Overview:

As an Applied Engineer II you will play a pivotal role in contributing to the development and integration of cutting-edge AI technologies into Microsoft products and services and ensuring they are inclusive, ethical, and impactful. You will collaborate across product, research, and engineering teams to bring innovative solutions to life, applying your experience in machine learning, data science, and AI. Your work will directly influence product direction and customer experiences.

We are in an era of unprecedented innovation and openness. As Microsoft continues to advance in AI, we are seeking individuals to contribute some of the most cutting-edge initiatives in the field. Our vision is to build a truly open architecture platform that enables users to summon tailored AI agents to drive real-world outcomes.

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.

• Responsibilities- Research and implement state-of-the-art technologies using foundation models, prompt engineering, Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), graphs, multi-agent architectures, as well as classical machine learning techniques.
• Fine-tune foundation models using domain-specific datasets.
• Evaluate model behavior on relevance, bias, hallucination, and response quality via offline evaluations, shadow experiments, and online experiments.
• Build rapid AI solution prototypes, contribute to production deployment of these solutions, debug production code, and support Machine Learning and AI operations.
• Utilize experience in AI subfields (e.g., deep learning, Generative AI, Natural Language Processing (NLP), muti-modal models) to translate cutting-edge research into practical, real-world solutions that drive product innovation and business impact.
• Apply an understanding of fairness and bias in AI by proactively identifying and mitigating ethical and security risks—including XPIA (Cross-Prompt Injection Attack) unfairness, bias, and privacy concerns—to ensure equitable and responsible outcomes.

Embody our culture and values.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 2+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or PythonOR 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 Qualifications:

• 1+ year of experience with Generative AI OR Large Language Models/Machine Learning algorithms (e.g., Lang Chain, Prompt Flow) and experience with Machine Learning Operations Workflows, including Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD), monitoring, and retraining pipelines.
• 1+ year of experience developing and deploying live production systems.
• 2+ experience across the product lifecycle from ideation to shipping.

Software Engineering 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.

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

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. 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 with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.