New

Principal UX Researcher

Microsoft
$163,000.00 - $296,400.00 / yr
United States, California, Mountain View
Mar 16, 2026
Overview Ifyou'repassionate abouthow technology can improve people's lives, like exploringnew ideasand product possibilities,and lead with a growth mindset, we want to hear from you! The Microsoft AI Design & Research teamis a creative community of designers,researchers,prototypers, and writerson a mission to create and deliver holistic, AI-poweredcustomer experiencesacross apps and the web. BetweenCopilot, Edge, Bing, and apps,we'recreatingend-to-endexperiences forassistance,shopping,search, ads, news, sports, and gaming. Our diverse team works collaborativelyand moves fastto builduseful, usable, anddelightful experiences for billions of customers worldwide.Learn more about our teamhere. We are seeking a PrincipalUX Researcher to help us set the path for our next generation of AI-powered products. For this rolewe'relooking for someone whocan move between exploratory, generative research to rapid evaluations of prototyped ideas. Someone who works acrossorganizationalroles touncovertheunspoken questions and beliefs and answers them with precision, detail, and durability. Someone whoalways puts people first and centers their needs, problems, goals, and aspirations for the team.Someone who is energized by direct, tangible product impact. A strongmixed methods researcher comfortable in interviews and with deep data analysis.If this sounds like you, please apply! This is a hybrid position, in office 4x a week in Redmond, WA, Mountain View, CA or New York City. Responsibilities 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 Embody our cultureandvalues 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 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 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 experience OR equivalent experience Preferred Qualifications 8+ years experience working in UX research or a related field Deep understanding of user behaviors, motivations, needs, and aspirations to inform impactful, global experiences Proven ability to drive product strategy through rigorous, multistage research programs Strong balance of research rigor with scrappiness in fastmoving environments Experience leading crossfunctional collaboration from early concept through final execution Ability to guide teams toward bold, differentiated ideas and ambitious goals Track record of identifying new opportunities and innovating research processes, mindsets, or methodologies Experience leading research for highvisibility products or complex, highrisk initiatives Demonstrated influence at senior and executive levels Commitment to elevating research craft and team excellence Expertise across qualitative and quantitative methods (mixedmethods researcher) Exceptional communication, presentation, and storytelling skills Strong advocacy for UX fundamentals, including accessibility and inclusive design Experience with commonly used research tools #MAIPrincipal #MAI #MAIDesignandResearch #UXR UX Research IC6 - 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.