Content Designer II

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Content Designer II Company: Microsoft Location: Dublin, Ireland Job Type: Full-time Category: UX Design / Content Strategy Date Posted: February 4, 2026 Experience Level: Mid-level (5-10 years implied) Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end content design and strategy for product experiences within the Microsoft Teams organization, focusing on Calling, Meetings, and Devices.
• Develop clear, user-centered UX language, including UI strings, messaging frameworks, content patterns, and in-product guidance, adhering to Microsoft's voice and tone principles.
• Contribute to improving AI outputs and evaluation frameworks by defining AI system instructions and prompt engineering.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including designers, PMs, researchers, engineers, and data scientists to create intuitive, inclusive, and scalable user experiences.
• Drive ethical design choices, focusing on accessibility, privacy, security, and responsible AI, while contributing to design systems and evolving content standards for a global user base.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role of "Content Designer II" at Microsoft, particularly within a product-centric organization like Teams, implies a mid-level position requiring significant autonomy and a strong portfolio demonstrating complex problem-solving. The emphasis on AI, LLM outputs, and prompt engineering suggests a forward-looking role at the intersection of traditional UX writing and emerging AI capabilities, requiring adaptability and a proactive approach to evolving best practices.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop clear and concise UX language for end-user-facing content, including labels, onboarding flows, promotional messages, error messages, and instructional guidance, ensuring alignment with Microsoft's voice and tone principles.
• Define and develop AI system instructions to guide Large Language Model (LLM) experiences, ensuring the quality and effectiveness of AI outputs.
• Establish and drive the vision for product language and content strategy for specific product areas, creating clear guidelines, best practices, and principles for cohesive, user-centered narratives.
• Lead content design projects by identifying opportunities, setting priorities, managing timelines, and coordinating with cross-functional partners to achieve successful outcomes.
• Collaborate deeply with UX designers, researchers, product managers, and engineers to define content requirements and ensure they align with core user journeys and product goals.
• Present content design strategies, work, and insights effectively to cross-discipline partners and leadership, articulating rationale and impact.
• Contribute to the development of UX concepts and early-stage product experiences through content-driven ideation.
• Integrate user insights, technical constraints, business objectives, and platform limitations into content design solutions.
• Utilize and champion the established content model, content types, style guide, and brand voice to ensure consistency and quality across all product touchpoints.
• Leverage data-informed insights to identify areas for improvement and enhance existing user experiences.
• Proactively communicate priorities, trade-offs, and project status, adapting communication based on feedback and evolving project needs.
• Represent the content design discipline with professionalism, curiosity, humility, and a growth mindset, fostering a positive team environment.
• Understand the broader business context and ensure content design activities directly map to customer needs and strategic business goals.
• Evangelize brand, voice, style, and UX standards among partner teams to elevate overall content and product quality.
• Provide leadership and mentorship to other Content Designers, fostering skill development and best practice adoption within the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of tactical execution (writing UI strings, error messages) and strategic leadership (defining vision, leading projects, mentorship). The emphasis on AI system instructions and prompt engineering indicates a need for candidates who can translate complex AI capabilities into user-friendly language and experiences.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• BA/BS degree in Journalism, English, Creative Writing, Communications, or a related field of study, OR equivalent practical experience.

Experience:

• Proven years of experience in writing end-user-facing UX copy for applications, web apps, e-commerce, or similar digital products.
• Demonstrated experience in product design and content strategy.
• Experience in developing AI-specific frameworks, including conversational AI responses and prompt engineering, is preferred.
• Experience or training in design thinking methodology is preferred.
• Experience in customer research is preferred.
• Experience creating products for large enterprises is preferred.
• Experience leading workshops with content design peers and cross-discipline partners is preferred.

