Cambridge Residency Programme: AI Design Researcher

Job Description

Overview

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 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. 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. 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.