Senior Motion Designer

Overview

Microsoft's Creative, Advertising & Integrated Marketing team is looking for a Senior Motion Designer to join the design organization supporting Windows, Surface and Services.

You are first and foremost a motion designer: a visual thinker with exceptional taste, a sophisticated understanding of movement, and deep expertise in using motion to give brands energy, character and behavior.

Reporting to the Head of Design, you'll help define how our visual identities come to life through motion. You'll develop distinctive motion languages and create beautifully crafted work across brand systems, campaigns, social, digital, film, retail, experiential and other customer-facing experiences.

This is a hands-on senior creative role. You'll concept, design, animate and direct motion from early exploration through final execution. You'll work across kinetic typography, graphic animation, transitions, image and product choreography, compositing and other forms of motion expression, bringing an exceptional sensitivity to timing, rhythm, pacing and movement.

You'll partner closely with designers, Creative Directors and agency and production partners to build motion that feels intentional, contemporary and unmistakably connected to the broader visual identity.

We're looking for someone who obsesses over the details of movement: not simply whether something moves, but how it moves, why it moves, when it moves and what that movement communicates.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Create distinctive, sophisticated motion design for Windows, Surface and Services across campaigns, brand systems, social, digital, web, film, retail, experiential and other customer-facing touchpoints.

• Help define and evolve motion languages for our brands, establishing principles for timing, rhythm, easing, transitions, choreography and behavior.

• Translate static visual identity systems into expressive motion systems that feel native to movement rather than simply animated versions of static designs.

• Concept, design and execute motion from early exploration and styleframes through animation, refinement and final delivery.

• Develop kinetic typography, graphic animation, transitions, image choreography, product motion, compositing and other forms of motion expression.

• Explore how typography, shape, color, imagery, product and interface elements behave over time to create distinctive and recognizable brand expression.

• Bring a sophisticated understanding of timing, pacing, rhythm, weight, dimensionality, hierarchy and visual continuity to every execution.

• Develop scalable motion principles and behaviors that can work consistently across formats, channels, aspect ratios and customer experiences.

• Partner closely with the Head of Design and design team to ensure motion is considered as a fundamental component of the visual identity rather than an executional layer added at the end.

• Collaborate with Creative Directors in Art & Film to integrate motion design thoughtfully into advertising and film while complementing the narrative, cinematography and editorial approach of the work.

• Work with designers and copywriters to explore how typography, language, imagery and graphic systems can come alive through movement.

• Create motion explorations, prototypes and studies that allow teams to understand the potential of an idea before committing to final execution.

• Apply motion systems across a wide spectrum of expressions, from short-form social and digital assets to campaign films, launch moments, retail environments and large-format displays.

• Direct and collaborate with motion studios, animators, editors, CG artists, VFX artists and other specialist partners when projects require external production.

• Maintain an informed point of view on contemporary motion design, animation, typography, filmmaking, design, technology and culture, bringing new influences and techniques into the work.

• Push beyond expected approaches to technology marketing, continually exploring new ways movement can make the brands feel more distinctive, expressive and culturally relevant.

• Balance multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining an exceptional level of craft and attention to detail.

• Contribute to a design culture centered on experimentation, curiosity, collaboration and world-class craft.

Qualifications

Required/minimum qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree or Certificate in Design, Fine Arts, Human Computer Interaction, Visual Communications or related art field AND 4+ years experience in art design or a related art field working on computer games or entertainment. OR equivalent experience.

Additional or preferred qualifications:

• Significant professional experience as a Motion Designer, Senior Motion Designer, Motion Design Director or equivalent within a leading design studio, motion studio, advertising agency, production company, in-house creative organization or similar environment.

• An outstanding portfolio or reel demonstrating exceptional motion design, visual craft and a highly developed understanding of movement.

• Deep expertise in motion design principles including timing, rhythm, pacing, transitions, choreography, composition, typography and animation.

• Demonstrated ability to develop motion concepts and systems rather than simply animate predetermined static designs.

• Exceptional understanding of typography and graphic design, with the ability to think equally well in static composition and time-based media.

• Strong experience designing motion for brands, campaigns and visual identity systems across multiple channels and formats.

• Experience combining typography, graphic design, photography, product imagery, interface elements and other visual materials through motion.

• Experience taking motion work from early concept and visual exploration through design, animation, production and final delivery.

• Experience working collaboratively with designers, creative directors, art directors, editors, animators, CG artists, VFX artists and production partners.

• Ability to articulate the thinking behind motion choices and provide clear creative direction to collaborators and external partners.

• Exceptional visual taste, attention to detail and a strong point of view on contemporary motion design, design and culture.

• Experience creating motion languages or motion systems for globally recognized consumer brands.

• Experience developing motion as part of broader visual identity and brand design systems.

• Experience creating high-profile motion work across campaigns, product launches, social, digital, film, retail, experiential and large-format environments.

• Strong foundation in graphic design, typography, identity design or other visual design disciplines in addition to motion.

• Experience developing kinetic typography and sophisticated typographic motion systems.

• Experience collaborating with live-action filmmakers and editors to integrate graphic motion seamlessly into film and advertising.

• Experience with 2D and 3D motion workflows, compositing, CG and other contemporary motion techniques.

• Experience directing external motion studios, animators, CG artists and specialist production partners.

• Experience experimenting with emerging tools, technologies and techniques that expand the possibilities of motion design.

• Recognition from major motion, design, advertising or creative industry organizations is a plus.

• Experience working in technology, entertainment, gaming, lifestyle, fashion, music or other culturally relevant consumer categories is a plus.

Art IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 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 $160,200 - $261,000 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

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. 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 with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.