Required Skills:

• UX Writing & Content Design: Exceptional ability to craft clear, concise, and user-centered UX copy across various product interfaces and user journeys.
• Content Strategy: Proven capability to develop and articulate comprehensive content strategies, including defining voice, tone, terminology, and messaging frameworks.
• Collaboration & Partner Management: Strong skills in working effectively with cross-functional teams (designers, PMs, researchers, engineers) and managing stakeholder expectations.
• Figma Proficiency: Demonstrated ability to use Figma for content placement, prototyping, and collaboration within design workflows.
• Microsoft Office Suite: Proficiency in standard Microsoft Office tools (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) for documentation, presentations, and data analysis.
• English Fluency: Native or near-native proficiency in English, specifically North American English, as the standard for Microsoft products.
• Portfolio: Strong content design portfolio showcasing individual and team-based work, demonstrating creativity, execution, and language skills in complex user experiences.

Preferred Skills:

• AI/LLM Expertise: Experience with prompt engineering, creating AI frameworks, and evaluating AI outputs.
• Information Architecture: Understanding of information architecture principles and how content fits within user flows and navigation.
• User Research: Ability to understand and integrate user insights from research into content design decisions.
• Design Thinking: Familiarity with and application of design thinking methodologies.
• Enterprise Product Knowledge: Experience designing for complex enterprise-level software solutions.
• Workshop Facilitation: Experience leading collaborative workshops with diverse teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "equivalent experience" clause for the degree requirement is standard for many tech roles, emphasizing practical skills and a strong portfolio over formal education alone. The specific mention of North American English fluency is a critical detail for candidates.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated UX Copywriting: Showcase examples of UI strings, microcopy, error messages, and instructional text that clearly and effectively guide users.
• Content Strategy Examples: Include case studies that outline your process for defining product language, voice, tone, and messaging frameworks for specific features or products.
• AI/LLM Content: Present examples of AI system instructions, prompt engineering work, or conversational AI design, demonstrating your ability to shape intelligent interactions.
• Process & Collaboration: Illustrate how you collaborate with designers, PMs, and engineers, and how you incorporate user insights and technical constraints into your work.
• Design System Contribution: If applicable, include examples of how you've contributed to or utilized design systems, style guides, or content pattern libraries.

Process Documentation:

• User Journey Mapping: Demonstrate how you map content to specific user journeys and identify critical touchpoints for communication.
• Content Audits & Analysis: Provide examples of content audits conducted to identify gaps, inconsistencies, or opportunities for improvement, along with data-informed recommendations.
• Style Guide Adherence & Evolution: Show how you apply existing style guides and brand voice principles, and how you contribute to their evolution based on project needs and user feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Content Designer II role at Microsoft, the portfolio is paramount. It should not just showcase finished work but also the process behind it, highlighting strategic thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving, especially concerning AI and complex user flows. The ability to demonstrate impact through metrics or user feedback within case studies is highly valued.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• For a Content Designer II role in Dublin, Ireland, with 5-10 years of experience, a competitive salary range is estimated between €60,000 - €90,000 annually. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for similar UX/Content Design roles in major tech hubs in Europe, considering Microsoft's compensation structure for mid-level technical positions. Factors such as specific skill sets, interview performance, and the current market demand will influence the final offer.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• Retirement Savings Plan: Company-matched contributions to a pension or 401(k) equivalent.
• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation days, sick leave, and public holidays.
• Professional Development: Opportunities for training, conferences, certifications, and access to learning resources.
• Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP): Opportunity to purchase Microsoft stock at a discount.
• Work-Life Balance Initiatives: Flexible work arrangements where applicable, wellness programs, and employee assistance programs.
• Relocation Assistance: Support for candidates relocating to Dublin, if applicable.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours are typically 40 hours per week. While the role is on-site, Microsoft often promotes flexibility within core working hours to accommodate individual needs and team collaboration schedules.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary ranges are estimates. Microsoft is known for competitive compensation packages that often include base salary, bonuses, and stock options, especially for roles at this level. The provided range is a typical benchmark for the Dublin market for a Content Designer II.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software Development & Technology. Microsoft is a global leader in cloud computing, personal computing, gaming, and productivity software, with a significant presence in AI research and development. Company Size: Large Enterprise (Microsoft employs over 220,000 people globally). This scale offers vast opportunities for impact, learning, and career progression, but may also involve navigating larger organizational structures. Founded: 1975. With a long history of innovation, Microsoft has a deeply ingrained culture of technological advancement and a mission to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more.

