Product Designer 2

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer 2

Company: Microsoft

Location: Redmond, Washington, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX Design / Enterprise Software

Date Posted: March 09, 2026

Experience Level: 2-5 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and deliver core product experiences, focusing on visual, interaction, and product patterns that are polished, inclusive, and forward-looking within the Identity and Network Access Design team.

• Prototype innovative concepts, particularly those leveraging AI and LLMs, through interactive demos and code-based prototypes to showcase new interaction patterns and capabilities.

• Apply generative AI technologies (LLMs, AI Agents, MCP) to real-world product scenarios, distilling learnings into actionable insights and identifying opportunities for product augmentation.

• Develop compelling narratives through scripting, storyboarding, and producing short-form videos or demos to clearly communicate vision and behavior to diverse audiences, fostering buy-in and alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Product Designer II, typically indicating a mid-level individual contributor role with expectations of independent contribution and some mentorship. The focus on "Identity and Network Access Design" and "Entra admin center" points towards a specialization in enterprise security and identity management software. The emphasis on AI, code prototyping, and storytelling suggests a dynamic role requiring a blend of design, technical, and communication skills, moving beyond traditional UX to actively shape product direction and innovation.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Crafting polished, inclusive, and forward-looking visual, interaction, and product patterns to establish a strong foundation for user experience in enterprise security products.

• Developing interactive prototypes using code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Web Components) to bring concepts to life and demonstrate new interaction patterns, especially those enhanced by AI.

• Conducting rapid experiments with generative AI technologies such as LLMs and AI Agents, documenting findings and translating them into product augmentation opportunities for the team.

• Creating compelling visual stories through scripting, storyboarding, and producing short-form videos or demos to effectively communicate product vision and functionality to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Collaborating closely with UX Research to test and iterate on design concepts, gathering insights that directly influence and shape product roadmaps and strategic direction.

• Championing rapid prototyping, user testing methodologies, and cross-functional collaboration to accelerate learning cycles and drive design innovation.

• Working in partnership with Design, Product Management, Engineering, and Research teams to deliver end-to-end design solutions, evolving prototypes into production-ready features.

• Building foundational tools, scripts, or workflows that enhance team capabilities, streamline the design process, and expand the scope of what is achievable within the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a proactive and experimental approach, emphasizing hands-on development and AI integration. The expectation to "build what doesn't exist" suggests a culture that values innovation and empowering the team with custom tools. This role requires strong execution skills alongside strategic thinking and cross-functional leadership.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Graphic/Product/Visual Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field; OR equivalent practical experience.

Experience:

• 3+ years of experience in product or service design, with a demonstrated track record of shipping production code or delivering services.

• 2+ years of experience applying generative AI (including LLMs and agent-based systems) to real products or prototypes, demonstrating an understanding of patterns, constraints, evaluation methods, and user experience integration.

Required Skills:

• Proficiency in design tools such as Figma and Adobe Creative Cloud, evidenced by a portfolio of high-quality artifacts demonstrating the end-to-end design process.

• Hands-on development experience with HTML, CSS, JavaScript/TypeScript/Node.js, and Python, with familiarity in React and/or Web Components for prototyping or production.

• Strong collaboration skills, with a proven ability to work effectively across disciplines including Design, Product Management, Engineering, and User Research.

Preferred Skills:

• Expertise in shaping concepts into narratives, storyboarding interactions, and producing/editing videos for impactful communication.

• Background in motion design and animation to enhance storytelling and user engagement.

• Experience building scripts, plugins, or tools to extend workflows and accelerate prototyping, demonstrating a "tooling mindset."

• Experience working in a fast-paced, "0-to-1" startup or incubation environment, indicating adaptability and comfort with ambiguity.

• Documented experience in the Security domain, providing an advantage in understanding the specific context of the role.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize a hybrid skill set, bridging traditional product design with strong front-end development and a forward-looking understanding of AI's role in user experience. The requirement for a portfolio that includes code samples and GitHub links is a key differentiator, signaling a need for candidates who can not only design but also build and demonstrate their technical capabilities. Enterprise UX experience is crucial for navigating the complexities of business software.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Design Process: Showcase a comprehensive design journey from initial research and ideation through to final implementation and iteration, demonstrating problem definition, user flows, wireframing, prototyping, and user testing.

