to cross-functional partners and stakeholders, articulating rationale clearly and confidently. Develop compelling narratives through prototypes, flows, and presentations.
- Design System Contribution: Use and contribute to our design system to ensure consistency and scalability. Propose new patterns where needed and partner with engineers to implement designs with precision.
- Mentorship: Foster a culture of creativity and innovation through mentorship and collaboration with other designers.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Master’s Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience, Interaction Design, or related field AND 4+ years experience working in product or service design
- OR Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience, Interaction Design, or related field AND 5+ years experience working in product or service design
- OR equivalent experience (e.g., demonstrated experience working in product or service design or using design thinking to solve problems)
Preferred Qualifications:
- 5+ years experience in product or service design, ideally in consumer-facing products
- Strong visual design skills with a demonstrated sense of interaction design grounded in UX fundamentals
- Experience designing AI-powered or content/media experiences
- Familiarity with generative AI and vibe coding, a plus
- Experience with accessibility and inclusive design
- Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to advocate for design decisions to cross-functional partners
- Experience designing and prototyping in Figma
- Resume must include a link to design portfolio (and password if applicable)
#MAI #MAIDesign #ProductDesigner
Product Design IC4 – The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 – $234,700 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 $158,400 – $258,000 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
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.
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