UX Engineer II at Microsoft

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Engineer II Company: Microsoft Location: Redmond, Washington, United States Job Type: Full-Time Category: UX Engineering / Design Systems Operations Date Posted: 2025-07-24T19:31:00 Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years) Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

This role focuses on bridging the gap between UX Design and Engineering, specifically within Microsoft's ModeDS (Motion Development and Design Systems) team.
The UX Engineer II will be instrumental in developing and maintaining high-quality, consistent user experiences across key Microsoft products like Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, Planner, and Engage.
A core aspect of the role involves supporting and evolving a design system, with a strong emphasis on accessibility standards and user interface polish.
The position offers a unique opportunity to influence the future of design-to-code workflows through the introduction of new tooling and automation, aiming to enhance operational efficiencies between design and engineering disciplines.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "UX Engineer II," the responsibilities heavily lean into operations within the design and engineering lifecycle, specifically around design systems and workflow automation. This suggests a role that requires a blend of technical implementation and process optimization, aligning with operational excellence in product development.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

Develop and implement features that adhere to established design system guidelines, ensuring consistency and quality across multiple Microsoft products.
Collaborate closely with Product Design, Research, Engineering, and Product Management teams to translate design concepts into functional, user-friendly interfaces.
Champion and implement accessibility best practices (e.g., WCAG standards) within the development process to ensure products are usable by a diverse user base.
Proactively identify opportunities to evolve and optimize design-to-code workflows by introducing new tooling, scripting, and automation solutions.
Contribute to the enhancement of operational efficiencies within the design and engineering processes, fostering a more seamless handoff and development cycle.
Support the maintenance and expansion of the ModeDS design system, ensuring its components are robust, well-documented, and easy for other teams to adopt.
Participate in code reviews and provide technical guidance to ensure code quality, maintainability, and adherence to architectural standards.
Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends, particularly in AI and its impact on UX design and development workflows, to inform strategic improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility for "introducing new tooling and automation" and creating "deeper efficiencies in our system and between Design and Engineering" clearly places this role within an operations-focused capacity, aiming to streamline and improve the product development lifecycle.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience:

2-5 years of professional experience in UX engineering, front-end development, or a related role, with a focus on design systems and user interface development.
Demonstrated experience in developing user-facing features and components, with a strong understanding of modern front-end frameworks.
Proven track record of working within cross-functional teams, including design, product management, and engineering.
Experience with process improvement methodologies and the implementation of new tools or automation to enhance workflows.

Required Skills:

Proficiency in front-end development languages and frameworks (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Angular, Vue.js).
Strong understanding of UX principles, interaction design, and user-centered design methodologies.
Expertise in developing and maintaining design systems, including component libraries, style guides, and best practices.
Solid knowledge of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and experience implementing accessible UI patterns.
Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to articulate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Experience with version control systems, particularly Git.
Familiarity with agile development methodologies and their application in a product development environment.

Preferred Skills:

Experience with automation tools and scripting languages (e.g., Python, PowerShell) for workflow optimization and tooling development.
Knowledge of AI's impact on UX design and development, and experience exploring AI-driven tooling.
Experience with UI testing frameworks and methodologies.
Familiarity with design tools such as Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD, and their integration with development workflows.
Experience in shipping products to a large user base (hundreds of millions).

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "design-to-code workflows," "tooling and automation," and "efficiencies" strongly suggests that candidates with a background in operations, even if under a different title, will be highly competitive here. Experience in process improvement and system optimization is a key differentiator.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Demonstrate practical application of design system principles through developed components or features.
Showcase examples of projects that required close collaboration between design and engineering teams.
Include case studies detailing how you improved processes or implemented new tools to enhance efficiency in development workflows.
Provide evidence of work that adheres to or champions accessibility standards.
Highlight projects where you contributed to the evolution or maintenance of a design system.