• Code-Based Prototyping: Include examples of interactive prototypes built with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and frameworks like React, highlighting your ability to bring concepts to life and test new interaction patterns.

• AI Integration Case Studies: Present projects where you have applied generative AI (LLMs, AI Agents) to solve user problems or enhance product functionality, detailing the AI patterns used, challenges faced, and outcomes achieved.

• Storytelling & Communication Artifacts: Feature examples of your storytelling capabilities, such as short videos, storyboards, or demo scripts, that effectively communicate product vision, user scenarios, or complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.

• Production Code Samples: Provide links to your GitHub or CodePen profiles containing relevant code samples that demonstrate your proficiency in front-end development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, etc.) and your ability to translate design into functional components.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Optimization: Document how you have analyzed and improved existing design or development workflows, detailing the steps taken, tools utilized, and the resulting efficiency gains or quality improvements.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Illustrate how you have effectively collaborated with Product Managers, Engineers, and UX Researchers, providing examples of communication strategies, feedback loops, and joint problem-solving efforts.

• AI Experimentation & Insights: Detail your process for experimenting with AI technologies, including methodology for testing, evaluating results, and synthesizing learnings into actionable product insights or recommendations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are highly specific, demanding evidence of a blended skill set in design, development, and AI application. Candidates must be prepared to demonstrate not just the final design artifacts but also the underlying process, code, and storytelling elements that bring their work to life. For this role, a portfolio that "shows more and tells less" through tangible examples of code, prototypes, and AI experiments will be most impactful.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• U.S. General Range: USD $100,600 - $199,000 per year (Base Pay)

• Specific Locations (SF Bay Area, NYC Metro): USD $131,400 - $215,400 per year (Base Pay)

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary ranges are base pay only and do not include potential bonuses, stock options, or other forms of compensation that are common at large technology companies like Microsoft. These ranges are competitive for a Product Designer II role in the specified locations, reflecting the experience level and the specialized skills required. The variation in ranges for specific high-cost-of-living areas is standard. It's crucial for candidates to research the full compensation package, including benefits and potential variable pay, when evaluating an offer.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Retirement savings plans (e.g., 401(k)) with company matching.

• Paid time off (PTO), including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.

• Parental leave and family-friendly benefits.

• Employee stock purchase programs and potential stock awards.

• Professional development opportunities, including training, conferences, and tuition reimbursement.

• Wellness programs and resources.

Working Hours:

• Typically a 40-hour workweek, consistent with full-time employment.

• Flexibility is expected, with potential for occasional extended hours to meet project deadlines or collaborate with global teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: Specific details on benefits, including eligibility and contribution levels, are typically provided during the offer stage. The emphasis on professional development and stock programs is a significant draw for career-oriented individuals in the tech industry.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software & Technology, with a strong focus on Enterprise Security and Cloud Services.

Company Size: Microsoft is a large, global enterprise, employing over 220,000 people worldwide. This size offers extensive resources, career paths, and opportunities for cross-functional impact but also requires navigating complex organizational structures.

Founded: 1975, with a long history of innovation and market leadership.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team is described as a multidisciplinary group including Product Designers, UX Researchers, Content Designers, Data Scientists, and Technical Writers, working closely with Product Management and Engineering partners.

• This specific role is within the "Identity and Network Access Design team," focused on the "Entra admin center," suggesting a specialized unit within the broader Microsoft Security organization.

Methodology:

• Embraces a "growth mindset" culture, encouraging continuous learning, experimentation, and resilience in the face of challenges.

• Focuses on human-centered design principles, aiming to create products that are trusted, easy to use, and meet critical customer needs.

• Leverages rapid experimentation, particularly with emerging technologies like AI, to drive innovation and inform product direction.