Team Structure:

• Product Focus: This role sits within the Microsoft Teams organization, specifically on the Calling, Meetings, and Devices content design team. This indicates a specialized focus on communication and collaboration tools.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Content Designers work as integral members of product teams, collaborating daily with UX Designers, Product Managers (PMs), User Researchers, Engineers (Software Development Engineers - SDEs), and Applied/Data Scientists.
• Reporting: Content Designers typically report into a Design or Content Design management structure, with direct project leadership coming from Product Managers and Design Leads within their product area.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on using user insights, performance data, and A/B testing to inform content decisions and measure impact.
• Agile Development: Work is integrated into agile development cycles, requiring adaptability and iterative design processes.
• Design Systems & Standards: Strong reliance on Microsoft's established design systems, style guides, and content patterns to ensure consistency and efficiency.
• Ethical & Responsible AI: A core focus on building technology with integrity, prioritizing accessibility, privacy, security, and responsible AI principles.

Company Website: https://www.microsoft.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Microsoft's culture is characterized by its "growth mindset," encouraging continuous learning, innovation, and resilience. The Dublin office is a significant hub for Microsoft's European operations, offering a dynamic and international work environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Content Designer II is a mid-level role. It signifies a transition from executing tasks under guidance to leading significant projects, defining strategy for specific product areas, and mentoring junior colleagues. It requires a solid foundation in core competencies and the ability to operate with increasing autonomy.

Reporting Structure: You will likely report to a Senior Manager or Director of Content Design or UX within the Teams organization. Day-to-day guidance will come from Product Managers and Design Leads associated with the Calling, Meetings, and Devices product areas. You will also collaborate extensively with peers across engineering, research, and product management.

Operations Impact: As a Content Designer, your impact is measured by the clarity, usability, and effectiveness of the product's communication. This role directly influences user adoption, task completion rates, customer satisfaction, and the overall perception of Microsoft products. By improving LLM outputs and evaluation frameworks, you contribute to the advancement of AI capabilities and their responsible deployment.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI content design, conversational AI, or specific product domains within Teams.
• Leadership: Advance to Senior Content Designer roles, leading larger initiatives, mentoring teams, and influencing product strategy at a higher level.
• Cross-Functional Mobility: Transition into related roles such as UX Design, Product Management, Program Management, or User Research, leveraging your deep product and user understanding.
• Technical Acumen: Further develop skills in prompt engineering, AI evaluation, and understanding technical constraints to bridge the gap between technology and user experience.
• Design Systems: Contribute to the evolution and governance of Microsoft's design systems and content standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "II" designation typically implies a level of competence where individuals can manage complex projects independently and begin to guide others, setting the stage for senior-level progression.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Microsoft's Dublin campus is a modern, state-of-the-art facility designed to foster collaboration and innovation. It includes open-plan workspaces, private meeting rooms, lounges, and amenities that support employee well-being. Office Location(s): The role is based in Dublin, Ireland, specifically at Microsoft's campus there. This location serves as a key hub for Microsoft's operations in EMEA.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Abundant meeting rooms, huddle spaces, and common areas designed for team collaboration, brainstorming, and presentations.
• Technology-Rich Environment: Access to cutting-edge technology, including high-performance workstations, advanced display systems, and reliable network infrastructure.
• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular face-to-face interaction with your immediate design team and broader cross-functional partners, fostering a dynamic and communicative work environment.

