Technical Director

s
Company: Microsoft
Location: Redmond, WA

Apply

In Cognition, people—not devices—are at the center of everything we do. Our tech moves beyond screens and pixels, creating a new reality aimed at bringing us closer together—whether that’s scientists “meeting” on the surface of a virtual Mars or some yet undreamed-of possibility. To get there, we’re incorporating diverse groundbreaking technologies, from the revolutionary Holographic Processing Unit to computer vision, machine learning, human-computer interaction, and more. We’re a growing team of talented engineers and artists putting technology on a human path across all Windows devices, including Microsoft HoloLens, the Internet of Things, phones, tablets, desktops, and Xbox. We believe there must be a better way. If you do too, we need you!

Cognition is seeking a Design Technical Director to drive prototyping efforts in the Mixed Reality space. The ideal candidate will have 2-5 years of experience of working in the Mixed Reality field, have strong developer skills, a love of UX and customer-focused Design and a deeply inquisitive mind.

The Technical Director will work with Designers to specify and implement prototypes that drive understanding of customer need. They will combine cutting edge technology with Design practice and interface with Designers and partner Engineers. A fundamental part of their role will be building tools to enable less-technical Designers work freely within the space.

This is a vital role that lies at the heart of what it means to Design for Mixed Reality. You will build products that set the bar for customer satisfaction. If you want to work at the epicenter of AI and Mixed Reality in the industry to help us usher in a new computing paradigm – we want you!


Responsibilities

  • Work with Designers to specify prototypes that answer questions around System UX, Interaction and Experience in Mixed Reality
  • Work with Developers to integrate prototypes into a platform framework that ties together multiple threads of Design thinking into a single cohesive experience.
  • Build tools that enable Designers who are less familiar with the more complex or technical aspects of Mixed Reality leverage their experience in building product.
  • Be the first to work with incipient technology, understand it and map it onto the design process. Take initiative with technology, understand its impact and create processes for its incorporation to Design.
  • Work as part of a Production team to deliver product. Carry the load when timelines are tight and work fluidly across Design and Engineering to achieve product goals.
  • Be an advocate for Design thinking within an Engineering organization, build relationships and communicate ideas so that the most inclusive of approaches is taken.


Qualifications

  • A primary degree in an Engineering discipline (EE, CS etc). Deep knowledge of C# and C++
  • 2-5 years’ experience of working within Mixed Reality
  • 2-5 years’ experience of working with Unity as a prototyping tool within a Design-centric team
  • Experience of developing System UX and interactions
  • Experience of production within a customer and product-focused team
  • Experience of tool building within a Design environment
  • A friendly and easy-going attitude and a track record of working collaboratively with Designers and Engineers.

Experience of the following specific areas is a big plus:
  • Character development (Kinematics, animation, control)
  • Speech
  • Machine Learning
  • Unreal Engine
  • Graphics and render technology

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.