New job, posted less than a week ago!
Job Details
Posted date: Jun 27, 2025
Category: Design & Creative
Location: Redmond, WA
Estimated salary: $222,050
Range: $139,900 - $304,200
Employment type: Full-Time
Travel amount: 25.0%
Work location type: Up to 50% work from home
Role: People Manager
Description
The Windows + Devices, Design + Research team is hiring a Principal UX Research Manager to drive innovation at the intersection of AI and the operating system. You’ll lead a dynamic team of researchers and collaborate across disciplines and throughout Microsoft. From defining macro-level strategy to refining implementation details, you’ll guide Windows' evolution in a new era of AI-enhanced computing. We’re looking for someone who thrives in ambiguity and leads with clarity, who connects dots across domains and builds understanding out of complexity. Someone who works across organizational roles to uncover the unspoken questions and beliefs—and answers them with precision, detail, and durability. Someone who puts people first, centering the needs, problems, goals, and aspirations of both customers and their team.This leader will cultivate a culture of trust, inclusion, and excellence, empowering their team to navigate ambiguity with confidence, adapt quickly to shifting priorities, and deliver insights that are both timely and durable. They will be committed to helping their team flourish—investing in their growth, championing their aspirations, and creating a culture where everyone can do their best work.
If you’re energized by how technology can improve the lives of one billion customers, inspired by the challenge of shaping the future of AI-powered computing, and passionate about leading with a growth mindset and making abstract ideas real—we would love to hear from you.
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.
Invest in people by modeling, coaching, and caring for your team, the studio, and the company.Champion deep understanding of customer behaviors, motivations, needs, and aspirations to shape experiences that deliver differentiated value and lasting impact.Drive product strategy through multi-stage research programs, balancing rigor with scrappiness to support confident decision-making in fast-moving environments.Foster cross-functional collaboration, guiding teams toward needle-moving creative directions, setting clear goals, and improving products, processes, and culture.Leverage research to influence products initiatives, navigating complexity and risk to deliver insights that influence decisions at the highest levels.Elevate the craft of research, mentoring others, evolving methodologies including AI, and advocating for research excellence across the organization.Embody our culture and values by bringing a growth mindset to your own development and showing up with inclusion, curiosity, and energy every day.
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 3+ 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 4+ 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 6+ years user experience research and/or product development experience or related experience in research OR equivalent experience.3+ years of people management expereince, specifically, leading a team through ambiguity and coaching to grow careers.3+ years of experience with commonly used research tools (ex. Qualtrics, DScout, UserTesting).Other Requirements:
Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements that 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:
Excellent communication and presentation / storytelling skills, with the ability to energize and activate teams.High level research skills across methods, qualitative and quantitative (i.e. a Mixed Methods researcher).Demonstrated championing of fundamentals of user experience, including accessibility and inclusive design.5+ years of experience leading a team through ambiguity and coaching to grow careers.Experience supporting the development of AI features.
Experience applying AI within workflow.
Experience researching and building Trust, Privacy and Security into product.
UX Research M5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $274,800 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 $188,000 - $304,200 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
Microsoft will accept applications for the role until July 9, 2025.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.
Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.
#W+DJobs
Check out other jobs at Microsoft.