Principal UX Researcher

Overview

The Office Product Group user experience research team discovers, describes, and predicts user needs and behaviors across the productivity experiences used by people around the world. As Office shifts toward AI model centered product development, our team has a strategic need for an experienced researcher with strong mixed-methods, quantitative rigor, and technical skills to ensure that model evaluations reflect real user goals, workflows, and standards for quality.

We are looking for a Principal UX Researcher to develop, coordinate, and promote a scalable Office-wide approach to research collaboration and contribution in model evaluation. This role will partner with other UX researchers, applied scientists, and product stakeholders to translate user needs and practices into rigorous eval sets, grading approaches, rubrics, and quality signals that can inform model development and product decisions.

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.

Responsibilities

• Developing and scaling human-centered model evaluation approaches that combine quantitative and qualitative methods to assess whether AI systems meet user needs in realistic workflows and contexts.
• Translating user goals, behaviors, and expectations into measurable constructs, eval criteria, rubrics, grading standards, and decision thresholds.
• Designing and conducting human grading, calibration, and “grade the grader” research to improve the reliability and validity of human and agentic evaluation systems.
• Partnering with applied scientists and product teams to build representative eval sets, diagnose eval misalignment, and turn research findings into actionable inputs for model and eval development.
• Establishing a coordinated Office-wide framework for research partnerships with applied science across app-specific and shared teams, including clear engagement models, coverage priorities, reusable methods, and quality standards.
• Interfacing with partner teams across Microsoft to align, contribute to, and advance research-led and research-influenced evaluation practices.
• Developing reusable tools, processes, templates, guidance, and rhythms that enable researchers to contribute effectively and consistently to model evaluation at scale.
• Amplifying the role and impact of user research in AI development through compelling storytelling, education, consultation, and visible examples of research influence on model and product quality.

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
  • 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
  • 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 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:

• Experience applying mixed-methods research approaches, including experimental design, statistical analysis, measurement development, survey or scale design, and synthesis of qualitative and quantitative evidence.
• Experience translating complex product or user questions into rigorous, valid, and actionable research and evaluation programs.
• Experience partnering with applied science, data science, engineering, design, or product management teams to influence technical or product decisions.
• Solid program leadership, project management, organization, and planning skills, with the ability to coordinate work across multiple teams and disciplines across organizational boundaries.
• Demonstrated ability to apply AI throughout the research workflow and proactively build tools, automations, or reusable solutions that improve research quality, efficiency, and scale.
• Highly polished written, verbal, and visual communication skills, including the ability to influence senior stakeholders and explain technical or methodological concepts to varied audiences. 
• In-depth experience with AI or machine learning evaluation, including eval-set construction, rubric development, human annotation, grader calibration, error analysis, psychometrics, or LLM-as-a-judge methods.
• Experience with technical approaches to research and data acquisition, such as scripting, automation, experimentation platforms, telemetry, data pipelines, or visualization.
• Demonstrated ability to create scalable frameworks, standards, or communities of practice that raise the quality and impact of research across an organization.
• Experience shaping strategy and driving change in highly ambiguous, cross-organizational environments.

#OPG #OPGHiring

UX Research IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $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

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.