Senior Researcher

Microsoft is a company where passionate innovators come to collaborate, envision what can be and take their careers further. This is a world of more possibilities, more innovation, more openness, and the sky is the limit thinking in a cloud-enabled world.

Microsoft’s Azure Data engineering team is leading the transformation of analytics in the world of data with products like databases, data integration, big data analytics, messaging & real-time analytics, and business intelligence. The products our portfolio include Microsoft Fabric, Azure SQL DB, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure PostgreSQL, Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Service Bus, Azure Event Grid, and Power BI. Our mission is to build the data platform for the age of AI, powering a new class of data-first applications and driving a data culture.

Within Azure Data, the databases team builds and maintains Microsoft's operational Database systems. We store and manage data in a structured way to enable multitude of applications across various industries. We are on a journey to enable developer friendly, mission-critical, AI enabled operational Databases across relational, non-relational and OSS offerings.

​​Azure Cosmos DB is building AI-based information retrieval to enable search, recommendations and RAG scenarios. For example, we are building state-of-the-art systems for vector search. We are innovating both on the research (e.g., see the DiskANN project) and engineering as part of the effort. We are hiring a researcher with expertise in information retrieval, vector search, embedding models, semantic re-ranking, GraphRAG and related areas. The role would involve developing the state-of-the-art techniques in these areas, as well as advising the team on designing and building these systems.

We do not just value differences or different perspectives. We seek them out and invite them in so we can tap into the collective power of everyone in the company. As a result, our customers are better served.

Responsibilities

• ​​Identifies and articulates problems in an area of research that are academically novel and may directly or indirectly impact business opportunities.
• Advances a research agenda through one or more research projects, yielding new algorithms, prototypes, theories, tools, methods, analyses, insights, or collections of data in one or more subareas or a broad area of research.
• Masters one or more subareas and gains expertise in a broad area of research (e.g., Machine Learning [ML], Natural Language Processing, Information Retrieval, Search systems); understands the corresponding literature, applicable research techniques, and academic context.
• Researches and develops an understanding of the state-of-the-art insights, tools, technologies, or methods being used in the research community; applies deep subject matter expert knowledge around several specialized tools/methods to support planning for research projects. Begins to evaluate insights based on their impact and value.
• Expands collaborative relationships with relevant product and business groups inside or outside of Microsoft as a world expert and provides expertise or technology to them. Takes initiative and participates in activities such as technology transfers attempts, standards organizations, filing patents, authoring white papers, developing or maintaining tools/services for internal Microsoft use, or consulting for product or business groups.
• Collaborates with other relevant researchers or research groups to contribute to or advance a research agenda; reviews papers and organizes workshops or conference sessions. Publishes papers as lead author for high-quality conferences and journals, with an impact similar to that of a (United States) assistant professor.​

Embody our culture and values

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• ​​Doctorate in relevant field
  • OR equivalent experience.​

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/Additional Qualifications

• ​​Experience participating in a top conference in information retrieval, dense retrieval, vector search, embedding models, semantic re-rankers, graphRAG and related domains. Experience publishing academic papers and building research prototypes as a lead author or essential contributor.​

Research Sciences IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $117,200 - $229,200 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 $153,600 - $250,200 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

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until January 1, 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.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. 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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