• Values a "show more, tell less" approach, encouraging tangible demonstrations of ideas through prototypes, code, and visual storytelling.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Microsoft's culture is characterized by a commitment to innovation, customer impact, and employee growth. The "growth mindset" is central, promoting learning from failures and embracing challenges. The emphasis on security within this role is critical, aligning with Microsoft's strategic focus on making the digital world safer.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is a Product Designer II (IC3), representing a mid-level individual contributor. It signifies a step beyond junior roles, requiring a demonstrated ability to independently drive design initiatives, contribute technically, and influence product direction. The scope involves designing core experiences and experimenting with cutting-edge technologies like AI.

Reporting Structure:

• The Product Designer II will report into a Design leadership role within the Identity and Network Access Design team.

• Close collaboration is expected with Product Managers (PMs) and Engineering leads, forming a core product triad responsible for feature development.

Operations Impact:

• The role has a direct impact on the usability, effectiveness, and innovation of Microsoft's enterprise security products, specifically the Entra admin center.

• By designing intuitive interfaces and leveraging AI, the designer contributes to making complex security management simpler and more secure for customers, directly supporting Microsoft's mission to empower organizations.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in enterprise UX, security design, and cutting-edge AI integration for product experiences.

• Technical Advancement: Grow proficiency in advanced front-end development, coding prototypes, and building custom design tools.

• Leadership Potential: Transition into senior designer roles (e.g., Product Designer III, Senior Product Designer), mentorship opportunities, or potentially transition into design management or lead roles over time.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Opportunities to work on different product areas within Microsoft Security or other divisions, leveraging acquired skills and domain knowledge.

• Innovation Contribution: Play a key role in shaping the future of AI-driven security products, contributing to Microsoft's leadership in this critical technology space.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Product Designer II level at Microsoft offers a solid foundation for career growth, balancing hands-on execution with strategic input. The emphasis on AI and coding skills positions individuals for roles at the forefront of product development in the tech industry. The sheer scale of Microsoft provides numerous avenues for long-term career development and specialization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This role is designated as Hybrid, indicating a blend of remote work and in-office collaboration. Microsoft's hybrid model typically involves a structured approach to in-office days to maximize collaboration and team cohesion.

Office Location(s): The primary location is Redmond, Washington, which is Microsoft's global headquarters, offering a vibrant ecosystem of employees, resources, and amenities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The Redmond campus features modern office spaces designed to foster collaboration, including meeting rooms, design studios, and open work areas.

• Technology Access: Employees have access to state-of-the-art technology, including powerful workstations, advanced software licenses (Figma, Adobe CC), and robust IT support, essential for design and development tasks.

• Team Interaction: Hybrid work necessitates intentional team interaction, likely involving scheduled in-office days for design critiques, brainstorming sessions, and team-building activities. Remote collaboration tools will be heavily utilized.

Work Schedule:

• Standard business hours (typically 40 hours per week) are expected, with flexibility to accommodate project needs and global team coordination.

• The hybrid arrangement allows for a degree of autonomy in managing work-life balance, with specific in-office days likely coordinated with the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment at a major tech campus like Microsoft's Redmond campus offers a mix of structured collaboration and personal flexibility. The emphasis on intentional in-office time for specific activities like design critiques and team syncs is crucial for maintaining team alignment and fostering a strong design culture in a hybrid setting.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter will review your application and resume, followed by a brief phone screen to assess basic qualifications and alignment with the role.

• Portfolio Review & Technical Screen: This is a critical stage. You will likely present your online portfolio, discussing 2-3 key projects that showcase your end-to-end design process, coding abilities, AI application, and storytelling skills. This may be combined with a technical discussion or a live coding exercise.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: You may be given a design problem to solve within a set timeframe, requiring you to demonstrate your problem-solving approach, design thinking, and ability to prototype or articulate solutions.

• On-site/Virtual Interviews (Loop): A series of interviews with various team members, including fellow designers, PMs, engineers, and potentially hiring managers. These interviews will delve into your experience, technical skills, collaboration style, and how you handle ambiguity and feedback. Expect questions related to your portfolio projects, design philosophy, and experience with AI and enterprise UX.

• Final Interview/Hiring Manager Chat: A concluding conversation to discuss team fit, career aspirations, and finalize any remaining questions.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-4 projects that best represent the required skills: strong visual/interaction design, code-based prototyping, AI application, storytelling, and enterprise UX.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process (research, ideation, design, development, testing), the challenges, your solutions, and the impact/outcomes. Use visuals, diagrams, and your code samples/links effectively.

