Microsoft

Member of Technical Staff, Microsoft Robotics (Human-Robot-AI Interaction)

Microsoft • $119K — $234K *
Redmond, WA 98052In-Person
Consumer Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Today
Be an Early Applicant
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or Master's Degree in design-related field with 4-8+ years of relevant experience in product/service design.
  • Proven experience in designing human-robot interaction or human-AI collaboration interfaces.
  • Strong portfolio showcasing multimodal interaction design in voice, gesture, AR/MR, or similar.
  • Understanding of trust calibration and transparency in autonomous systems.
  • Skills in 3D prototyping tools like Unity, Unreal Engine, or Figma.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the design of human-robot and human-AI interaction experiences across various interfaces.
  • Create user-facing designs and journey maps for diverse industries, including manufacturing and research.
  • Develop interaction models for various communication modalities and ensure seamless integration.
  • Produce visual designs for robot status communication and task-handoff processes.
  • Build and validate interactive prototypes for human-robot collaboration concepts and showcase to stakeholders.
  • Collaborate across teams to incorporate user safety and trust into HRI product features.
  • Contribute to a design system for robotics-specific human-robot interaction patterns.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health and wellness plans for employees and their families.
  • Generous paid time off and holidays to ensure work-life balance.
  • Retirement savings plan with company match.
  • Continuous learning and development opportunities.
  • Flexible working arrangements including remote work options.
Full Job Description
Overview

We are hiring a Member of Technical Staff, Microsoft Robotics (Human-Robot-AI Interaction) at the Senior level, to lead the design of human-robot-AI interaction and interfaces across Microsoft's robotics platform. This role will define how people communicate with, instruct, and collaborate alongside robots and AI agents in shared physical workspaces. The designer, a.k.a. creative technologist, will shape interaction paradigms spanning natural language command interfaces, augmented reality overlays, gesture and spatial input, shared autonomy handoff patterns, and trust calibration mechanisms that help users understand what AI-enhanced robots are doing, why, and when to intervene. This is a foundational role in establishing Microsoft's design language for physical AI experiences.

#MicrosoftRobotics #MDQ

Responsibilities
  • Design end-to-end human-robot interaction (HRI) and human-AI teaming experiences, including natural language task instruction interfaces, shared autonomy control panels, intent and status communication displays, and trust calibration mechanisms.
  • Create wireframes, journey maps, user jobs and scenarios, task flows, and personas for diverse users who interact with robots, ranging from factory floor operators and warehouse associates to lab researchers and first responders.
  • Develop interaction models for multimodal communication between humans and robots, including voice, gesture, gaze, spatial input (AR/MR), touchscreen and future multi-sensory paradigms, ensuring seamless transitions between modalities.
  • Produce visual designs from concept to delivery for robot status communication (e.g., intent signaling, confidence indicators, uncertainty visualization), user-facing explainability surfaces, and collaborative task-handoff interfaces.
  • Build and validate interactive prototypes, including mixed-modality and immersive experiences, that demonstrate human-robot-agent collaboration concepts to stakeholders and customers.
  • Collaborate with program managers, software engineers, robotics researchers, and AI safety experts to define and iterate on HRI product features, ensuring safety, transparency, and appropriate trust calibration are embedded from the outset.
  • Contribute to and lead development of a robotics-specific design system for HRI patterns (e.g., robot communication modalities, autonomy level indicators, handoff protocols, error recovery flows) aligned with Microsoft's Fluent design language.
  • Communicate a compelling, convincing product story about human-robot-agent collaboration to leadership and cross-disciplinary audiences, adjusting narrative depending on the audience.
  • Leverage ideation methodologies to lead design solutions for complex HRI products involving many constraints (e.g., real-time responsiveness, safety-critical contexts, diverse user expertise levels, variable robot morphologies).
  • Take ownership of interaction design sub-systems from concept to delivery, working closely with hardware engineers to ensure feasibility of physical interaction affordances and advocate for user experience benefits during trade-off discussions.
  • Provide guidance to the team, ensuring full understanding of the original design vision for human-robot-AI interaction and linking design decisions to established user research and program goals.


Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience, Interaction Design, or related field AND 5+ years experience working in product or service design
    • OR Master's Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience, Interaction Design, or related field AND 4+ 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).


Other Requirements:

  • Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:
    • Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.


Preferred Qualifications:
  • 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 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 equivalent experience (e.g., demonstrated experience working in product or service design or using design thinking to solve problems).
  • Experience designing human-robot interaction, human-AI teaming, or shared autonomy interfaces for robotics, autonomous vehicles, drones, or intelligent physical systems.
  • Demonstrated portfolio of multimodal interaction design, including voice, gesture, AR/MR, or spatial computing experiences.
  • Familiarity with HRI research concepts such as trust calibration, transparency and explainability in autonomous systems, shared mental models, and human factors in safety-critical operations.
  • Experience with 3D prototyping tools (Unity, Unreal Engine, Figma, or equivalent) for spatial and mixed-reality interface concepts.
  • Understanding of inclusive design, accessibility standards (WCAG), and designing for diverse user populations with varying levels of technical expertise.
  • Published research, patents, or demonstrated thought leadership in human-robot interaction, human-AI collaboration, or physical AI interface design.


