Senior UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer Company: Microsoft Location: Redmond, Washington, United States Job Type: Full-Time Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Product Design Date Posted: 2025-10-18 Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years implied) Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role involves the strategic design of customer-centric experiences for SMB e-commerce journeys, focusing on intuitive and functional user interfaces.
• You will tackle complex UI patterns and interaction problems, developing innovative solutions that directly contribute to key revenue goals.
• Responsibilities include defining and designing new patterns for a core design system, creating reusable component libraries, and collaborating with other UX design teams.
• The position requires conceptualizing, designing, prototyping, and testing ideas using tools like Figma, ensuring alignment with user goals and business requirements.
• Success hinges on a strong understanding of user-centered design principles, excellent communication, and the ability to champion collaborative design techniques.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Senior UX Designer," the description implies a role with significant strategic impact and ownership over design systems and enterprise-scale platform experiences. The focus on "key core revenue goals" and "SMB e-commerce customer journeys" suggests a strong connection to Go-To-Market (GTM) and revenue operations enablement through user experience. The need to "oversee the strategic remit of our components, UX patterns and system-of-systems strategy" points to a role that interfaces with broader product and engineering strategies.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Explore, ideate, and create customer-centric user experiences for SMB e-commerce platforms, ensuring both intuitiveness and functionality.
• Address and solve complex UI patterns and interaction design challenges with innovative, user-centered solutions.
• Contribute to and potentially lead the design of new patterns for Microsoft's core design system, including the creation of comprehensive component libraries.
• Conceptualize, design, prototype, and test new ideas and features using industry-standard tools like Figma, validating against user goals and business objectives.
• Develop detailed UX guidelines and documentation to ensure consistency and quality across product experiences.
• Proactively solicit and provide constructive feedback to elevate the quality of design work within the team and across collaborating teams.
• Articulate and champion UX design rationale, clearly linking design decisions to project goals and overall experience strategy.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Web Marketing, front-end developers, and back-end developers, to ensure seamless integration of designs.
• Optimize customer journeys by adopting an innovative and strategic design approach, demonstrating flexibility and nimbleness in managing competing priorities.
• Champion a customer-first mindset, ensuring designs meet user needs while aligning with overarching business requirements and revenue objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of hands-on design execution and strategic oversight. The emphasis on "system-of-systems strategy," "designing new patterns for our core design system," and "communicating potential solutions to other UX design teams" indicates a role that influences broader product architecture and design consistency, a critical aspect for large-scale operations.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Design (e.g., Interaction Design, Graphic Design, Human-Computer Interaction, UX/UI Design), Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 📝 Enhancement Note: While not explicitly stated, a Master's degree or equivalent advanced study in a relevant field is often preferred for senior-level roles at companies like Microsoft, especially those involving strategic design system work.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5-10 years of professional experience in UX design, interaction design, or product design, with a proven track record of delivering user-centered digital products.
• Demonstrated experience in designing for complex systems, design systems, and enterprise-scale applications.
• 📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title and description of responsibilities (e.g., overseeing strategic remit, designing new patterns for core design system) strongly suggest a need for experience in leading design initiatives and influencing architectural decisions, often requiring 7+ years of experience.

Required Skills:

• User-Centered Design (UCD): Deep understanding and practical application of UCD principles to create user-centric solutions.
• Interaction Design: Expertise in designing intuitive and efficient user flows and interactions.
• Prototyping & Wireframing: Proficiency in creating high-fidelity prototypes and wireframes using tools such as Figma.
• Design Systems: Experience in contributing to, or working with, established design systems, including creating and maintaining component libraries.
• Communication & Collaboration: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to address complex UI patterns and interaction challenges.
• Aesthetic Design: A demonstrated aesthetic sensibility and the ability to translate strategic goals into visually appealing and functional designs.

Preferred Skills:

• E-commerce Design: Specific experience designing for e-commerce platforms, customer journeys, and revenue-driving initiatives.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to think strategically about user experience, product vision, and business goals.
• Feedback Solicitation & Critique: Skill in proactively seeking and providing thoughtful design critique.
• Agile/Scrum Methodologies: Familiarity with agile development processes and cross-functional team collaboration within such frameworks.
• Technical Understanding: Interest in and understanding of the technical aspects that bring designs to life, facilitating better collaboration with developers.
• Enterprise-Scale Design: Experience designing for large, complex enterprise systems and platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "key core revenue goals" and "SMB e-commerce customer journeys" makes e-commerce specific design experience a highly valuable, almost implied, requirement for this role, particularly for demonstrating impact.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive digital portfolio showcasing a strong understanding of user-centered design principles and interaction design.
• Examples of complex UI patterns and interaction problems that have been solved with innovative and functional solutions.
• Demonstrations of contributions to design systems, including the creation or use of component libraries and UX pattern documentation.
• Case studies detailing the design process from conceptualization through prototyping and testing, highlighting the use of tools like Figma.
• Evidence of strategic thinking, showing how designs align with user goals and business requirements, particularly those related to revenue generation.