Work Schedule:

• The role is on-site, requiring presence at the Dublin office. While standard working hours apply, Microsoft generally supports a degree of flexibility to help employees manage personal commitments and optimize productivity, provided team collaboration needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: Being on-site at a major Microsoft campus like Dublin offers significant advantages in terms of access to resources, networking opportunities, and immersion in the company's culture and technological advancements.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter will review your application and resume, likely followed by a brief phone screen to assess basic qualifications and interest.
• Portfolio Review & Discussion: You will be asked to present your portfolio, walking through selected case studies. This stage assesses your content design process, strategic thinking, execution, and problem-solving skills. Be prepared to discuss your role, contributions, challenges, and outcomes.
• Technical/Skill-Based Interviews: Expect interviews with designers, content designers, and potentially PMs or researchers. These may involve discussions about UX principles, content strategy, AI/LLM concepts, and hypothetical problem-solving scenarios.
• Cross-Discipline Collaboration Interview: An interview focusing on how you work with engineers, PMs, and researchers, assessing your communication, collaboration, and ability to integrate diverse perspectives.
• Leadership/Mentorship Interview: For a Level II role, an interview may assess your leadership potential, mentorship abilities, and how you represent the content design discipline.
• Final Round: Potentially a final interview with a senior leader to assess overall fit, strategic alignment, and your vision for the role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Choose 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant projects that demonstrate your skills in UX writing, content strategy, and ideally, AI/LLM work.
• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role and process, the challenges faced, your design decisions (and rationale), the solution, and the impact (quantified if possible).
• Highlight AI/LLM Work: If you have specific examples of AI system instructions, prompt engineering, or conversational AI design, make these prominent.
• Showcase Collaboration: Illustrate how you partnered with other disciplines. Use "we" for team accomplishments but "I" for your specific contributions.
• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your design choices, trade-offs you made, and how you handled ambiguity or conflicting feedback.
• Clarity and Conciseness: Present your work clearly and efficiently, respecting the interviewer's time.

Challenge Preparation:

• Hypothetical Scenarios: Practice thinking through content design challenges for new features or complex user flows, especially those involving AI.
• Voice & Tone Application: Be ready to discuss how you'd apply Microsoft's voice and tone principles to specific product scenarios.
• Ethical Considerations: Prepare to discuss how you approach accessibility, privacy, and responsible AI in your content design work.
• Data Interpretation: Think about how you would use data (user research, analytics) to inform and iterate on content.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process at Microsoft is often rigorous and involves multiple stages to ensure a strong fit across skills, culture, and team dynamics. A well-prepared portfolio walkthrough is critical for this type of role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, prototyping, collaboration, and content integration within design workflows.
• Microsoft Office Suite: Including Word (documentation, content writing), PowerPoint (presentations, stakeholder communication), and Excel (data analysis, tracking).
• Microsoft Teams: The core product you'll be designing for; understanding its features and user experience is crucial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Internal Microsoft Analytics Tools: While specific names aren't listed, expect to use internal tools for tracking user behavior, feature adoption, and content performance metrics.
• Data Visualization Tools: Potentially tools like Power BI or similar internal systems for analyzing and presenting data insights.

CRM & Automation:

