Principal Applied Scientist

As Microsoft continues to push the boundaries of AI, we are on the lookout for passionate individuals to work with us on the most interesting and challenging AI questions of our time. Our vision is bold and broad — to build systems that have true artificial intelligence across agents, applications, services, and infrastructure. It’s also inclusive: we aim to make AI accessible to all — consumers, businesses, developers — so that everyone can realize its benefits.

The SharePoint AI team is seeking an experienced Principal Applied Scientist to drive the next wave of advancements in SharePoint Agent AI capabilities. We’re looking for someone with expertise in data engineering, data science, and model training — someone who thrives at the intersection of research and product development. The right candidate enjoys tackling complex technical challenges, optimizing large-scale data pipelines, and collaborating with research teams to push the boundaries of generative AI.

The SharePoint AI team is responsible for creating intelligent, context-aware experiences that transform how users interact with content, knowledge, and collaboration tools across Microsoft 365. In this role, you will play a critical part in designing, developing, and implementing cutting-edge AI solutions that enhance productivity and knowledge discovery within SharePoint and OneDrive. You’ll collaborate closely with Platform, Product Management, Design, and Research teams to bring these experiences to life.

At Microsoft, our 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

• Collaborate with research teams to integrate cutting-edge AI advancements into production systems.
• Design, train, and evaluate machine learning models, ensuring performance optimization and scalability.
• Work closely with engineering and product teams to ensure AI-driven experiences meet quality and user experience standards.
• Conduct rigorous data analysis and experimentation, leveraging insights to improve SharePoint agent's intelligence.
• Overcome obstacles to deliver iterative improvements in AI performance and responsiveness.
• Stay ahead of the latest innovations in deep learning, reinforcement learning, and generative AI.
• Mentor, coach people on the team.
• Embody our culture and values 

Qualifications

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.
• 1 year of experience and a proven track record of deploying machine learning models in large-scale production environments.
• 4 years of experience building data pipelines, training deep learning models, and optimizing AI workflows.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with AI model training, fine-tuning, and evaluation methodologies.
• Ability to analyze large datasets, extract insights, and apply them to model improvements.
  
• Familiarity with research-oriented AI development, collaborating with teams to bridge theory and application.
  
• Experience optimizing AI models for performance, efficiency, and interpretability.
  
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, research-driven environment, balancing multiple priorities while fostering collaboration.
  
• Dedication to writing clean, maintainable, and well-documented code.

 

Applied Sciences IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across Canada is CAD $142,400 - CAD $257,500 per year.

 

Find additional pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/canada-pay-information.html

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until July 2, 2025.

 

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

 

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

 

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