Process Documentation:

• Examples of detailed UX guidelines and documentation created to ensure design consistency and quality.
• Case studies that illustrate the process of soliciting and incorporating feedback to improve design outcomes.
• Prototypes demonstrating user flows and interaction designs for SMB e-commerce scenarios.
• 📝 Enhancement Note: The prompt specifically mentions "engaging digital portfolio that shows off both your conceptual skills and your knowledge of UI/UX design principles for Enterprise websites, online community portals, e-commerce, or product interface design." This reinforces the need for a strong, well-curated portfolio that highlights relevant experience.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• For a Senior UX Designer role in Redmond, Washington, with 5-10 years of experience at a company like Microsoft, the estimated annual salary range is typically between $120,000 and $180,000 USD.
• 📝 Enhancement Note: This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior UX/Product Design roles in major tech hubs like Seattle/Redmond, considering Microsoft's compensation structure and the indicated experience level. Actual compensation may vary based on specific qualifications, interview performance, and internal leveling.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous paid time off (PTO), holidays, and sick leave.
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match.
• Stock options or Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) as part of compensation.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and wellness initiatives.
• Professional development opportunities, including training, conferences, and tuition reimbursement.
• Discounts on Microsoft products and services.
• Parental leave benefits.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time workweek, typically 40 hours.
• 📝 Enhancement Note: While the core hours are standard, the role's emphasis on collaboration and iterative design may occasionally require flexibility to meet project deadlines or accommodate cross-time zone team members.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software Development, Cloud Computing, Consumer Electronics, Gaming, and Enterprise Solutions. Company Size: Microsoft is a large, multinational technology corporation with hundreds of thousands of employees globally. This means extensive resources, established processes, and a wide range of career opportunities, but also a need for clear communication and initiative to navigate. Founded: 1975, with a long history of innovation and market leadership.

Team Structure:

• The UX design team is likely integrated within product or engineering divisions, focusing on specific product areas or customer segments (e.g., SMB e-commerce).
• Reporting structure typically involves a UX Design Manager or Lead, with Senior Designers often mentoring junior team members.
• Cross-functional collaboration is paramount, involving close partnerships with Product Managers, Developers (front-end and back-end), Researchers, and Marketing teams.

Methodology:

• Data-driven design: Utilizing user research, analytics, and A/B testing to inform design decisions.
• Iterative design process: Emphasizing rapid prototyping, user testing, and continuous refinement.
• Design system adoption: Leveraging and contributing to established design systems for consistency and efficiency.
• Agile development: Working within agile frameworks to deliver incremental value.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Microsoft's "growth mindset" culture, as mentioned in the description, encourages continuous learning, experimentation, and resilience. For a UX designer, this translates to an environment where innovative ideas are welcomed, and learning from failures is seen as part of the growth process.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a Senior level, indicating a significant degree of autonomy, expertise, and responsibility. Senior UX Designers are expected to lead complex projects, mentor others, and influence design strategy. In a company like Microsoft, this often aligns with a Level 63 or 64 individual contributor role.

Reporting Structure: You would likely report to a UX Design Manager or Director, and work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads for the SMB e-commerce initiatives. Collaboration with other Senior UX Designers and Design System leads will also be a key aspect.

Operations Impact: As a UX Designer focused on SMB e-commerce, your impact directly ties into revenue generation and customer acquisition/retention. By creating intuitive and effective user journeys, you'll directly influence conversion rates, customer satisfaction, and the overall success of Microsoft's e-commerce offerings for small and medium businesses. This role bridges the gap between user needs and business objectives, making it a critical component of the Go-To-Market strategy.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in e-commerce UX, design systems, or specific product areas within Microsoft.
• Leadership: Transition into a UX Design Lead or Managerial role, overseeing teams and strategic design initiatives.
• Cross-Functional Mobility: Move into Product Management, Design Research, or other related roles within Microsoft.
• Skill Development: Continuous learning through internal training, external conferences, and access to cutting-edge design tools and methodologies.
• Impact Expansion: Take on larger, more strategic design challenges impacting broader product portfolios or new market initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "key core revenue goals" and "strategic remit" suggests this role has significant visibility and potential for impact, which can accelerate career progression within Microsoft's structured career paths.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based on-site in Redmond, Washington, indicating a traditional office environment within Microsoft's corporate campus. This environment is designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and access to company resources.

