Principal Applied Scientist at Microsoft

Department: Applied Sciences

Compensation

$165,600 – $296,400/yr

Setup: Hybrid
Location: Redmond, Washington · Mountain View, California
Type: Full-time
Level: lead/mgmt
Posted: Sep 21, 2026

Description

Microsoft is hiring a Principal Applied Scientist for its Core Search and AI team to lead advanced research and applied machine learning initiatives for next-generation search. The role focuses on LLM post-training and alignment, retrieval and ranking systems, RAG pipelines, production experimentation, scientific rigor, and cross-functional collaboration with research, engineering, product, and design teams. Candidates need a relevant bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree plus 5–8+ years of related experience, with Python, C++, C#, C, Java, machine learning, and large-scale search systems experience preferred. The typical U.S. base pay range is USD $165,600–$296,400 per year, with higher ranges for the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City metropolitan areas.

Required Skills

Machine learning
LLM post-training
RAG pipelines
Python
C++
C#
C
Java
NLP

Additional Information

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or a related field
Required Previous Experiences: 8+ years of related experience in statistics, predictive analytics, or research
6+ years of related experience in statistics, predictive analytics, or research
5+ years of related experience in statistics, predictive analytics, or research
6+ years of experience coding in Python, C++, C#, C, or Java
6+ years of industry experience applying machine learning techniques
Experience building and improving large-scale machine learning systems for search, advertising, and recommendation systems using LLMs
Research background in machine learning, large language models, and natural language processing
Preferred Qualifications: Master's degree in a relevant field with 12+ years of related experience
Doctorate in a relevant field with 8+ years of related experience
6+ years of experience coding in Python, C++, C#, C, or Java
6+ years of industry experience applying machine learning techniques
Experience building and improving large-scale machine learning systems for search, advertising, and recommendation systems using LLMs
Research background in machine learning, large language models, and natural language processing
Strong problem-solving ability to identify and solve unsolved problems
Translation Company Name: Microsoft

About Microsoft

Microsoft

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