Principal Applied Scientist

The Microsoft AI Web Data team is looking for a highly qualified Principal Applied Scientist to help build the next-generation platform for Bing and Microsoft AI. 

The Microsoft AI Web Data Platform (WDP) team builds the data foundation that powers Bing and Microsoft AI experiences, including large-scale grounding and large language model (LLM) training. We operate end-to-end systems that discover, fetch, process, understanding and store web content at internet scale. We advance the platform’s capabilities with state-of-the-art modeling and fueling critical Microsoft experiences and pushing the frontier of AI. 

This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys tackling deep technical challenges and driving industry-wide impact. In this role, you will translate research into production by advancing the state of the art and applying it to meet today’s AI needs. You will drive the design, development, execution, and implementation of research projects, using scientific principles and techniques to develop, evaluate, and deploy algorithms and solutions that improve system performance, quality, data management, and accuracy. 

Join us to shape the future of AI and deliver meaningful value to millions of users. 

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.   

Starting January 26, 2026, Microsoft AI (MAI) employees who live within a 50- mile commute of a designated Microsoft office in the U.S. or 25-mile commute of a non-U.S., country-specific location are expected to work from the office at least four days per week. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction.

• Develop deep expertise across a broad research area and relevant techniques; stay current on industry trends and advances; and apply these insights to shape product and platform direction. 
• Partner with stakeholders to understand business and product requirements; incorporate research insights; and provide strategic technical direction for problem solving with solid scientific rigor and measurable business impact. 
• Mentor and inspire peers and new research talent; build relationships and advocate for research initiatives; share results through industry outreach; collaborate with academia; and strengthen the recruiting pipeline. 
• Document experiments and outcomes; communicate learnings to accelerate innovation; and help define best practices, including ethics and privacy considerations for research processes and data collection. 
• Guide and mentor junior team members in developing new technologies that translate into production-ready solutions. 
• Work closely with partner teams across Microsoft AI to understand shared needs and build a technical roadmap to address them. 

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 6+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research)
  • OR Master's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 4+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research)
  • OR Doctorate in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 3+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research) 
  • OR equivalent experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 9+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research)
  • OR Doctorate in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 6+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research)
  • OR equivalent experience.
• 5+ years experience creating publications (e.g., patents, libraries, peer-reviewed academic papers).
• 2+ years experience presenting at conferences or other events in the outside research/industry community as an invited speaker.
• 5+ years experience conducting research as part of a research program (in academic or industry settings).
• 3+ years experience developing and deploying live production systems, as part of a product team.
• 3+ years experience developing and deploying products or systems at multiple points in the product cycle from ideation to shipping.
• 8+ years of experience in product development in machine learning and related areas. 
• Hands-on experience developing algorithms and models using deep learning frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch. 
• Active research in at least one of the following areas: LLM training, artificial intelligence, data science, information retrieval, machine learning, or natural language processing. 
• Demonstrated excellence in communication and cross-team collaboration. 
• Ability to think big while delivering measurable real-world impact through design and development. 
• Solid understanding of web documents and web data processing and understanding concepts, methods, applications, and challenges. 
• Experience with Big Data (Spark, Mapreduce, Cosmos, etc.) and NRT systems 
• Experience with Search or recommendations. 

#MicrosoftAI 

Applied Sciences IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 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 - $304,200 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

Applied Sciences IC6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $165,600 - $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 $220,800 - $331,200 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.