Process Documentation:

Examples of how you've documented workflows, component usage, or best practices within a design system context.
Demonstrate understanding of the design-to-code handoff process and how to streamline it.
Showcase instances where you've analyzed existing processes to identify bottlenecks and implemented solutions for improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on evolving design-to-code workflows and introducing automation, a portfolio that highlights process optimization, tool implementation, and measurable efficiency gains will be highly valued. This is akin to a "revenue operations" focus but applied to the design and engineering production pipeline.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

For Redmond, Washington, a UX Engineer II role with 2-5 years of experience typically falls within the range of $100,000 - $140,000 annually, depending on specific skills, interview performance, and current market conditions. Microsoft compensation often includes a base salary, annual bonus potential, and stock awards, which can significantly increase the total compensation package.

Benefits:

Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
Generous paid time off (PTO), including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.
401(k) retirement plan with company match.
Stock purchase program and potential for stock awards.
Professional development opportunities, including training, conferences, and certifications.
Employee assistance programs and wellness initiatives.
Flexible work arrangements (hybrid model).
Access to Microsoft product discounts and benefits.

Working Hours:

Standard full-time hours, typically 40 hours per week. The hybrid work model allows for flexibility in scheduling, with the expectation of collaboration during core business hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on industry benchmarks for a UX Engineer II with 2-5 years of experience in the Redmond, WA area, considering Microsoft's compensation philosophy for technical roles. Actual compensation may vary.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (Software & Cloud Services) Company Size: Enterprise (Over 220,000 employees globally) Founded: 1975 Company Description: Microsoft Corporation is a global technology leader focused on empowering every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Its mission is to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential. Microsoft develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services. Company Specialties: Cloud Computing (Azure), Productivity Software (Microsoft 365), Gaming (Xbox), AI, Operating Systems (Windows), Hardware (Surface).

Team Structure:

The ModeDS (Motion Development and Design Systems) team is positioned at the intersection of Product Design, Research, and Engineering, indicating a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary environment.
This team likely operates as a specialized unit focused on core platform components and design infrastructure, serving multiple product teams within Microsoft.
Collaboration is expected across various product groups (Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, Planner, Engage) and disciplines, requiring strong partnership and communication skills.

Methodology:

Emphasis on a design system approach to ensure consistency and efficiency across product development.
Focus on leveraging AI to reshape design, build, and shipping processes, indicating a forward-thinking, innovation-driven methodology.
Commitment to accessibility as a core tenet of product development.
Agile methodologies are likely employed for iterative development and continuous improvement.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Microsoft's culture is known for its emphasis on growth mindset, customer obsession, and cross-team collaboration. The ModeDS team's specific focus on design systems and workflow automation suggests a culture that values operational excellence, innovation in development processes, and a commitment to building scalable, high-quality user experiences.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is a "II" level position, typically considered mid-level. It implies a need for independent contribution and problem-solving, with opportunities to mentor or guide more junior team members.

Reporting Structure: The UX Engineer II will likely report to a manager within the ModeDS team, who may have oversight of design systems, motion design, or engineering tooling. Collaboration will be extensive with peers in design, engineering, and product management across various product groups.

Operations Impact: The UX Engineer II will have a significant impact on the efficiency and consistency of product development across multiple major Microsoft products. By improving design-to-code workflows and enhancing the design system, this role directly contributes to faster iteration cycles, reduced redundancy, and a more cohesive user experience for hundreds of millions of users. This operational efficiency translates into better resource allocation and faster time-to-market.

Growth Opportunities:

Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in front-end development, design systems, accessibility, or automation tooling.
Leadership Development: Progress to a Senior UX Engineer role, taking on more complex projects, leading initiatives, and mentoring junior colleagues.
Cross-Product Exposure: Gain experience working with a diverse range of Microsoft products, understanding their unique UX challenges and operational needs.
Process Improvement Leadership: Transition into roles focused on driving operational excellence, tooling strategy, or design system governance.
AI Integration: Become a subject matter expert in applying AI to UX development workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a strong foundation for a career in operational aspects of product development, particularly within large-scale design systems and development pipelines. The opportunity to influence tooling and processes is a key growth driver.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Microsoft operates modern, well-equipped office spaces designed to foster collaboration and innovation. The Redmond campus is known for its amenities and collaborative workspaces.

Office Location(s): Redmond, Washington is the primary location. Microsoft also has offices in other locations, but this specific role is based in Redmond.

