Principal Design Manager
 Microsoft | |
 United States, Washington, Redmond | |
 Sep 04, 2025 | |
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OverviewThe Visual Studio (VS) Code team in the Developer Division is seeking a Principal Design Manager who will join our tight-knit, cross-disciplinary group, and also take on a key leadership role. As Principal Design Manager, you will lead and manage a dedicated team of designers focused on VS Code, guiding and mentoring them to deliver world-class experiences for a passionate community of developers. By combining your expertise with a deep understanding of user needs, you will empower your team to build the software of tomorrow. You will also be joining the Developer Division Design Studio, a group of highly talented and enthusiastic designers and UX engineers working on software development tools and technologies across Microsoft's developer-focused portfolio. The design challenges the studio works on span AI integration, client applications, code editors, multiple programming languages,data science tools, source control and more. We operate in one of the most technical divisions at Microsoft, so our ideal candidate will have fluency and understanding of the developer journey, the tools they use, and the nuances of the developer community. Additionally, an understanding of and experience with basic web fundamentals will go a long way in this role - this includes things such as semantic and accessible HTML, CSS variables, progressive enhancement, modern vanilla JavaScript, and web components. A curious, make-to-think mindset around AI and the evolution of digital product development is another area that this role will need to be comfortable in. 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. In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.
ResponsibilitiesLead and mentor a team of designers focused on improving the user experience of VS Code. Help guide the vision of AI-native experiences that closes the gap from idea to testable concepts. Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to define and execute product and design strategy. Drive the creation of interactive prototypes to validate design concepts and user flows. Ensure design consistency and accessibility across all features and extensions of VS Code. Advocate for the developer experience and bring user-centered design thinking to every stage of product development. Contribute to sprint planning and agile development cycles with a focus on delivering high-quality design outcomes. Leverage insights from user research and telemetry to inform design decisions and prioritize improvements. | |