Senior UX Research Producer

Our research team defines the foundational experience of Windows — the canvas on which billions around the world work, play, and create. As we evolve toward AI-first interactions, deeply integrated services, and refined craftsmanship, we need someone who can help the team move nimbly, stay fluent in the latest technologies, and amplify the stories we uncover from our users.

In this role, you’ll build, streamline, and curate the tools, practices, and infrastructure that accelerate our research efforts — enabling researchers to focus more on insight and impact, and less on process and tooling overhead. You will also help communicate customer insights into actionable guidance for product teams, enable seamless integration of research into product decision-making, and create space for modern AI technologies to transform how we work, analyze, and share insights.

Who You Are:

• You have a curiosity about research, sharing human insights, and the interfaces between design, engineering, and data.
• You’ve built or scaled tools, platforms, or systems that enable creative teams or research/insights operations.
• You’re comfortable navigating ambiguity, designing processes, and prioritizing trade-offs.
• You have experience in one or more of: UX research, applied behavioral science, developer experience tooling, product analytics, internal platforms.
• You are an effective communicator — you can translate between disciplines and you can tell stories with data and insight.
• You care deeply about inclusion, ethics, and the human side of technology.

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 1+ year(s) 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 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 equivalent experience.
•  4+ years of program or product management experience, including direct experience with the release process.
  
• 4+ years of experience working directly with customers; including managing customer relationships & engagements.

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:

• Outstanding project management, able to work fast on multiple, challenging and ambiguous assignments.
• Familiarity with product-making research tools and processes.
• Effective project management skills, including familiarity with software release management. Grasp of and attention to detail (and agile execution) is critical.
• Experience working with customers and managing complex relationships.
• Experience with research and creative process and communicating human value with clarity: Note, while this job isn’t focused on executing research, it’s essential for you to deeply understand creative process to design the right research engagements with your UR peers and cross-team partners.
• Experience thriving and collaborating positively in an intense program: The development pace is fast and the opportunity and demands on our team are equally intense.

UX Research IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 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 $158,400 - $258,000 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 October 8, 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

• Streamline research operations: Build and maintain the systems, pipelines, and platforms that support the full research lifecycle — from participant recruitment and study setup to data collection, synthesis, and knowledge sharing. Includes coordination of physical spaces for on-site and remote studies.
  
  
• Backlog for impact: Establish and maintain a backlog process to ensure the team is always focused on the highest-priority work, enabling deep focus and delivery of the highest-quality outcomes.
  
  
• Integrate AI into research workflows: Identify opportunities to use AI for data analysis, summarization, and visualization, reducing manual effort and expanding research capacity.
  
  
• Connect research to product making: Build pathways for researchers and product teams to collaborate seamlessly so customer insights inform strategy, design decisions, and product roadmaps.
  
  
• Scale storytelling & communication: Partner with researchers to transform findings into compelling narratives, dashboards, and experiences that inspire action across the organization.
  
  
• Drive operational excellence: Manage contracts and vendor relationships for research tools and services, including budgeting, purchase orders, and invoicing. Coordinate with broader org budgeting processes to ensure accurate allocation and tracking of research spend.
  
  
• Foster cross-team alignment & innovation: Pilot new technologies and methods to keep the team future-focused. Collaborate with parallel roles across Microsoft to share best practices and improve efficiency across research operations.