Senior Manager - Social & Creative

Senior • On-site

$139,900 - $296,400/yr

Redmond, WA

Overview

As a Senior Manager, Social & Creative in Microsoft’s Design Studio for the Engines & Experiences (E&E) organization, you will lead the creative vision and execution across a portfolio of initiatives that span customer, partner, media, and marketer experiences. You will shape how Microsoft’s commercial brands show up in the world—visually, emotionally, and experientially—through bold, culturally resonant creative that drives advocacy, usage, and pipeline. This role places a premium on visual & motion design as foundational tools for brand expression and systems design. You will define how motion communicates identity, guides interaction, and brings clarity to complex ideas. You’ll lead the development of motion systems that scale across platforms and audiences, ensuring consistency, flexibility, and emotional resonance. You will guide a multidisciplinary team of designers, motion artists, and producers to deliver high-fidelity creative across omni-channel campaigns, product demos, and brand activations. You’ll champion systems-driven design, AI-enhanced workflows, and storytelling that connects emotionally with priority audiences. You’ll also collaborate deeply across marketing, product, and engineering teams to ensure creative excellence and consistency across every touchpoint.     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.    

  Job Location: The primary location for this position is Redmond, WA. Additionally, there are three other locations where this role may be based. Candidates who do not reside in one of these four areas will be relocated to Redmond.    

This role is flexible in that you can work up to 50% from home.

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.    

Qualifications

Required/minimum qualifications

Bachelor's Degree or Certificate in Design, Fine Arts, Human Computer Interaction, Visual Communications or related art field AND 8+ years experience in art design or a related art field working on computer games or entertainment OR equivalent experience.
5+ years people management experience (e.g., serving as a Lead Artist, Art Manager, Creative Director, etc.).
8+ years experience in creative disciplines such as brand design, art direction, motion design, or creative leadership.
8+ years experience leading global creative teams across multiple disciplines.
A portfolio showcasing creative direction across motion/animation, photography, video, and digital renderings.

Additional or preferred qualifications

Bachelor's Degree or Certificate in Design, Fine Arts, Human Computer Interaction, Visual Communications or related art field AND 15+ years experience in art design or a related art field working on computer games or entertainment OR equivalent experience.
8+ years people management experience (e.g., serving as a Lead Artist, Art Manager Creative Director, etc.).
12+ years experience using related software and packages (e.g., Maya, 3DS Max, Photoshop/Adobe suite, Mental Ray, Substance Designer/Painter/Zbrush, SideFX Houdini, After Effects, Unity, Softimage).
12+ years experience shipping 2+ multiple projects or products end to end.
12+ years experience integrating campaign data, audience insights, and performance signals into creative operations 
12+ years experience with modular storytelling and scalable content systems  Proficiency with production and collaboration tools (Asana, Airtable, Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, M365) 
12+ years experience in business to business or enterprise marketing preferred  Communication, organizational, and stakeholder management skills  
12+ years experience in motion design systems and animation principles as applied to branding and product storytelling.
12+ years experience navigating large, matrixed organizations and driving clarity in complex environments.
12+ years experience relationship-building skills with stakeholders and peers.
12+ years experience conceptual thinking and ability to distill ideas into compelling creative.

Art M6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $296,400 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 $188,000 - $331,200 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: US corporate pay information | Microsoft Careers

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until November 14th 2025.

#EandEJobs

Responsibilities

Set and evolve the creative direction for E&E initiatives, with a focus on brand expression across photography, motion, copywriting, and digital renderings.
Lead the development of scalable motion design systems that reinforce brand identity and enhance user experience across platforms.
Define animation principles and motion language that support storytelling, interaction, and emotional engagement. Develop and maintain brand guidelines and creative playbooks that empower internal teams and external partners to deliver consistent, high-quality work.
Translate complex technologies into intuitive, inspiring experiences in collaboration with product and marketing teams.
Lead creative reviews, provide actionable feedback, and foster a culture of craft, curiosity, and innovation.
Represent the Design Studio in strategic conversations across the organization, advocating for design excellence and user empathy.

Microsoft

Microsoft is a global technology company that focuses on empowering every person and organization to achieve more. With a mission to deliver the core infrastructure and foundational technologies for Microsoft's online businesses, including Bing, MSN, Office 365, Xbox Live, Teams, OneDrive, and the Microsoft Azure platform, the company is dedicated to powering the 'Intelligent Cloud' mission. Microsoft values respect, integrity, and accountability, and fosters a culture of inclusion where employees can thrive. The company is committed to continuous improvement and collaboration to drive innovation and provide high-quality results to customers. With a diverse and inclusive workforce, Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer.