Principal UX Research Manager

Microsoft•Redmond, WA

About The Position

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!

Requirements

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

Nice To Haves

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

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