• Highlight Code & AI: Dedicate specific sections or examples to your coding proficiency (HTML, CSS, JS, React) and your experience with generative AI. Include links to GitHub/CodePen and clearly explain the AI models/patterns used and the results.

• Demonstrate Storytelling: Be ready to walk through your videos, storyboards, or demo scripts. Explain how these artifacts helped communicate vision or clarify complex ideas.

• Enterprise UX Focus: For enterprise projects, emphasize understanding of user roles, workflows, data complexity, and scalability requirements.

• Practice Your Narrative: Rehearse your project walkthroughs to be concise, engaging, and confident. Be prepared for in-depth questions about your design decisions and technical approaches.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Problem: When given a challenge, take time to fully grasp the requirements, constraints, and user needs before jumping into solutions. Ask clarifying questions.

• Structure Your Approach: Outline your process: define the problem, identify target users, brainstorm solutions, select the most promising one, detail the solution (wireframes, prototypes, interaction flows), and consider how you'd test and iterate.

• Leverage Your Strengths: If the challenge allows, incorporate elements of coding, AI, or storytelling where relevant and authentic to your skills.

• Communicate Clearly: Articulate your thought process throughout the challenge. Explain why you are making certain decisions.

• Consider Edge Cases: Think about potential issues, scalability, and different user scenarios, especially within an enterprise context.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process at Microsoft is rigorous and designed to assess a broad range of skills. The emphasis on a portfolio that includes demonstrable coding and AI application, coupled with strong storytelling capabilities, is a key differentiator for this role. Candidates should prepare to showcase their ability to execute on complex product designs within an enterprise setting.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (primary for UI design, collaboration, prototyping), Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator for asset creation).

• Code-Based Prototyping: HTML, CSS, JavaScript/TypeScript/Node.js, React, Web Components. Familiarity with these is essential for bringing concepts to life and demonstrating new interaction patterns.

• AI & ML Frameworks: Experience with Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), AI Agents, and potentially Microsoft's specific AI platforms (e.g., Azure AI services). Familiarity with Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a plus.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as a primary tool for the designer, understanding how to interpret data from tools like Azure Analytics, Power BI, or custom internal dashboards will be beneficial for validating designs and understanding user behavior.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly a focus for this design role, but understanding how design impacts user journeys within CRM systems (like Dynamics 365) or automated workflows can provide valuable context for enterprise solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack reflects a modern, forward-thinking design practice that integrates deeply with development and emerging AI technologies. Proficiency in Figma is standard, but the requirement for coding skills (HTML, CSS, JS, React) and hands-on experience with generative AI is what sets this role apart. Candidates must be comfortable working in a toolchain that bridges design and code.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Growth Mindset: Embracing challenges, learning from setbacks, and continuously seeking opportunities for personal and professional development. This is a core Microsoft value.

• Customer Focus: Designing products that are trusted, human-centered, and easy to use, directly addressing customer needs and priorities in security and digital environment management.

• Innovation & Experimentation: Proactively exploring new technologies (especially AI), pushing boundaries through hands-on prototyping, and translating bold ideas into tangible experiences.

• Collaboration & Inclusion: Working effectively across diverse teams (Design, PM, Engineering, Research) and fostering an inclusive environment where all voices are heard and valued.

• Integrity & Accountability: Upholding high standards in design and development, taking ownership of work, and delivering reliable, secure solutions.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Strong emphasis on close collaboration with PMs and Engineers to ensure designs are technically feasible, aligned with business goals, and effectively implemented.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: Regular engagement with UX Research for concept validation and user feedback, fostering an iterative design process.

• Show & Tell Culture: A preference for demonstrating work through prototypes, demos, and videos, facilitating clear communication and constructive feedback across disciplines.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of learnings from AI experiments, design processes, and tooling innovations to upskill the entire team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture at Microsoft, particularly within product development, is driven by a commitment to innovation, customer success, and continuous improvement. The "growth mindset" and emphasis on collaboration are foundational. For this role, a proactive, experimental, and technically adept approach to design, integrated within a cross-functional team, will be highly valued.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: The role involves working at the intersection of emerging AI technologies and complex enterprise security needs, often requiring creative solutions in undefined spaces.

