Frontier Tuning is a new product that aims to fine-tune models and harnesses on tenant data, enabling enterprise-tuned agents and solutions. We are a small, nimble team that is advancing the state of the art in models and agents. Come join our team and help transform the agent experience in the enterprise.
We are seeking a Principal Applied Scientist with strong research and development skills and the desire to develop the cutting-edge AI products that push technological boundaries. We are looking for candidates with interest and experience in designing, building, and deploying AI solutions, working with the latest cloud and ML technologies, and delving deep with customers to generalize their learnings into the broader product.
We provide a nurturing environment to support passionate researchers and engineers in technology innovation. We seek candidates who excel in deep thinking, advanced development, and fast-paced entrepreneurial execution in a collaborative setting.
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.
Responsibilities
Design, build, test, and deploy cloud-based AI applications
Build and deploy LLM-based agentic systems.
Engage with customers to understand and address their pain points.
Document experiments and communicate results across the team.
Mentor early in career team members.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 6+ years related experience (e.g., building software systems, research)
- OR Master's Degree in Statistics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 4+ years related experience (e.g., building software systems, research)
- OR Doctorate in Statistics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 3+ years related experience (e.g., building software systems, research)
- OR equivalent experience.
- Master's Degree in Statistics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 9+ years related experience (e.g., building software systems, research)
- OR Doctorate in Statistics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 6+ years related experience (e.g., building software systems, 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.
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
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.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Statistics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field and 6+ years of related experience
- Master's degree in Statistics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field and 4+ years of related experience
- Doctorate in Statistics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field and 3+ years of related experience
- Equivalent experience may substitute for the listed degree and experience combinations
- Master's degree in a related field and 9+ years of related experience
- Doctorate in a related field and 6+ years of related experience
- 5+ years of experience creating publications, such as patents, libraries, or peer-reviewed academic papers
- 2+ years of experience presenting at conferences or other external research or industry events as an invited speaker
- 5+ years of experience conducting research in an academic or industry research program
- 3+ years of experience developing and deploying live production systems as part of a product team
- 3+ years of experience developing and deploying products or systems across multiple product lifecycle stages, from ideation through shipping
Microsoft Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Microsoft and has not been reviewed or approved by Microsoft.
-
Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is presented as broadly competitive overall, with clear role/level/location variation and an emphasis on using posted ranges and band information for apples-to-apples comparisons.
-
Retirement Support — Retirement benefits are described as a standout, highlighted by a strong 401(k) match structure and immediate vesting, plus additional plan features for tax-advantaged saving.
-
Parental & Family Support — Family-oriented benefits are portrayed as a meaningful strength, with substantial paid parental leave and added supports like back-up care and adoption/surrogacy assistance.
Microsoft Insights
What We Do
At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Our mission is grounded in both the world in which we live and the future we strive to create. Today, we live in a mobile-first, cloud-first world, and the transformation we are driving across our businesses is designed to enable Microsoft and our customers to thrive in this world.





