At Microsoft, we believe in the transformational power of design. Innovation only happens when we make things simple and fluid, and the UX disappears behind the achievements of our customers. That’s where you come in. We’re looking for a Principal designer, who’s driven by empathy for customers, to help us build the next generation of experiences that will simplify how millions of our customers live and work digitally.

Principal Designer delves into solving problems ranging from translating end user needs, architecting new features, creating universal design toolkits to exploring opportunities for new user segments. We are looking for a designer with a keen sense of craftsmanship, exposure in user – customer centric and data informed design for scale and ability to leverage & contribute to design systems. A designer who is inclusive and can collaborate independently with key stakeholders and enrich the triad (PM, Eng., UX) partnership. Having an ability to validate solutions by creating and driving usability studies and conducting user interviews is a plus. If simplifying complexity, pixel perfection and exploring new interaction paradigms excites you, then we can’t wait to hear from you. Together we will define how millions of people use and experience Windows in their work and life. Apply today!

Come be a meaningful part of a growing team that values diversity of thought and recognizes everyone for their personal strengths and desires to learn and grow.  We believe designing in the open empowers us all to move fast and build inclusive experiences without seams.

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

• Conceptualize and design original ideas that bring simplicity and ease of use to complex design issues. Be a conceptual thinker as well as a craftsperson. Your design work is clean, focused and inspiring to others.

• Work proactively through the ambiguity of new product definition, the application of new and emerging technologies and ensure the resulting experiences are human, beautifully-crafted and delightful to customers.

• Develop deep understanding of our customers, their needs and problems. Ensure the experience vision is driven by a well-defined nucleus of user needs, tasks, marketing and business requirements.

• Focus on strategic goals that align with both business and customer needs. Communicate, document, and represent design direction to team members, senior management and key stakeholders.

• Rally and inspire our partners to build a better product experience together, through powerful storytelling.

• Work with Design, Research, Program Management, and Engineering teams to deliver elegant and engaging end-to-end user experiences across multiple screens and input modalities. Ship these high-quality experiences, in an agile environment.

• Work with user researchers to coordinate testing efforts, interpret test results, and incorporate results into design efforts.

• Participate in and contribute to foundational research. Leverage and build upon existing design systems and guidelines.

• Effectively communicate with developers through implementation phase to realize design vision.

• Contribute to broader Design team creative processes, team building, and our strong cultural values around diversity, inclusion, transparency, and growth mindset.

• Provide guidance, oversight, mentorship, and inspiration to the extended team.

• Oversee timelines and deliverables, guide production, and communicate evolving project goals.

• Drive alignment and harmony with partner design teams across Microsoft.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• 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 6+ years User Experience Research experience

• A portfolio demonstrating strong interaction + visual design and prototyping skills.

• Proficiency in translating research insights into intuitive product experiences.

• Strong command of all aspects and levels of interaction/UX design from information architecture to systems and workflows to micro-interactions.

• A proven track record of creatively solving hard problems, driving complex design issues across multidisciplinary groups such as engineering, product management, research and marketing; and shipping relevant experiences within deadlines. Ability to seamlessly switch between strategic and tactical altitudes of design.

• Experience in balancing user goals, business requirements and technical constraints to deliver delightful and meaningful product experiences.

• User-centric approach to design and an understanding of how to apply research insights into design and development of product experiences. Experience in data driven decision-making.

• Outstanding storytelling ability to generate empathy; using written and verbal communication, presentation, and organizational skills.

• Mastery in modern design and prototyping tools. (Figma, Sketch, Adobe CC) and a willingness to adopt new tools, processes and workflows.

• Experience working within and contributing to a structured design system.

Other 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• 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 10+ years User Experience Research experience

• A minimum of 10+ years of professional experience in product and/or interaction design.

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with fellow designers and partners in Research, Product Management and Engineering.

• Experience in crafting a product vision and enrolling key stakeholders and leaders.

• Highly organized, self-motivated, and have a keen attention to detail.

• Ability to multi-task and prioritize between multiple projects.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, 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 and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations (https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/accessibility.html) .