Product Designer II

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer II Company: Microsoft Location: Dublin, Ireland Job Type: Full-Time Category: Product Design / User Experience Date Posted: December 11, 2025 Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years) Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on Product Design within Microsoft's Growth Design team, aiming to foster daily user habits for Copilot across M365 and Windows.
• The position requires significant Cross-Functional Collaboration with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Scientists, and executive stakeholders to define and implement product features.
• A key aspect involves Compelling Communication & Storytelling, articulating design rationale and advocating for solutions to diverse audiences with varying contexts and priorities.
• The role demands strong Product Thinking, extending beyond visual aesthetics to encompass user experience, business outcomes, and problem-solving through design.
• Proficiency in Figma for design and prototyping, and experience with Growth Design principles are essential for success in this position.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Product Designer II," the description strongly emphasizes a "Growth Design" focus, suggesting the role is geared towards driving user engagement and habit formation through design interventions. This implies a need for candidates with a strong understanding of user psychology, behavioral economics, and data-driven iteration. The "II" level typically implies 2-5 years of experience, aligning with the AI-derived experience level.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Scientists, and executive stakeholders to define, iterate, and implement new and existing product features, ensuring alignment with business, technical, and user requirements.
• Partner with User Researchers to coordinate testing efforts, interpret results, and integrate findings into design improvements, while also participating in foundational research activities.
• Clearly articulate design concepts and decisions, explaining how they address specific problems and business goals to cross-functional partners and stakeholders.
• Proactively seek to understand the broader product context, including users, market dynamics, and business objectives, to inform design decisions.
• Develop compelling design explorations and end-to-end user experiences that balance driving key metrics with delivering delightful, engaging, and trustworthy interactions.
• Work with Content Designers and Researchers to ensure design coherence and grounding in customer understanding.
• Manage design work with a high degree of independence, while maintaining synchronization with teammates and feature crews.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic product thinking and hands-on design execution. The emphasis on "moving metrics" and "growth design" suggests that candidates should be prepared to demonstrate how their designs impact user adoption, engagement, and retention, not just aesthetic appeal.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience, Interaction Design, or a related field.
• Alternatively, equivalent experience demonstrated through product or service design work, or using design thinking to solve problems.

Experience:

• Proven experience working in product or service design.
• Demonstrated experience in designing and prototyping using Figma.
• Experience shipping products, services, or games through an end-to-end design process is highly desirable.
• Experience designing specifically for growth, where solutions are evaluated based on usage, growth, or retention metrics.
• Evidence of advocating for design thinking and influencing design outcomes in fast-paced environments.

Required Skills:

• Product Design: Conceptualization, ideation, and definition of user-centered product experiences.
• User Experience (UX) Design: Deep understanding of user needs, behaviors, and creating intuitive, effective interfaces.
• Prototyping: Ability to create interactive prototypes to test and communicate design ideas.
• Figma: Proficiency in using Figma for design, wireframing, and prototyping.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Experience working effectively with PMs, engineers, researchers, and stakeholders.
• Communication & Storytelling: Articulating design rationale, presenting solutions, and influencing decision-making.
• Product Thinking: Strategic approach to understanding business goals, user needs, and market context.

Preferred Skills:

• Master's Degree: In Industrial Design, Product Design, HCI, UX, Interaction Design, or a related field.
• Growth Design: Specific experience in designing for user acquisition, engagement, and retention.
• Design Thinking: Application of design thinking methodologies to solve complex problems.
• User Research Integration: Ability to work with and interpret user research findings.
• Metrics-Driven Design: Designing with a clear understanding of how to measure success against business objectives.
• End-to-End Design Process: Proven ability to manage the design lifecycle from conception to launch.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize both foundational design skills and specific experience in growth-oriented design and the Figma tool. The "equivalent experience" clause for the Bachelor's degree is a key point for candidates with strong portfolios but non-traditional educational backgrounds.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase of end-to-end design processes, illustrating problem identification, user research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration.
• Examples of growth-focused design solutions that demonstrably impacted key metrics (e.g., user adoption, engagement, retention).
• Detailed case studies highlighting collaboration with cross-functional teams (PMs, Engineering, Data Science) and how design decisions were influenced or defended.
• Prototypes or interactive demonstrations, preferably created in Figma, to showcase interaction design and user flow.
• Evidence of impact and outcomes, clearly articulating the problem solved, the design solution, and the measured results or lessons learned.

