Applied Scientist
: Job Details :

Overview

The Time and Places team at Microsoft is leading the way in redefining how people organize, schedule, and collaborate through intelligent calendar and meeting experiences. We develop AI-powered solutions that boost productivity, including personalized briefings, intelligent time suggestions, and seamless user experiences across Microsoft 365. Our work involves data science, large language model (LLM) integration, and telemetry-driven insights, impacting millions of users globally.

Microsoft Copilot is transforming work practices and presents a unique opportunity to push the boundaries of AI innovation for the benefit of millions. As an Applied Scientist, your mission will be to deliver innovative features within Microsoft Copilot. We seek creative, self-driven, curious, and collaborative individuals who can navigate ambiguity to achieve high-level goals. You will work closely with product teams and Microsoft Research to turn ideas into products used worldwide and contribute to the scientific community through publications, presentations, media interviews, and more.

Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and organization to achieve more. We foster a culture of growth, innovation, and inclusion, built on respect, integrity, and accountability, where everyone can thrive.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 2+ years of related experience, OR Master's Degree with 1+ year of experience, OR Doctorate, OR equivalent experience.
• Experience developing and deploying large language models (LLMs), including agentic systems, supervised fine-tuning, and Reinforcement Learning (RLHF).
• Experience designing, implementing, and optimizing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines and advanced context engineering.

Other Requirements:

Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and government security screening requirements, including passing the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire and every two years.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Extensive experience (3+ or 5+ years depending on degree) in related fields and roles.
• Publication record in patents or peer-reviewed papers.
• Hands-on experience with modern LLM evaluation techniques.
• Successful delivery of large-scale applied ML projects.
• Deep understanding of ML algorithms and neural network architectures.
• Experience with MLOps practices.
• Publication record in top-tier scientific venues.
• Ability to communicate complex ML concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Salary ranges vary by location and level, with additional benefits available. Microsoft accepts applications on an ongoing basis.

Responsibilities

• Lead applied research projects advancing GenAI and impacting Microsoft's core products.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, and design teams to translate research into practical applications.
• Communicate research progress to stakeholders effectively.
• Mentor colleagues and promote research best practices.
• Develop hypotheses and learn from outcomes in a research environment.
• Share research findings through publications and presentations.
• Engage with product leaders and researchers to plan and execute research projects.