Job Description

Vortex is a newly founded studio within the Microsoft Mixed Reality group exploring product frontiers that bring together collaborative science, missions to benefit our planet, and entertainment all while pushing the forefront of technology. We are looking for a Senior Designer to join our team as we define the future of Mixed Reality experiences.

In this role, you will work closely with designers, engineers, and program managers to drive narrative design into UX workstreams. You will bring to life persistent experiences across HoloLens, VR and physical locations that lay the groundwork for the next era in interactive entertainment.

You will work closely with your design counterparts to bring a unique perspective to our creative process as we seek new ways that technology can empower people and groups to transform the world. You are part seasoned UX designer and part system designer as you build the framework that connects experiences across different form factors and locations.

Our team values diversity of thought generated through lived experience, varied backgrounds, and innate curiosity. We are energized by individuals with unique perspectives who challenge convention and assumptions. If you are passionate about groundbreaking Mixed Reality technology and want to work on a team dedicated to a culture of inclusion, growth mindset, and collaboration, we need you! 

 

This team supports our employees in all locations around the country. This job has the option to be remote or located in one of our hubs.

Responsibilities

• Define and develop narrative frameworks based on the product vision.
• Generate and maintain key insights and user journeys throughout product lifecycles, adapting to changing user needs to deliver on customer expectations.
• Rapidly prototype concepts to demonstrate your designs.
• Lead multiple UX workstreams that turn your designs into useable features.
• Demonstrate and communicate clear expectations for quality of work, productivity, communication, and professionalism with team.
• Work with designers, artists, program managers, and engineers to define and meet key milestones as well as create task lists and work estimates.
• Collaborate regularly with partners (internal and external) to deliver experiences that exceed customer expectations.
• Routinely explore new creative trends, technologies, and styles.
  

Qualifications

The ideal candidate for this role will have an understanding of narrative design for complex systems. This person is an innate storyteller, and is comfortable creating and translating entertainment narratives into systems at scale. They can design modularly and with purpose, both at the feature level and across multiple products.

Required Qualifications

• BA/BFA in 3D Design, Interaction design, Computer science or equivalent industry experience.
• 4+ years of narrative or story design experience in film or games.
• Experience iterating with target audiences to improve product experience over time.
• Portfolio of work highlighting examples of great storytelling realized as immersive and/or interactive experiences.
• Designed at least (2) game experiences or user interfaces in a 3D, Virtual or Augmented Reality product that have shipped.
• Expertise across modern design software packages: Adobe Suite, Figma, Unity, 3DS Max, Maya, Houdini, etc.
  

Let Us Know If You Have Experience With

There are plenty of other skills that aren’t required, but you’ll find useful in this role.

• Demonstrated success in a start-up or similar environment guiding a team through early phases of ambiguity.
• Familiarity with Unity, Unreal Engine, and other engines.
• Familiarity designing interactions for physical location-based experiences, AR or VR.
• Deep knowledge of current entertainment landscape (film, television, and games).
  

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.  
  

  

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#ExperienceDevelopmentTeam

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Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.