• Balancing Design & Development: Effectively managing the dual demands of crafting polished user experiences and building functional code prototypes requires strong time management and context-switching skills.

• Integrating AI: Translating the potential of LLMs and AI Agents into practical, user-friendly, and secure product features presents unique design and technical challenges.

• Enterprise Complexity: Designing for enterprise environments involves understanding intricate user roles, data security, compliance requirements, and diverse user workflows, which can be more complex than consumer product design.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring cohesive vision and execution across large, distributed teams (Design, PM, Engineering) requires excellent communication and negotiation skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Cutting-Edge AI: Direct involvement in applying the latest generative AI technologies to real-world products, providing invaluable experience in a rapidly evolving field.

• Enterprise Security Domain: Gaining deep expertise in the security product space, a critical and high-demand area within enterprise software.

• Advanced Prototyping: Honing skills in code-based prototyping and potentially contributing to the development of internal design tools and frameworks.

• Microsoft Resources: Access to extensive internal training programs, workshops, conferences, and mentorship opportunities provided by Microsoft.

• Career Progression: Clear pathways for advancement to senior design roles, leadership positions, or specialization in areas like AI design, security UX, or technical leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant challenges that are also ripe with opportunities for growth. By tackling complex problems in AI and enterprise security, designers can develop highly sought-after skills and contribute to impactful product innovation at a global scale.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a project where you applied generative AI to a product. What were the challenges, your approach, and the outcome?" (Focus on your process, the AI models used, and how you addressed user needs and technical constraints.)

• "Walk us through a complex enterprise UX challenge you solved. How did you research, design, and collaborate to achieve success?" (Highlight your understanding of enterprise contexts, your systematic approach, and stakeholder management.)

• "How do you balance crafting a beautiful visual design with the technical constraints of coding a prototype? Give an example." (Demonstrate your ability to translate design intent into functional code and your understanding of trade-offs.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Microsoft Security and the Entra admin center specifically?" (Research Microsoft's security mission, Entra's role, and connect it to your passion for design and technology.)

• "How do you embody a 'growth mindset' in your design practice?" (Provide specific examples of learning from failure, embracing challenges, and continuously improving.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: For each project, use a clear narrative arc: Problem -> Your Role -> Process -> Solution -> Impact/Results.

• Showcase Code & AI Prominently: Dedicate specific slides or sections to your code samples, GitHub links, and detailed explanations of AI integration. Have live demos ready if possible.

• Visual Storytelling: Use high-quality visuals, mockups, video clips, and storyboards to illustrate your design process and final outcomes.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced task completion time, positive user feedback scores).

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that demonstrate enterprise UX, AI application, and code-based prototyping. Be prepared to discuss how your work aligns with Microsoft's values.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a unique blend of design craft, technical execution (coding), and forward-thinking application of AI, all within an enterprise context. Your portfolio is your primary tool; ensure it's polished, comprehensive, and directly addresses the requirements of this specific role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer II position at Microsoft:

• Submit your application through the official Microsoft Careers portal, ensuring all fields are accurately completed.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your online portfolio to prominently feature 2-3 projects that best align with the job description, specifically highlighting your end-to-end design process, code-based prototyping (HTML, CSS, JS, React), generative AI application, storytelling artifacts, and enterprise UX experience. Include direct links to GitHub/CodePen repositories.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to include keywords from the job description such as "Product Designer," "UX Design," "Figma," "HTML," "CSS," "JavaScript," "React," "Generative AI," "LLMs," and "Enterprise UX." Quantify your achievements with metrics wherever possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design decisions, technical approaches, and collaboration strategies. Prepare to walk through your portfolio projects in detail, focusing on process, problem-solving, and impact. Rehearse answers to common behavioral and situational questions.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Microsoft's mission, its security initiatives (especially Entra), its design philosophy, and its culture (e.g., growth mindset). Understand the context of enterprise software and the importance of security for businesses.

⚠️ 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.