Principal UX Researcher

About the Role

The Office Product Group user experience research team discovers, describes, and predicts user needs and behaviors across the productivity experiences used by people worldwide. As Office shifts toward AI model-centered product development, we need an experienced researcher with strong mixed-methods, quantitative rigor, and technical skills to ensure model evaluations reflect real user goals, workflows, and quality standards. This Principal UX Researcher will develop, coordinate, and promote a scalable Office-wide approach to research collaboration and contribution in model evaluation.

Responsibilities

• Developing and scaling human-centered model evaluation approaches that combine quantitative and qualitative methods to assess whether AI systems meet user needs in realistic workflows and contexts.
• Translating user goals, behaviors, and expectations into measurable constructs, eval criteria, rubrics, grading standards, and decision thresholds.
• Designing and conducting human grading, calibration, and “grade the grader” research to improve the reliability and validity of human and agentic evaluation systems.
• Partnering with applied scientists and product teams to build representative eval sets, diagnose eval misalignment, and turn research findings into actionable inputs for model and eval development.
• Establishing a coordinated Office-wide framework for research partnerships with applied science across app-specific and shared teams, including clear engagement models, coverage priorities, reusable methods, and quality standards.
• Interfacing with partner teams across Microsoft to align, contribute to, and advance research-led and research-influenced evaluation practices.
• Developing reusable tools, processes, templates, guidance, and rhythms that enable researchers to contribute effectively and consistently to model evaluation at scale.
• Amplifying the role and impact of user research in AI development through compelling storytelling, education, consultation, and visible examples of research influence on model and product quality.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Doctorate in Human-Computer Interaction, Human Factors Engineering, Computer Science, Technical Communications, Information Science, Information Architecture, User Experience Design, Behavioral Science, Social Sciences, or related field AND 3+ years User Experience Research experience
• OR Master's Degree in related field AND 4+ years User Experience Research experience
• OR Bachelor's Degree in related field AND 6+ years User Experience Research experience
• OR equivalent experience.

Other Requirements:

• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements, including a Microsoft Cloud Background Check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience applying mixed-methods research approaches, including experimental design, statistical analysis, measurement development, survey or scale design, and synthesis of qualitative and quantitative evidence.
• Experience translating complex product or user questions into rigorous, valid, and actionable research and evaluation programs.
• Experience partnering with applied science, data science, engineering, design, or product management teams to influence technical or product decisions.
• Solid program leadership, project management, organization, and planning skills, with the ability to coordinate work across multiple teams and disciplines.
• Demonstrated ability to apply AI throughout the research workflow and build tools, automations, or reusable solutions that improve research quality, efficiency, and scale.
• Highly polished written, verbal, and visual communication skills, including the ability to influence senior stakeholders and explain technical concepts to varied audiences.
• In-depth experience with AI or machine learning evaluation, including eval-set construction, rubric development, human annotation, grader calibration, error analysis, psychometrics, or LLM-as-a-judge methods.
• Experience with technical approaches to research and data acquisition, such as scripting, automation, experimentation platforms, telemetry, data pipelines, or visualization.
• Demonstrated ability to create scalable frameworks, standards, or communities of practice that raise the quality and impact of research across an organization.
• Experience shaping strategy and driving change in highly ambiguous, cross-organizational environments.

Pay

The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 per year. For specific work locations within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for additional benefits and compensation. Find more information here.