Workspace Context:

The environment is expected to be highly collaborative, with significant interaction with designers, engineers, and product managers.
Access to cutting-edge tools, technologies, and internal Microsoft platforms will be available.
The hybrid model offers flexibility, allowing for focused work at home and collaborative sessions or team meetings in the office.

Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour work week, with flexibility in daily hours. Core collaboration hours will be established to ensure effective teamwork across different time zones and working arrangements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role suggests an environment that balances structured team collaboration with individual focused work, accommodating different working styles and preferences within operational frameworks.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications to assess qualifications and fit.
Technical Screen/Phone Interview: Expect questions on front-end development, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, accessibility, and your experience with design systems. You might be asked to walk through a portfolio project.
On-site/Virtual Interviews: This typically involves multiple sessions with different team members (engineers, designers, managers). You may face:
- Coding Challenges: Live coding exercises focusing on front-end development, component creation, or problem-solving.
- System Design/Architecture: Discussions on how to build scalable UI components or improve development workflows.
- Portfolio Review: A dedicated session to present and discuss your past projects, focusing on your role, technical contributions, process improvements, and impact. Be prepared to discuss challenges and solutions.
- Behavioral Questions: Assessing collaboration, problem-solving, adaptability, and how you handle specific work situations.
Hiring Manager Interview: Final discussion on role fit, career aspirations, and alignment with team culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Curate Strategically: Select 3-4 strong projects that best demonstrate your skills in UX engineering, design system implementation, accessibility, and process/tooling improvements.
Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your specific contributions, the technologies used, the process followed, and the measurable outcomes or impact achieved. Quantify where possible (e.g., "reduced development time by X%", "improved accessibility score by Y%").
Showcase Process & Automation: If you have examples of improving design-to-code workflows or implementing automation tools, highlight these prominently. Explain the "before" and "after" state and the benefits.
Accessibility Emphasis: Dedicate specific points to how you ensured accessibility in your projects.
Storytelling: Frame your projects as stories that highlight your problem-solving abilities and operational thinking.

Challenge Preparation:

Coding Practice: Brush up on JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and potentially a framework like React. Practice common algorithm and data structure problems.
Design System Concepts: Be ready to discuss how design systems work, their benefits, and challenges in implementation and maintenance.
Accessibility Knowledge: Review key accessibility principles and common implementation techniques.
Workflow Optimization: Think about how you've improved processes in previous roles, particularly in development or design handoffs. Prepare examples of tools or scripts you've used or created.
Microsoft Product Familiarity: Understand the products mentioned (Teams, OneDrive, etc.) and consider potential UX improvements or design system applications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a role like this at Microsoft often involves a rigorous technical assessment and a strong emphasis on portfolio demonstration. Candidates should prepare to showcase not just coding skills but also their ability to think about process, efficiency, and system-level impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

Front-end Development: HTML, CSS, JavaScript (ES6+).
JavaScript Frameworks: React, Angular, or Vue.js (depending on Microsoft's internal stack for these products).
Version Control: Git, GitHub/Azure Repos.
Design Systems: Experience with or ability to contribute to component libraries, style guides, and design tokens.
Collaboration Tools: Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Azure DevOps.

Analytics & Reporting:

Familiarity with analytics platforms for tracking user behavior and feature adoption, though direct implementation might be handled by other teams.
Understanding of how to instrument code for analytics.

CRM & Automation:

While not a direct CRM role, understanding how CRM systems integrate with product features or user data could be beneficial.
Automation Tooling: Experience with scripting languages (Python, PowerShell) for task automation, build processes, or tooling development.
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines (e.g., Azure Pipelines, Jenkins) is a plus for understanding deployment processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on tooling and automation suggests that proficiency in scripting and workflow automation tools will be highly valued, aligning with the operational aspects of this UX Engineering role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