Product Design IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 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 $160,200 - $261,000 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.

About Microsoft

Microsoft is an American multinational corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells a range of software products and services. Microsoft’s devices and consumer (D&C) licensing segment licenses the Windows operating system and related software, Microsoft Office for consumers, and the Windows Phone operating system. The company’s computing and gaming hardware segment provides Xbox gaming and entertainment consoles and accessories, second-party and third-party video games, and Xbox Live subscriptions; surface devices and accessories; and Microsoft PC accessories. Its phone hardware segment offers Lumia smartphones and other non-Lumia phones. Its D&C segment provides Windows Store, Xbox Live transactions, and Windows phone store; search advertising; display advertising; Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal; first-party video games; and other consumer products and services as well as operating retail stores. Microsoft’s commercial licensing segments license server products, including Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, System Center, and related Client Access Licenses (CALs); Windows Embedded; Windows operating system; Microsoft Office for business, including Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Lync, and related CALs; Microsoft Dynamics business solutions; and Skype. Its commercial segment offers enterprise services, including premier support services and Microsoft consulting services; commercial cloud comprising Office 365 Commercial, other Microsoft Office online offerings, Dynamics CRM Online, and Microsoft Azure; and other commercial products and online services. The company markets and distributes its products through original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and resellers, as well as online.

Microsoft Careers

Join Microsoft today and be part of a company that values innovation, leadership, and diversity in its workforce. As a global leader in technology and digital transformation, Microsoft offers unparalleled job opportunities that propel your career to new heights.

Explore Career Opportunities at Microsoft

Whether you're a seasoned professional looking for your next challenge or a recent graduate eager to start your career, Microsoft has a position that suits your skills and ambitions. We are committed to fostering a culture of growth and learning, where every team member is supported in expanding their horizons.

Internship Programs

Kickstart your career with a Microsoft internship. Our internships provide invaluable workplace experience and networking opportunities in a supportive and dynamic environment. You'll work on real projects, learn from industry leaders, and gain the skills necessary for a successful career in technology.

Employment Benefits

Choosing a career at Microsoft means more than just a job. Our employees enjoy a range of benefits designed to empower them both professionally and personally. These include comprehensive health benefits, flexible working conditions, and opportunities for career advancement through professional development and diversity training.

Inclusive Culture and Diversity

At Microsoft, we believe that innovation comes from diversity of thought and inclusion. We are committed to a workplace where everyone feels valued and inspired. Our leadership is dedicated to fostering an environment where diverse perspectives lead to breakthrough innovations and a competitive edge.

Grow with Us

Career growth at Microsoft is about more than climbing the corporate ladder; it's about continuous learning, expanding your skills, and improving your capabilities. With access to various leadership and training programs, you can evolve as a professional and make a significant impact within the company and on the global stage.

Hiring Process

Our hiring process is designed to identify true potential. Starting with a review of your resume, followed by interviews that assess your problem-solving abilities and cultural fit, we ensure that all candidates have a fair chance to demonstrate their strengths and potential to contribute to our team.

Networking and Professional Development

Microsoft is a place where you can build a professional network that spans the globe. Our employees benefit from connections with top-tier professionals and industry leaders, which opens doors to innovative projects and collaborative opportunities that are second to none.

Join Our Team

If you're ready to take on exciting challenges and make a difference in the world of technology, explore the job opportunities at Microsoft. Search for open positions that match your skills and interests, and prepare to embark on a rewarding career path filled with innovation and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Stay Connected

Keep up to date with the latest at Microsoft Careers by subscribing to our job alert emails. Get tailored content that aligns with your career preferences and discover the exciting and rewarding opportunities that await at Microsoft.

SEARCH MICROSOFT JOBS

At Microsoft, your future is limitless. Join us in our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Your journey with Microsoft starts here.
Learn more about Microsoft
Size
181,000 employees
Market Cap
$1,762.4 billion
Industry
Enterprise Technology
Net Income
$51.3 billion
Founded
1975
5 Year Trend
+15.5%
Revenue
$153.2 billion
NASDAQ
MSFT
* Ladders Estimates

Similar Jobs

Ad banner background

Get Ready For Your
Next Interview

More Jobs at Microsoft

More Consumer Technology Jobs

Find similar Member of Technical Staff, Microsoft Robotics (Human-Robot-AI Interaction) jobs:

NationwideRedmond, WA