Principal Design Manager
Microsoft
The Commerce Experiences Team within Microsoft AI is dedicated to transforming the future of AI‑native commerce. We craft seamless, delightful shopping and commerce experiences across Copilot, Edge, Bing, MSN, and emerging platforms, empowering millions of customers to discover, compare, and decide with confidence.
We’re looking for a Principal Design Manager who:
- Leads by example, contributing hands‑on design work while guiding a small team.
- Creates compelling experience concepts with a high standard of craftsmanship and interactivity.
- Actively integrates AI tools and methods into the design process, staying up to date on how AI advances can improve design impact, and helping others learn too.
- Excels in visual and interaction design, bringing clarity through compelling and concise storytelling.
- Champions design excellence and inclusive practices across every touchpoint.
Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.
Starting January 26, 2026, Microsoft AI (MAI) employees who live within a 50- mile commute of a designated Microsoft office in the U.S. or 25-mile commute of a non-U.S., country-specific location are expected to work from the office at least four days per week. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction.
Responsibilities
- Shape the product vision for commerce journeys — search, product discovery, checkout, and post‑purchase — by leveraging customer insights, competitive analysis, and experimentation.
- Lead end‑to‑end design of new commerce experiences, from early concept through launch and iteration.
- Partner with product managers, engineers, researchers, and other design teams to deliver cohesive, multi‑platform experiences (web, mobile, Edge, Copilot, and more).
- Facilitate design reviews, workshops, and critiques that foster alignment and elevate the quality of our work.
- Mentor and coach designers, cultivating growth and a strong design culture.
- Contribute to strategic product planning via experience roadmaps.
- Map and optimize complex experience flows, experimenting with generative AI to personalize and reimagine the customer journey.
- Identify new opportunities and generate innovative ideas to improve processes, products, and culture, influencing design direction and research methodologies.
- Lead design presentations for highly visible products with notable risk and complexity, advocating effectively for design excellence with stakeholders.
- Demonstrate leadership through IC contributions — prototyping, visual design, and interaction design — to set the bar for quality.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Master's Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience, Interaction Design, or related field AND 6+ years experience working in product or service design
- OR Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience, Interaction Design, or related field AND 8+ years experience working in product or service design
- OR equivalent experience (e.g., demonstrated experience working in product or service design or using design thinking to solve problems).
- 3+ years people management experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master's Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience, Interaction Design, or related field AND 8+ years experience working in product or service design
- OR Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience, Interaction Design, or related field AND 12+ years experience working in product or service design
- OR equivalent experience (e.g., demonstrated experience working in product or service design or using design thinking to solve problems).
- 8+ years designing digital product experiences, with a strong portfolio of consumer‑facing commerce, retail, or shopping experiences.
- Proven ability to deliver high‑impact design work in fast‑paced, ambiguous environments.
- Demonstrated sense of interaction design attuned to fundamentals of user experience, accessibility, and inclusive design.
- Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to energize teams and advocate for ideas.
- Experience designing in Figma and AI‑powered design tools.
- Demonstrated sense of interaction design attuned to the fundamentals of user experience, including accessibility and inclusive design.
- Excellent communication and presentation / storytelling skills, with the ability to energize teams and advocate for your ideas.
Resume must include a link to design portfolio (include password if needed). Resumes without a portfolio will not be considered.
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Product Design M5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.