• Internal Design Systems & Content Management Tools: Microsoft likely uses proprietary internal tools for managing design components, content patterns, and style guides.
• Collaboration Platforms: Beyond Teams, expect to use other internal Microsoft collaboration and project management tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is explicitly required. Familiarity with Microsoft's internal ecosystem and tools, while not always trainable beforehand, is an advantage. The role's success will depend on leveraging these tools to create and manage content effectively within a large-scale product environment.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Growth Mindset: Embrace challenges, learn from setbacks, and continuously seek to improve skills and knowledge.
• Customer Focus: Design with empathy and a deep understanding of user needs, ensuring technology empowers individuals and organizations.
• Inclusivity & Accessibility: Champion diverse user needs, ensuring products are usable and welcoming to everyone, regardless of ability, background, or identity.
• Integrity & Accountability: Uphold high ethical standards in design, product development, and communication, taking ownership of decisions and outcomes.
• Collaboration: Foster a team environment where diverse perspectives are valued, and collective problem-solving leads to better solutions.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: A highly collaborative approach, working closely with design, research, product management, and engineering teams to achieve shared product goals.
• Iterative Feedback Loops: Regular sharing of work, soliciting feedback from peers and stakeholders, and iterating based on insights and evolving requirements.
• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, learnings, and innovative approaches within the content design discipline and across teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: Microsoft's stated values of "Growth Mindset, Diversity & Inclusion, One Microsoft, and Making a Difference" are deeply embedded in its culture and influence how teams operate and collaborate.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Complexity: Working with intricate product features within Teams, especially in areas like Calling, Meetings, and AI integrations, requires strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Balancing AI & Human Experience: Effectively designing for AI-driven features means balancing advanced capabilities with intuitive, human-centered interactions and ethical considerations.
• Global Scale & Localization: Ensuring content is clear, consistent, and culturally appropriate for a diverse global user base, while working within established design systems.
• Ambiguity in Emerging Tech: Dealing with the evolving landscape of AI and LLMs, where best practices are still being defined, requires adaptability and a willingness to experiment.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI & LLM Specialization: Deepen expertise in prompt engineering, conversational AI design, and the ethical implications of AI through internal resources, training, and hands-on project work.
• Design Systems Mastery: Become an expert in Microsoft's comprehensive design systems, contributing to their evolution and leveraging them for efficient, high-quality design.
• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Gain in-depth knowledge of UX research methodologies, product management strategies, and software engineering processes through close collaboration.
• Leadership Development: Opportunities to mentor junior designers, lead feature initiatives, and develop strategic thinking skills for career advancement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are inherent to working at a large tech company on cutting-edge products. Microsoft typically invests heavily in employee development, providing ample resources to face these challenges and seize growth opportunities.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex product experience you designed content for. What was the problem, your role, your process, and the outcome? How did you measure success?" (Focus on process, impact, and your specific contributions).
• "How would you approach designing the AI instructions for a new feature that helps users summarize meeting transcripts? What are the key considerations for clarity, accuracy, and user trust?" (Assess AI design thinking, prompt engineering basics, and ethical considerations).
• "Imagine you need to redefine terminology for a core feature in Teams. How would you go about it, and how would you ensure buy-in from stakeholders and consistency across the product?" (Focus on strategic thinking, stakeholder management, and process).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Microsoft's mission, and how does your work as a Content Designer contribute to empowering others?" (Align your passion with Microsoft's core values).
• "How do you embody a 'growth mindset' in your work, especially when facing ambiguity or technical challenges?" (Provide specific examples of learning and adaptation).
• "Describe a time you had to advocate for user needs or ethical design principles against business or technical pressures. What was the situation, and how did you handle it?" (Demonstrate your commitment to user-centric and responsible design).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, follow a clear arc: Problem -> Your Role & Process -> Solution -> Impact.
• Highlight Your "Why": Explain the rationale behind your content decisions. Why did you choose specific wording? Why this messaging framework?
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals where possible (e.g., screenshots, flows, prototypes) to illustrate your points.
• Quantify Impact: If you have metrics (e.g., improved completion rates, reduced support tickets, higher engagement), present them clearly. If not, articulate the qualitative impact and user feedback received.
• Be Ready for Questions: Anticipate deep dives into your design choices, trade-offs, and how you collaborate.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to discuss your experience with AI and LLMs specifically, as this is a key focus area for the role. Demonstrating an understanding of Microsoft's products, especially Teams, is also beneficial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Content Designer II position:

• Submit your application through the Microsoft Careers portal via the provided link.
• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your UX writing, content strategy, AI/LLM experience, and collaboration skills. Use keywords from the job description.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best showcase your skills relevant to this role, especially those involving complex UX, content strategy, and AI. Ensure your portfolio clearly outlines your process and contributions.
• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on problem, process, solution, and impact. Be ready to discuss your approach to AI content design and user-centered problem-solving.
• Research Microsoft & Teams: Familiarize yourself with Microsoft's mission, values, and the Teams product suite. Understand their voice and tone guidelines if possible.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.