Process Documentation:

• For each case study, clearly outline the design methodology used, including any specific frameworks or approaches (e.g., Design Thinking, Lean UX).
• Document the user research methods employed and how insights were translated into design requirements.
• Illustrate the iteration cycles, showing how feedback from testing or stakeholders led to design refinements.
• Provide context on how metrics and data were used to inform design decisions and measure success.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Product Designer role at Microsoft, especially in a growth-focused team, the portfolio is critical. Candidates should curate projects that not only display strong visual design and UX skills but also demonstrate their ability to think strategically about business impact and user behavior. Projects should clearly articulate the "why" behind design decisions and quantify the "what" in terms of outcomes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on Microsoft's typical compensation structure for Product Designer II roles in Dublin, Ireland, and considering the mid-level experience requirement (2-5 years), a competitive salary range can be estimated. Industry benchmarks for similar roles in Dublin suggest an annual base salary typically falling between €60,000 and €85,000. This range can vary based on specific experience, skills, and internal equity.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Retirement Savings Plan: With company matching contributions.
• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation days, sick leave, and public holidays.
• Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP): Opportunity to purchase Microsoft stock at a discounted rate.
• Professional Development: Access to training, conferences, and internal learning resources.
• Wellness Programs: Including gym memberships or subsidies, and mental health support.
• Flexible Work Arrangements: While this role is on-site, Microsoft often offers flexibility in daily schedules.
• Employee Discounts: On Microsoft products and services.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work week is typically 40 hours.
• While the role is on-site, Microsoft generally supports flexible daily scheduling within core business hours to accommodate personal needs and work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on industry data for Dublin, Ireland, for a Product Designer II role at a major tech company. Actual compensation may vary. Microsoft is known for offering a robust benefits package, and candidates should expect comprehensive offerings that support employee well-being and financial security.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software & Technology, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Consumer Electronics. Microsoft operates at the forefront of technological innovation, shaping how individuals and organizations work, communicate, and achieve more. Company Size: Enterprise-level (over 100,000 employees globally). This scale offers vast opportunities for collaboration, learning, and career progression across diverse product areas. Founded: 1975. With a long history of innovation, Microsoft has evolved significantly, demonstrating adaptability and a forward-thinking approach to technology.

Team Structure:

• The Growth Design team is likely a specialized unit within a larger product organization (e.g., M365 or Windows), focused on user habit formation and engagement.
• Designers typically report to a Design Lead or Manager, working closely with dedicated Product Managers, Engineers, and Data Scientists on specific product initiatives.
• Collaboration is highly matrixed, with designers frequently engaging with other design teams, research, and content design to ensure a cohesive user experience across the Microsoft ecosystem.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Decisions are heavily informed by user research, A/B testing, and product analytics to understand user behavior and measure impact.
• Agile Development: Design processes are integrated within agile development cycles, emphasizing rapid iteration and continuous improvement.
• Customer Empathy: Strong focus on understanding user needs, pain points, and motivations through research and direct interaction.
• Iterative Design: A culture of continuous improvement, where designs are launched, measured, and refined based on performance data and user feedback.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Microsoft's culture is characterized by a "growth mindset," emphasizing learning, resilience, and a drive to innovate. The company's vast scale means that while individual teams might have specific, agile processes, they operate within a broader organizational framework that values collaboration, data-informed decisions, and a commitment to empowering users.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is a Product Designer II, positioned as a mid-level contributor. It signifies a designer who has moved beyond foundational skills and can work with a significant degree of independence. They are expected to contribute meaningfully to product strategy, drive design execution for key features, and begin to mentor junior designers. The focus on "Growth Design" suggests a specialization within the broader product design field.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer II will likely report to a Design Lead or Design Manager. They will work in close partnership with a Product Manager and a team of engineers. While direct reports are unlikely at this level, they will collaborate extensively with researchers and content designers.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer II's impact is directly tied to the success of Microsoft's Copilot initiative within M365 and Windows. Their designs will influence user adoption, daily engagement, and overall user habit formation, which are critical for the long-term success and monetization of these AI-powered features. By driving metrics related to usage and retention, they contribute directly to business objectives.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in Growth Design, AI-driven product experiences, or specific product areas like M365 or Windows.
• Leadership: Progress to a Senior Product Designer or Design Lead role, taking on more complex projects, mentoring junior designers, and influencing design strategy.
• Skill Development: Opportunities to learn new design tools, methodologies, and gain exposure to advanced AI/ML concepts influencing product design.
• Cross-Team Mobility: Potential to move to other design teams or product areas within Microsoft to broaden experience.
• Formal Training: Access to Microsoft's extensive internal learning platforms and external training resources.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "II" designation implies a trajectory beyond entry-level. Candidates should look for opportunities to demonstrate strategic thinking and leadership potential, even in a mid-level role, to position themselves for future advancement within Microsoft's design organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Microsoft's Dublin office is a modern, professional workspace designed to foster collaboration and innovation. It will likely include a mix of open-plan areas, private offices, meeting rooms, and collaboration zones. Office Location(s): The role is based in Dublin, Ireland. Microsoft has significant operations in the city, providing a dynamic work environment with access to a large ecosystem of tech professionals. Specific office addresses can be found on Microsoft's careers site.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Ample meeting rooms, brainstorming areas, and informal gathering spots to facilitate teamwork and idea sharing.
• Tools & Technology: Access to state-of-the-art design software (like Figma), hardware, and internal Microsoft platforms.
• Team Interaction: Opportunities for daily interaction with designers, PMs, engineers, and researchers, fostering a strong sense of team cohesion and shared purpose.
• Employee Amenities: Likely includes on-site cafes, fitness centers, and other facilities to support employee well-being.

