Applied Scientist

Job description

The Data and AI team in Microsoft’s Developer Division is shaping the future of AI for Developers! We are a diverse, entrepreneurial, and multi-disciplinary group of scientists, engineers, and researchers passionate about using AI to improve developer productivity worldwide.

Our innovations power AI-driven code experiences in GitHub Copilot, VS Code, Visual Studio, and other Microsoft products.

We are seeking a highly motivated Applied Scientist and Sr. Applied Scientist to contribute to impactful projects that bring research into product.

You will collaborate with scientists, engineers, and designers across Microsoft Research, product teams, and GitHub to design, train, and evaluate advanced models for code understanding and generation.

This role offers opportunities to apply and refine approaches using LLMs for software engineering, including retrieval-augmented generation and efficient inference techniques.

Most importantly, you will work closely with product teams to integrate models into real-world developer experiences, iterating and improving AI solutions at scale.

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.

In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

**Responsibilities**

+ **Develop and evaluate advanced models for code completion and editing** , improving code understanding, generation, and review within defined project scopes.
+ **Implement context-augmented techniques** to enhance model awareness of large and complex codebases, enabling context-rich developer assistance.
+ **Prototype and optimize inference algorithms** for efficient, interactive code generation experiences at scale.
+ **Design, train, and validate machine learning models** , ensuring robustness, fairness, and performance in production environments.
+ **Conduct experiments and analyze results** to iterate on model improvements and deliver measurable impact.
+ **Collaborate with product and engineering teams** across GitHub and Microsoft to integrate models into user-facing features.
+ **Stay informed on research and product trends in AI for software engineering** , applying relevant advancements to improve model capabilities.

**Qualifications**

**Required Qualifications**

+ Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 2+ years related experience (e.g. Machine Learning, AI, Data Science)
+ OR Master's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 1+ year(s) related experience (e.g. Machine Learning, AI, Data Science)
+ OR Doctorate in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field
+ OR equivalent experience.
+ 2+ years of experience in applied research or development of applications with LLMs, including techniques such as fine-tuning and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines.

**Other Requirements**

+ Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role.

These requirements include but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:
+ Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

**Preferred Qualifications**

+ Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 4+ years related experience (e.g. Machine Learning, AI, Data Science)
+ OR Master's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 3+ years related experience (e.g. Machine Learning, AI, Data Science)
+ OR Doctorate in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 1+ year(s) related experience (e.g. Machine Learning, AI, Data Science)
+ OR equivalent experience.
+ Experience presenting at conferences or other events in the outside research/industry community as an invited speaker.
+ 3+ years experience conducting research as part of a research program (in academic or industry settings).
+ 1+ year(s) experience developing and deploying live production systems, as part of a product team.
+ 1+ year(s) experience developing and deploying products or systems at multiple points in the product cycle from ideation to shipping.

Applied Sciences IC3 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $100,600 - $199,000 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 $131,400 - $215,400 per year.

Applied Sciences IC4 - 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 $158,400 - $258,000 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

Microsoft posts positions for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

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Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer.

Consistent with applicable law, 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 and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations (https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/accessibility.html) .

Required Skill Profession

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