Research Program Manager Job at Microsoft Corporation (Redmond)

Job Description

We are seeking a Research Program Manager to build and scale global research programs that strengthen the impact of our world-class UX Research team. This role enables researchers to do their most impactful work by implementing operational systems, connecting teams and knowledge, and removing barriers to great research. The ideal candidate excels at strategic program planning, navigating ambiguity, managing complex project milestones, and connecting resources to research needs. You will proactively identify opportunities to leverage AI-first tooling, automation, and modern research operations platforms to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of research insights. Our Research Operations Program Managers are expert problem-solvers and relationship-builders who utilize strong organizational and interpersonal skills to help talented teams operate at their highest level. You are a resourceful self-starter who is highly organized, detail-oriented, and collaborative. You bring program management experience, strong leadership skills, and genuine passion for the services we provide, the people we serve, and the impact of research. You stay on top of cutting-edge ResOps trends—including emerging AI capabilities—with a view toward modernizing our operational practice. This role is AI-first: you’ll experiment with and operationalize AI tools (e.g., copilots, summarization, workflow automation) to accelerate research execution and amplify insight sharing. You are comfortable translating Research Operations needs into AI-enabled workflows, partnering with other disciplines, and helping define and scale agents that support the research lifecycle.

Job Responsibility

Scale research programs and maximize impact across the organization
Design and launch programs that reduce process friction and enhance researcher impact and satisfaction
Design and manage operational systems for Experience Reviews, Experience Audits, and Customer Programs (Orion)
Create scheduling protocols and operational procedures to ensure research activities run smoothly and efficiently
Track research deliverables and team capacity to optimize resource allocation and workload management
Establish metrics and reporting mechanisms to demonstrate research program value and impact
Build and maintain research governance frameworks, including standard operating procedures around legal, procurement, and data privacy considerations
Establish project operations management processes and guidelines to ensure consistency and compliance
Partner with legal, procurement, and security teams to create streamlined approval processes for research activities
Develop and maintain documentation of research standards and best practices
Manage end-to-end relationships with research vendors, including capability assessment, pricing negotiation, and quality oversight
Oversee project management and incentive programs for research participants
Source, evaluate, and onboard suppliers who can support various research methodologies including benchmarks and specialized research techniques
Negotiate contracts and manage vendor performance to ensure quality and cost-effectiveness
Facilitate comprehensive onboarding for new hires and contractors, including research tool access, knowledge base orientation, and process training
Manage offboarding processes to ensure smooth transitions and knowledge preservation
Manage the research technology stack, including licensing, access provisioning, and usage reporting
Oversee budget allocation and ensure compliance with best practices across research tools
Maintain and optimize tools including UserTesting, dscout, Qualtrics, Respondent.io, Tango, Marvin, and other platforms
Evaluate new tools and make recommendations for technology investments that enhance research capabilities
Identify, prototype, and scale opportunities to leverage automation and AI (including copilots and agents) to improve research efficiency, quality, and impact
Enable AI-first workflows beyond agents by implementing copilots, AI-powered search/Q&A over research repositories, smart templates, automated tagging/classification, and AI steps within existing automation (e.g., intake triage, summaries, routing)
Set clear measures of success and a regular review cadence for AI-enabled tools (e.g., quality checks, human review, adoption, and responsible use), and work with cross-functional partners to improve them over time
Create and maintain systems for organizing, storing, and sharing research insights to maximize accessibility and reuse
Develop and manage a centralized library of research templates, guides, and best practices
Implement processes that make research findings easily discoverable by stakeholders across the business
Establish tagging, categorization, and search functionality to support knowledge retrieval
Scale research impact through enablement programs that empower teams to access and apply research insight
Ensure research insights reach key stakeholders through multiple channels including monthly newsletters, SharePoint sites, and Teams channels
Develop both internal team communications and external-facing research communications strategies
Manage and evolve the team's visual identity and brand presence
Create communication templates and guidelines to maintain consistency in how research is shared

Requirements

Master's Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience, Interaction Design, or related field AND 4+ years experience working in product or service design
OR Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience, Interaction Design, or related field AND 5+ years experience working in product or service design
OR equivalent experience (e.g., demonstrated experience working in product or service design or using design thinking to solve problems)
3+ years of experience in research operations, user research, or related operational roles
Proven track record of building and scaling operational systems and processes
Solid project management skills with ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously
Experience with research tools and platforms (e.g., UserTesting, Qualtrics, participant recruitment tools, etc.), especially AI aspects of these tools
Experience leveraging data to inform decisions and drive change
4+ years experience shipping products, services, or games and/or delivering to customers as a result of an end-to-end design process

Nice to have

Experience in a high-growth or enterprise technology environment
Background in user experience research or customer insights
Familiarity with legal, procurement, and compliance considerations for research
Experience managing vendor relationships and negotiating contracts
Knowledge management or information architecture experience
Experience scaling research through enablement programs

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Research Program Manager

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