Work Schedule:

• The role is designated as on-site, implying a requirement to work from the Dublin office.
• While on-site, Microsoft typically offers flexibility within the standard working day, allowing for adjustments to start and end times to manage work-life balance, provided core collaboration hours are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement for this role means candidates should be prepared for a traditional office-based work environment. However, Microsoft's culture often balances this with a degree of flexibility in daily scheduling, allowing for personal needs to be accommodated.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Initial Screening: A recruiter will review your application and resume, potentially followed by a brief phone screen to assess basic qualifications and interest.
2. Hiring Manager/Recruiter Call: A more in-depth conversation about your experience, motivations, and fit for the role and team.
3. Portfolio Review & Presentation: You will be asked to present your portfolio, focusing on 2-3 key projects. This is a critical stage where you'll articulate your design process, problem-solving approach, and impact. Be prepared to discuss your contributions, challenges, and outcomes.
4. Design Challenge/Exercise: This may involve a take-home assignment or a live design exercise during an interview loop, testing your ability to solve a specific design problem or critique an existing experience.
5. On-Site/Virtual Loop: A series of interviews (typically 4-6) with various stakeholders, including other designers, PMs, engineers, and potentially leadership. These interviews will assess your technical skills, collaboration abilities, product thinking, and cultural fit. Questions will cover your past work, design philosophy, and hypothetical scenarios.
6. Final Debrief & Offer: The interview panel will convene to discuss candidates, and if successful, an offer will be extended.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your skills relevant to growth design, end-to-end process, and cross-functional collaboration. Prioritize projects with measurable impact.
• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role and contributions, your design process, the challenges faced, the solutions developed, and the outcomes achieved. Use visuals effectively.
• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, include metrics and data to demonstrate the success of your designs. Explain how you measured impact and what you learned.
• Showcase Figma Proficiency: Be ready to discuss your Figma workflow, any custom components or libraries you've built, and how you leverage its features for efficiency and collaboration.
• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Interviewers will ask detailed questions about your decision-making process, trade-offs you made, and how you handled feedback.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Goal: For any design challenge, first clarify the objective, target users, and constraints.
• Think Aloud: During live exercises, articulate your thought process clearly. Explain why you're making certain decisions.
• Focus on Process: Demonstrate a structured approach, even if time is limited. Show how you would gather information, brainstorm, and iterate.
• Consider Business Impact: Relate your design solutions back to business goals and user needs.
• Practice Communication: Be ready to present your work concisely and answer questions effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process at Microsoft is typically rigorous, with a strong emphasis on evaluating a candidate's end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and ability to collaborate. A well-prepared portfolio and clear articulation of design rationale are paramount for success.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for design, wireframing, and prototyping. Proficiency is a required qualification.
• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, familiarity with other prototyping tools might be beneficial for specific explorations.
• Design Systems: Understanding and contributing to design systems for consistency and efficiency.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Internal Microsoft Analytics Platforms: While specific names may not be public, expect to use tools for tracking user behavior, A/B testing results, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Data Visualization Tools: Ability to interpret and potentially create dashboards to understand user data and design impact.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how design impacts user journeys within broader customer systems is valuable.
• Familiarity with workflows and automation concepts can help in designing scalable and efficient user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly mentioned as a required skill. Candidates should highlight their expertise in this tool. Beyond Figma, an understanding of how design integrates with data analytics and broader customer systems will be advantageous, especially given the growth design focus.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Growth Mindset: A core Microsoft value, encouraging continuous learning, embracing challenges, and seeing setbacks as opportunities for growth.
• Customer Focus: Deep commitment to understanding and serving customers, ensuring designs meet user needs and deliver value.
• Inclusion: Fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are valued, and everyone feels empowered to contribute.
• Integrity: Upholding ethical standards in design and business practices.
• Accountability: Taking ownership of work, delivering on commitments, and driving results.
• Collaboration: Working effectively with others across teams and disciplines to achieve shared goals.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership: Designers work as integral partners with PMs, engineers, and researchers, sharing ownership of product outcomes.
