Microsoft Teams is the fastest-growing business app in Microsoft history. We're looking for a talented Principal Accessibility Designer to join us to help define and design compelling inclusive experiences that empower teams to achieve more together. 
 

Our design system team is focused on delivering new innovations across next-gen messaging features, core framework, and collaboration experiences. We value creativity, sharing ideas openly, and having fun while we work. Most of all, we’re motivated by the people we want to love our products. 

As a Principal Accessibility Designer, you will be the key driver, leading the accessibility program for Microsoft Teams, as well as drive updates to processes and standards for building inclusive products across the Collaboration Experiencences Design (CxD) suite of products (Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint) Shaping the next generation of inclusive design for the CxD suite of products. You’ll support feature teams with inclusive design, accessibility, and technical front-end expertise. You will be part of a team committed to using research, design, and engineering to deliver inclusive features and experiences. You will influence accessibility through hands-on guidance and implementation of inclusive design processes, you will also be a key driver for growing the inclusive design expertise within the organization. 

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Leading the accessibility design program across Microsoft Teams in partnership with Product Management and Engineering accessibility leads. 

• Creating the roadmap and strategy for the inclusive design program – including product feature priorities, champions program roll-out and support, accessibility training and curriculum updates and documentation needs. 

• Working with Product Management and Engineering to implement inclusive design processes & experiences. 

• Reviewing design specifications and implemented features for accessibility issues and improvements. 

• Supporting designers creating experience flows and walkthroughs, that maintain consistency with design concepts such as: user experience design, visual design, UX Patterns and information architecture. 

• Scaling out the expertise and skillset beyond the core accessibility group to support more teams and uplevel accessibility within the organization via the accessibility champions program: 

• Supporting product managers defining inclusive, accessible product requirements. 

• Supporting researchers in preparation for user research studies. 

• Supporting teams in identifying, prioritizing, and fixing accessibility issues. 

• Supporting designers through 1:1 consultation such as office hours and design reviews. 

• Supporting accessibility learning initiatives, including dedicated accessibility design summits, a curriculum focused on accessible design and leveling up teammates’ expertise, scaling out projects to a large group or organization. 

• Driving new accessibility initiatives – leveragingnew technologies such as AI to build innovative solutions for accessible experiences and tooling 

Qualifications

Required 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

Preferred Qualifications:

• A passion for creating and advocating for inclusive experiences. 

• The ability to communicate complex accessibility issues in plain language to designers, engineers, and product managers. 

• The ability to deliver design work, including sketches and rough prototypes, wireframes, UX flows, and high-fidelity prototypes. 

• Experience using Figma is preferred, even at a basic level.  

• Experience in web accessibility testing, including both automated tools and manual techniques (e.g., testing using common screen reader/browser/device combinations) along with creating and innovating new tools, such as plugins or applications where opportunities exist. 

• Preferred experience with leveling up teammates’ knowledge of one or all of these: 

• Inclusive research and design 

• Best practices for accessible UI and front-end design patterns 

• Experience interacting with stakeholders and clients on the importance of accessibility and how to balance backlog priorities with accessibility initiatives. 

• Experience creating, evolving, and evangelizing a design system and the benefits of using it, along with creating and maintaining a library of accessibility design documentation and guidelines. 

Product Design IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $137,600 - $267,000 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 $180,400 - $294,000 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

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until November 20, 2024.

#MicrosoftTeams

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) .