Office Location(s): Redmond, Washington, United States, at Microsoft's main corporate headquarters. This campus is extensive and houses numerous amenities and specialized facilities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative workspaces designed to encourage interaction among designers, product managers, and engineers.
• Access to state-of-the-art design tools, hardware, and software.
• Opportunities for informal and formal collaboration sessions, design critiques, and team meetings.
• A dynamic environment with a focus on innovation and problem-solving.

Work Schedule:

• Standard professional work hours are expected, typically 40 hours per week.
• 📝 Enhancement Note: While the core hours are fixed, the nature of design work often allows for some flexibility in how work is structured day-to-day, provided project milestones and collaboration needs are met. This flexibility is crucial for iterative design processes.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Recruiter call to assess general fit, experience, and interest.
• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion focused on your experience, motivations, and understanding of the role's strategic aspects.
• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: This is a critical stage. You will present your portfolio, discussing case studies and design decisions. A practical design challenge may be given, requiring you to demonstrate your problem-solving skills, process, and ability to articulate your rationale under timed conditions.
• Team/Peer Interviews: Meetings with potential colleagues (other designers, PMs, engineers) to assess collaboration style, cultural fit, and technical/design acumen.
• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader or Director, focusing on strategic thinking, leadership potential, and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Storytelling: Structure your portfolio around compelling narratives for each project. Clearly define the problem, your role, the process you followed, the solutions you designed, and the impact/outcomes.
• Process Demonstration: Show your thought process, not just final deliverables. Include sketches, wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and research insights.
• Impact & Metrics: Quantify your impact whenever possible. How did your design improve user satisfaction, conversion rates, efficiency, or revenue? Use data and metrics to support your claims.
• Relevance: Highlight projects most relevant to SMB e-commerce, design systems, and complex UI challenges.
• Figma Proficiency: Be prepared to discuss your Figma workflows and how you leverage its features for prototyping and collaboration.
• Conciseness: Tailor your presentation to the allocated time, focusing on 2-3 strong case studies that best represent your senior-level capabilities.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brief: Carefully analyze the design challenge prompt, identifying key constraints and objectives.
• User-Centricity: Frame your solution around user needs and business goals.
• Process Articulation: Clearly explain your approach, assumptions, and decision-making process.
• Visual Communication: Use sketches, wireframes, or quick mockups to communicate your ideas effectively.
• Time Management: Practice working under time constraints. Prioritize key aspects of the design problem.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a senior role at Microsoft, expect a rigorous interview process that thoroughly evaluates both design craft and strategic thinking. The portfolio review is paramount, and a well-prepared design challenge response can significantly differentiate candidates.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Expect to demonstrate advanced proficiency.
• Sketch/Adobe Creative Suite: Potentially used for specific tasks, though Figma is increasingly the standard.
• Prototyping Tools: In addition to Figma's native capabilities, experience with tools like InVision or Axure might be beneficial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Adobe Analytics, Google Analytics, or internal Microsoft analytics tools for understanding user behavior and measuring design impact.
• A/B Testing Tools: Experience with platforms that facilitate experimentation to optimize user flows and features.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, an understanding of how UX design impacts customer journeys within CRM systems and e-commerce platforms is beneficial. Awareness of how user data feeds into these systems and influences business operations is a plus.
• Design System Tools: Familiarity with version control and documentation platforms for design systems (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook).

