Senior Motion Designer

Microsoft’s Creative, Advertising & Integrated Marketing team is seeking a hands-on Senior Motion Designer to define and bring brand visual identities to life through motion.

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.
• Define and evolve motion languages, establishing principles for timing, rhythm, easing, transitions, choreography, and behavior.
• Translate static visual identity systems into expressive motion systems that feel native to movement, not merely animated 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 motion expressions.
• Explore how typography, shape, color, imagery, product, and interface elements behave over time to create recognizable brand expression.
• Apply an advanced understanding of timing, pacing, rhythm, weight, dimensionality, hierarchy, and visual continuity to every execution.
• Create scalable motion principles and behaviors that perform consistently across formats, channels, aspect ratios, and customer experiences.
• Partner with the Head of Design and the design team so motion is treated as a core part of the visual identity, not an end-stage execution layer.
• Collaborate with Creative Directors in Art & Film to integrate motion design into advertising and film while supporting narrative, cinematography, and editorial approach.
• Work with designers and copywriters to explore how typography, language, imagery, and graphic systems come alive through movement.
• Create motion explorations, prototypes, and studies that help teams evaluate ideas before committing to final execution.
• Apply motion systems across short-form social and digital assets through 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 external production is required.
• Maintain an informed point of view on contemporary motion design, animation, typography, filmmaking, design, technology, and culture, bringing in new influences and techniques.
• Push beyond expected approaches to technology marketing by finding new ways movement can make brands feel distinctive, expressive, and culturally relevant.
• Balance multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining exceptional craft and attention to detail.
• Contribute to a design culture focused on experimentation, curiosity, collaboration, and world-class craft.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree or Certificate in Design, Fine Arts, Human Computer Interaction, Visual Communications or a related art field AND 4+ years experience in art design or a related art field working on computer games or entertainment, OR equivalent experience.
• 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 showing 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 (not only animate predetermined static designs).
• Exceptional understanding of typography and graphic design, with the ability to think in both 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 collaborating 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 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 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 motion design possibilities.
• 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.

Location & Compensation

• Location: Seattle, WA (onsite)
• Salary: USD 119,800 - 261,000 per year
• Typical base pay range across the U.S.: USD 119,800 - 234,700 per year
• Bay Area and NYC metro adjustment: USD 160,200 - 261,000 per year