• Open Communication: Encouraging active listening, constructive feedback, and transparent dialogue.
• Data-Informed: Decisions are often debated and resolved based on data and user insights, rather than solely on opinion.
• Iterative Feedback Loops: Regular design reviews and feedback sessions are common to refine work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "Growth Mindset" is central to Microsoft's culture. For a designer, this means being open to experimentation, learning from failures, and continuously seeking ways to improve both the product and one's own skills. The collaborative and data-driven nature of the team is also key to success.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Growth Metrics with User Delight: Designing experiences that drive engagement without feeling manipulative or sacrificing user trust and satisfaction.
• Navigating Complex Ecosystems: Ensuring designs integrate seamlessly across M365 and Windows, which have vast user bases and diverse feature sets.
• Influencing Stakeholders: Convincing diverse teams and leaders of design recommendations, especially when they involve significant shifts or require trade-offs.
• Rapid Iteration Cycles: Adapting quickly to new data, changing priorities, and fast-paced development schedules.
• Defining Success in Growth: Establishing clear, measurable goals for growth initiatives and designing effectively to achieve them.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI & ML Integration: Gaining hands-on experience designing for AI-powered features like Copilot.
• Behavioral Design: Deepening understanding of user psychology and habit formation.
• Advanced Figma Techniques: Mastering complex workflows, component libraries, and collaboration features.
• Cross-Product Design: Learning to design for broader product suites and ecosystems.
• Mentorship: Opportunities to be mentored by senior designers and potentially mentor junior team members.
• Industry Conferences & Training: Access to resources for continuous learning in UX, product design, and growth strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges in this role are directly tied to the cutting edge of AI integration and user behavior design. Successfully navigating these challenges presents significant opportunities for professional development and career advancement within Microsoft.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you designed for user habit formation. What was your process, and what were the results?" (Focus on growth metrics, user psychology, and iterative design.)
• "How do you balance delivering on business metrics with ensuring a delightful and trustworthy user experience?" (Highlight your ethical design considerations and user-centric approach.)
• "Walk us through a complex design challenge you faced. How did you collaborate with PMs, engineers, and researchers to overcome it?" (Emphasize your problem-solving skills, communication, and teamwork.)
• "How would you approach designing a new feature for Copilot to encourage daily usage among M365 users?" (Demonstrate your product thinking, understanding of user needs, and ability to generate creative solutions.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Microsoft's Growth Design mission and the Copilot initiative?" (Research Copilot and Microsoft's growth strategies.)
• "How do you embody a 'growth mindset' in your design work?" (Provide examples of learning from failures or adapting to new information.)
• "How do you ensure inclusivity in your design process?" (Discuss user research with diverse groups, accessibility considerations.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: For each project, use a clear narrative: Problem -> Your Role -> Process -> Solution -> Impact/Outcome.
• Visuals: Use high-fidelity mockups, prototypes, and relevant data visualizations.
• Focus on Impact: Quantify results whenever possible. If direct metrics aren't available, discuss how you measured success or what you learned.
• Explain Trade-offs: Discuss any constraints, difficult decisions, or trade-offs you had to make and why.
• Showcase Figma: Be ready to discuss your Figma workflow, collaboration within the tool, and any design system elements you utilized or created.
• Be Concise: Respect time limits. Practice your presentation to be clear, engaging, and to the point.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should strongly focus on demonstrating experience in growth design, data-informed decision-making, and collaborative problem-solving. Candidates should be ready to articulate their design process clearly and link their work to tangible business outcomes.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer II position:

• Submit your application through the Microsoft Careers portal.
• Tailor your Resume: Highlight experience with Product Design, User Experience, Figma, Growth Design, Cross-Functional Collaboration, and any experience with AI-powered features or habit formation. Use keywords from the job description.
• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate 2-3 strong case studies that showcase your end-to-end design process, growth-focused outcomes, and collaboration skills. Ensure your Figma proficiency is evident.
• Research Microsoft's Growth Design: Understand their approach to user engagement and habit formation, particularly concerning initiatives like Copilot.
• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse presenting your portfolio projects, focusing on clear storytelling, articulating your process, and quantifying impact. Be ready to discuss your design decisions and rationale thoroughly.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions for a role at Microsoft. While comprehensive, it is essential to verify specific details, benefits, and processes directly with the hiring organization during the application and interview stages.