Overview

The AI Interaction and Learning team in Microsoft Research advances research on collaborative AI systems, where humans and AI agents work together to achieve outcomes that exceed what either could accomplish alone. We work closely with product teams deploying copilots, ensuring that our research both addresses the challenges of large-scale, real-world AI systems. Our mission is to move beyond individual assistance toward joint optimization at the group level, creating collaborative AI systems that enhance collective intelligence.

We are looking for a Principal Researcher with a passion for pushing the boundaries of learning and reasoning with foundation models, and with a proven ability to conduct impactful independent research. In this role, you will develop innovative Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) techniques, shape and advance the team’s research agenda, and collaborate widely across the organization.

We are particularly interested in candidates who are passionate about the challenges of developing large-scale, real-world AI systems, including:

• Designing metrics and reward mechanisms to adaptively align to evolving goals.
• Developing algorithms for eliciting preferences and making decisions under uncertainty.
• Managing information flow across groups and organizations to support shared understanding and effective coordination.

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:

As a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, you will undertake cutting-edge research in collaboration with other researchers, engineers, and product groups. Specifically, you will:

• Identify and articulate problems that are academically novel and may directly/indirectly impact business opportunities.
• Research and develop an understanding of the state-of-the-art tools, technologies, and methods being used in the research community and product groups.
• Advance a research agenda through one or more projects, yielding new algorithms, prototypes, theories, tools, methods, or collections of data.
• Develop and deploy computing technologies that uphold trustworthiness, robustness, privacy, values, and ethical considerations.
• Collaborate with other relevant researchers or groups to advance a research agenda.
• Embody our culture and values.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:

• PhD in Computer Science or related field AND 3+ years related research experience OR equivalent experience.
• Experience in one or more of the following areas: Foundation Models, Reinforcement Learning, Multi-Objective Optimization, Natural Language Processing, Deep Learning, Interactive Learning, Artificial Intelligence.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD in relevant field AND 4+ years related research experience.
• Research ability demonstrated by an established publication record in top-tier venues (NeurIPS, COLM, ICLR).
• Demonstrable ability to develop/shape original research agendas.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Proficient oral and written communication skills.
• Passion for AI research.

Research Sciences IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $274,800 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 $188,000 - $304,200 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

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.