This role pays less than
51%
of similar roles. Most pay
$177,250–$249,115
— the shaded band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$209k
versus about
$213k
for comparable roles.
Based on 240 similar postings.
Employer
About Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology leader producing software, hardware, and cloud services including Windows, Office 365, Azure cloud platform, Xbox gaming, and Surface devices. Industry: Software & Cloud Computing
Microsoft currently has
644 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$119,800–$234,700
across 624 roles with salary data.
The Principal UX Researcher joins the Office Product Group user experience research team to address challenges in AI model centered product development. This role focuses on developing and scaling human-centered model evaluation approaches that combine quantitative and qualitative methods to ensure AI systems meet real user goals and workflows. The researcher will translate user behaviors into measurable constructs, rubrics, and grading standards while partnering with applied scientists to build representative eval sets and quality signals. Key responsibilities include designing human grading and calibration studies, creating reusable tools for research at scale, and establishing a coordinated framework for cross-team collaboration. Essential skills include mixed-methods research, experimental design, statistical analysis, and experience with LLM-as-a-judge methods, psychometrics, and data pipelines. The role solves the problem of aligning model evaluations with actual user needs in complex productivity experiences.
Develop and scale human-centered model evaluation approaches using mixed-methods research to assess AI systems in real workflows.
Translate user goals and behaviors into measurable constructs, rubrics, grading standards, and decision thresholds.
Design and conduct human grading, calibration, and "grade the grader" studies to improve evaluation reliability.
Partner with applied scientists and product teams to build representative eval sets and diagnose alignment issues.
Establish a coordinated Office-wide framework for research partnerships and shared quality standards across teams.
Create reusable tools, processes, and templates to enable researchers to contribute to model evaluation at scale.
Advocate for the role of user research in AI development through storytelling, education, and consultation.
What we're looking for
A relevant advanced degree (Master's or Doctorate) and 3+ years of experience, or a Bachelor's degree and 6+ years of experience in UX research.
Ability to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check.
Experience applying mixed-methods research including experimental design, statistical analysis, and synthesis of qualitative and quantitative evidence (preferred).
Experience translating complex product questions into rigorous, valid, and actionable research programs (preferred).
Experience partnering with applied science, data science, engineering, or product teams to influence technical decisions (preferred).
Strong program leadership, project management, and ability to coordinate work across multiple teams (preferred).
Ability to use AI in research workflows and build tools or automations for scale (preferred).
High proficiency in communication to influence stakeholders and explain complex concepts (preferred).
AI
LLM
Model Fine-tuning
UX Research
Human-Computer Interaction
Data Science
Telemetry
Evaluation Frameworks
Trust and Safety
System Design
product, design