Job Information
Microsoft Corporation Cambridge Residency Programme: AI Design Researcher in Cambridge, United Kingdom
We are looking for a talented designer who can help us research and create AI systems and experiences that don’t just work for the majority, but instead are equitable to marginalized groups, including people with disabilities or those living in the Global South.
The successful candidate will work closely with the Teachable AI experiences (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/taix/) team, which has a long track record of world-class research and impact in the area of responsible and accessible AI, as well as an extensive output of publications. The team, and the Equitable AI Area of Excellence, of which it is a part, is centered on Microsoft Research in Cambridge, UK.
This 2-year residency offers a unique opportunity to contribute to state-of-the-art research at the intersection of AI and human-computer interaction in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team. This role includes:
Facilitating communication between researchers from different disciplines and contexts through, for example, workshops
Conceptualizing and developing innovative AI experiences
Prototyping, iterating and testing AI experiences
Designing for inclusion through working directly with users
Developing showables / materials to help the team innovate as well as engage external audiences
The candidate should demonstrate a passion for responsible, inclusive and equitable AI design, as well as a portfolio of work that shows thought leadership and innovative thinking in the area.
Responsibilities
Plan and carry out activities to support interaction and ideation between people on a multi-disciplinary team
Propose creative solutions to complex user experience journeys, drawing on your ability to map end-to-end experiences
Create wireframes, journey maps, personas and scenarios in support of interaction designs
Plan, carry-out and facilitate qualitative user research (user studies, workshops, focus groups, usability tests)
Develop showables / materials to help the team innovation process and engage external audiences
Qualifications
Required
Masters or PhD in design, human-computer interaction or related discipline
Ability to lead ideation activities to support multi-disciplinary team working
Effective communication skills and ability to work in a collaborative environment
Strong visual and/or auditory design skills
Ability to synthesize findings and requirements from user research or product partners
Desired
Experience designing AI system interfaces
Budding leadership capability to drive own work in the context of the team goals
Experience engaging with people from marginalized communities.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, 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 and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations (https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/accessibility.html) .