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is a non-negotiable requirement given its explicit mention. Understanding how UX design directly influences sales and revenue operations through e-commerce platforms is a key differentiator for this role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of SMB e-commerce customers.
• Innovation & Growth Mindset: Encouraging new ideas, experimentation, and continuous improvement in design solutions and processes.
• Collaboration & Inclusion: Valuing diverse perspectives and working effectively in cross-functional teams to achieve shared goals.
• Integrity & Accountability: Taking ownership of design work and ensuring ethical, high-quality outcomes.
• Efficiency & Scalability: Designing solutions that are not only user-friendly but also scalable and maintainable for enterprise-level deployment.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Working closely with product managers, engineers, researchers, and marketers to ensure cohesive product development.
• Open Feedback Culture: Encouraging constructive critique and open communication to elevate design quality.
• Knowledge Sharing: Actively participating in design reviews, team discussions, and sharing best practices.
• Agile Teamwork: Integrating seamlessly into agile development cycles, contributing to sprints and iterative improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "key core revenue goals" and "SMB e-commerce customer journeys" means the team culture likely revolves around driving tangible business outcomes through user experience, fostering a results-oriented yet collaborative environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: Effectively translating complex user requirements and business objectives (especially revenue-focused ones) into elegant design solutions.
• Designing for Scale: Creating components and patterns that are robust, scalable, and applicable across a wide range of enterprise e-commerce scenarios.
• Cross-Team Alignment: Navigating the complexities of large organizations to ensure design consistency and adoption across various product teams and initiatives.
• Rapid Iteration: Adapting to fast-paced development cycles and evolving market demands in the e-commerce space.
• Integrating New Technologies: Staying abreast of and incorporating emerging technologies and design trends into the product experience.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Design System Expertise: Becoming a subject matter expert in large-scale design systems and contributing to their strategic evolution.
• E-commerce Strategy: Gaining deep insights into SMB e-commerce challenges and opportunities, influencing product strategy.
• Leadership Development: Opportunities to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives, and potentially move into management.
• Industry Exposure: Access to Microsoft's extensive internal learning resources, external conferences, and professional development programs.
• Advanced Design Techniques: Learning and applying cutting-edge UX methodologies, research techniques, and prototyping tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents a significant opportunity to impact revenue-generating platforms, offering challenges that build expertise in strategic design, large-scale systems, and cross-functional leadership within a leading technology company.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex UI pattern you designed and how you approached solving it. What was the business and user impact?" (Focus on your process, rationale, and quantifiable results.)
• "How do you balance user needs with business objectives, particularly revenue goals, in your design process?" (Highlight your strategic thinking and ability to connect design to business outcomes.)
• "Walk us through your experience with design systems. How have you contributed to or leveraged them to drive efficiency and consistency?" (Emphasize your understanding of system thinking and scalability.)
• "Tell us about a time you had to influence stakeholders or collaborate with developers to implement a design vision." (Showcase your communication, negotiation, and cross-functional collaboration skills.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Microsoft's mission and specifically this role within SMB e-commerce?" (Demonstrate genuine interest and research.)
• "How do you approach receiving and giving constructive feedback in a team environment?" (Align with Microsoft's growth mindset and collaborative culture.)
• "How would you contribute to our design culture and the growth of the UX team?" (Show initiative and a proactive approach to team development.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select Impactful Projects: Choose 2-3 case studies that best showcase your senior-level abilities in strategic design, complex problem-solving, design systems, and e-commerce.
• Quantify Success: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your specific contributions, the design process, and measurable outcomes (e.g., increased conversion, reduced errors, improved user satisfaction scores).
• Articulate Your 'Why': Be prepared to explain the strategic rationale behind your design decisions, linking them to user needs and business objectives.
• Demonstrate Figma Mastery: Be ready to walk through prototypes in Figma, explaining your workflow and how you leverage its features.
• Anticipate Questions: Think about potential questions related to your design choices, challenges faced, and lessons learned.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to discuss how your UX design directly contributes to revenue generation and supports the broader Go-To-Market strategy for SMB clients. This is a key differentiator for this role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer position at Microsoft:

1. Submit Your Application: Navigate to the Microsoft Careers website (https://jobs.careers.microsoft.com) and submit your application through the provided portal. Be sure to upload your updated resume.
2. Curate a Compelling Portfolio: Ensure your digital portfolio is up-to-date, showcases your best work (especially relevant e-commerce and design system projects), and clearly articulates your design process and impact. Include a link to your portfolio in your application or resume.
3. Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords and experiences mentioned in the job description, such as "UX Design," "User-Centered Design," "Interaction Design," "Design Systems," "Figma," "E-commerce," "Strategic Thinking," and "Cross-Functional Collaboration." Quantify your achievements with metrics wherever possible.
4. Prepare for the Design Challenge: Familiarize yourself with common UX design challenges and practice articulating your thought process under time constraints.
5. Research Microsoft and the Role: Understand Microsoft's mission, values, and recent product developments, particularly in the SMB and e-commerce space. Research the specific team or product area if possible to tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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.

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