Senior UX Researcher

at  Microsoft

The Microsoft 365 Core team is looking for a passionate and self-motivated UX researcher to help shape the future of intelligence-driven experience across the Microsoft ecosystem.
You will join a diverse and enthusiastic team that believes work should be both challenging and fun. Our team is dedicated to creating an inclusive culture. We’re looking for someone who wants to learn, grow, and embody new ways of working. If you embrace growth mindset, have a track record of delivering results, and you light up collaborating with other researchers, designers, product managers and engineers this is a great team to join.
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.

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 4+ years User Experience Research experience
• 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 3+ years User Experience Research experience
• OR 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 1+ year(s) User Experience Research experience
• OR equivalent experience.

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:

• 5+ years of experience in applied user experience research, design research, product research or the equivalent product research in industry.
• Theoretical and practical knowledge of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, including a demonstrated understanding of the strengths, tradeoffs and application of different methods (e.g., interviewing, ethnography, surveys, co-design, concept-testing, etc.) across the product cycle.
• Skill in observing and understanding human behavior and insights – fundamentally translating ideas, needs, and requests into researchable questions in a rigorous and valid way.
• Commitment to creating inclusive experiences and working in a manner that demonstrates respect for diversity and equality.
• Knowledge in distilling research into actionable narratives through creative and compelling frameworks and using engaging storytelling with cross-functional partners to drive impact.
• Experience with scoping, planning, and executing research including:
• Identifying opportunities for product development based on user needs.
• Working across multiple research projects simultaneously.
• Project management, organization, and planning skills with attention to detail.
• Establishing and building cross-discipline relationships to maximize impact.
• Experience using one or more of the following relevant research tools, such as Usertesting.com, Dscout, UserZoom, Qualtrics, R, SPSS, or similar.
• Agile and creative, thriving in a fast-paced environment.
• Self-starting abilities with natural ability to identify what’s next.
• Track record of collaborating across multiple disciplines (design, engineering) to drive change into products.
• Knowledge of- and familiarity with product/market research.
  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

RESPONSIBILITIES

As a UX researcher on our team, you will be responsible for collaborating closely with an interdisciplinary team of researchers, designers, product managers and engineers to drive customer feedback and research findings into future iterations of the product. You will also have a role in providing opportunities for the development team to connect with customers for all to connect more deeply with those whom we build products for.

In this role you will be expected to employ a wide range of research methodologies including moderated and unmoderated usability studies, interviews, surveys, competitive benchmarks, A/B testing, ethnographic field research, participatory designs, user modeling, etc. You will also have an opportunity to innovate on new methods, and practices that contribute to our UX community. Ultimately, we’re looking for someone to help actively evolve the discipline while influencing the product teams to make impactful, data-driven decisions and who can:

• Deeply understand the needs, behaviors and scenarios of Microsoft 365 products.
• Have a strong sense of human-centered design and how to apply it in practice.
• Build and execute research plan(s) that provide deep customer insights needed to impact our roadmap.
• Communicate the research findings and recommendations to the product team.
• Collaborate with design, research, program management, and engineering teams to deliver valuable end-to-end user experiences across multiple screens and input modalities.
• Drive insights effectively through the software development process, partnering with stakeholders and other disciplines.

We may ask for you to do a portfolio walkthrough with us for this position.
If the above sounds like you, we can’t wait to talk to you!

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