Customer Obsession: A deep understanding of user needs and a commitment to delivering exceptional experiences.
Growth Mindset: A continuous drive to learn, adapt, and improve skills and processes.
Diversity and Inclusion: Valuing diverse perspectives and creating inclusive products and work environments.
Collaboration: Working effectively across teams and disciplines to achieve shared goals.
Efficiency & Optimization: A focus on streamlining processes, automating tasks, and improving operational workflows.
Impact: A commitment to delivering solutions that have a significant, positive impact on users and the business.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-functional Integration: Expect to work closely with designers, product managers, and other engineers, fostering a highly integrated team environment.
Open Communication: A culture that encourages sharing ideas, providing feedback, and open discussion on technical and design challenges.
Process Improvement Focus: Team members are likely encouraged to identify and implement improvements to existing workflows and tooling. Knowledge sharing about new tools or techniques is probably common.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture likely mirrors Microsoft's broader values, emphasizing collaborative problem-solving and a drive for continuous improvement, particularly in the operational aspects of product development.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

Scale and Complexity: Working with a design system that supports multiple large-scale products requires meticulous attention to detail and a robust approach to component management and versioning.
Cross-Product Consistency: Ensuring a unified user experience across diverse products with potentially different histories and technical constraints.
Evolving Workflows: Introducing new tools and automation requires change management and buy-in from various stakeholders, navigating existing processes.
Keeping Pace with AI: Integrating AI into design and development workflows is a rapidly evolving field, requiring continuous learning and adaptation.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Access to Microsoft's internal learning resources: Extensive training programs, online courses, and workshops.
Mentorship: Opportunities to learn from experienced engineers and designers within the ModeDS team and across product groups.
Industry Conferences: Potential to attend relevant UX and engineering conferences to stay current with best practices and emerging trends.
Skill Specialization: Develop deep expertise in areas like advanced front-end architecture, accessibility, design system tooling, or AI integration in development.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents a significant opportunity to tackle complex operational challenges within a world-class technology organization, offering substantial professional growth in the specialized field of design systems and development workflow optimization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

Design System Evolution: "Describe a time you improved a component within a design system. What was the problem, what was your solution, and what was the impact?" (Focus on process, collaboration, and measurable results.)
Workflow Automation: "Tell me about a time you introduced new tooling or automation to streamline a development or design process. What were the challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Highlight your operational thinking and problem-solving skills.)
Accessibility Implementation: "How do you ensure accessibility is integrated throughout your development process, not just as an afterthought? Provide an example." (Demonstrate practical application of accessibility standards.)
Cross-functional Collaboration: "Describe a situation where you had to collaborate with a team with different priorities (e.g., design vs. engineering). How did you align your efforts?" (Focus on communication and stakeholder management.)
Problem Solving: "Imagine our design-to-code workflow has a significant bottleneck causing delays. How would you approach diagnosing and solving this problem?" (Showcase your analytical and process-improvement methodology.)

Company & Culture Questions:

Research Microsoft's mission, values, and recent product announcements, especially concerning AI and design.
Understand the role of design systems in large organizations.
Be prepared to discuss how you align with Microsoft's growth mindset and customer obsession principles.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Structure: Start with a high-level overview of the project and your role. Then, dive into the problem/opportunity, your approach (including specific design system components, accessibility considerations, or automation efforts), the technical details, and finally, the results and impact.
Quantify: Use metrics whenever possible to demonstrate the impact of your work (e.g., efficiency gains, adoption rates, accessibility compliance scores).
Highlight Process: Explicitly discuss the processes you followed, any improvements you made, and the tools you used or advocated for.
Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare to answer detailed questions about any aspect of your projects, including technical challenges and decision-making rationale.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating not just technical proficiency but also a strong understanding of operational efficiency, process improvement, and collaborative problem-solving within a large-scale product development context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Engineer II position:

Submit your application through the Microsoft Careers portal.
Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects demonstrating design system experience, accessibility implementation, and any work involving workflow automation or process optimization. Select projects that showcase your ability to bridge design and engineering.
Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your experience with front-end development, design systems, and any contributions to improving development processes or tooling. Use keywords from the job description and emphasize quantifiable achievements.
Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your project contributions, focusing on the "what," "why," and "how," with a clear emphasis on the operational impact and efficiency gains achieved. Prepare to walk through your portfolio and discuss your approach to collaborative problem-solving and process improvement.
Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Microsoft's products, especially those mentioned in the description (Teams, OneDrive, etc.), and understand Microsoft's commitment to design systems and AI integration.

⚠️ 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.

UX Engineer II