Microsoft

Principal Applied Scientist

Microsoft • $142K — $274K *
Redmond, WA 98052In-Person
Consumer Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Today
Be an Early Applicant
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in relevant fields and 6+ years related experience or Master's/Doctorate with fewer years of experience.
  • Significant experience in building, evaluating, and shipping AI/ML-powered products.
  • Deep understanding of LLM evaluation throughout the development lifecycle.
  • Solid software engineering skills and experience collaborating with engineers on production-quality AI systems.
  • Experience with MLOps and building robust experimentation infrastructures.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the applied science strategy for AI product areas from identification to continuous improvement.
  • Define success metrics for AI product experiences relating to customer value and business impact.
  • Design LLM evaluation frameworks for all stages of product development.
  • Build methodologies for LLM-based and multimodal AI systems.
  • Develop offline experimentation pipelines for comparing models and strategies.
  • Collaborate with engineering and PM teams to align scientific priorities with product goals.
  • Drive iterative cycles by hypothesizing, defining metrics, and recommending actions.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive healthcare options
  • 401(k) plan with company match
  • Generous paid time off and holidays
  • Continuous learning and development resources
  • Employee wellness programs
Full Job Description
Overview

We are looking for a Principal Applied Scientist to help define, evaluate, and build the next generation of AI-powered product experiences. This role requires a leader who combines deep applied science expertise in LLMs, evaluation systems, AI, MLOps, experimentation, and software engineering with strong product judgment and a proven ability to ship high-quality AI solutions.

You will play a critical role in shaping how AI capabilities are developed, measured, improved, and brought into production. The ideal candidate has experience building AI-based products end to end, defining what success looks like for customers and the business, and creating rigorous evaluation frameworks that guide fast, high-confidence product iteration.

Responsibilities

  • Lead applied science strategy for AI-powered product areas, from ambiguous opportunity identification through experimentation, launch, and continuous improvement.
  • Define what success looks like for AI product experiences, including customer value, quality thresholds, reliability, safety, engagement, and measurable business impact.
  • Design and operationalize LLM evaluation frameworks across the product development lifecycle, including early prototyping, model/prompt iteration, feature development, pre-launch validation, launch readiness, and post-launch monitoring.
  • Build evaluation methodologies for LLM-based, agentic, retrieval-augmented, and multimodal AI systems, including text, image, document, audio, video, and interaction-based experiences where applicable.
  • Develop robust offline experimentation and evaluation pipelines to compare models, prompts, system designs, retrieval strategies, grounding quality, tool use, and end-to-end product behavior.
  • Partner closely with engineering and PM leadership to align science priorities with product strategy, roadmap decisions, customer needs, and execution plans.
  • Work with software engineering teams to productionize AI systems with strong attention to reliability, scalability, latency, observability, maintainability, and MLOps best practices.
  • Drive fast iteration cycles by forming hypotheses, defining metrics, running experiments, interpreting results, and recommending clear product or technical actions.
  • Establish quality bars and decision-making frameworks for AI launches, including evaluation scorecards, regression testing, guardrail metrics, and responsible AI considerations.
  • Mentor scientists and engineers, raise the technical bar, and influence cross-team best practices for AI development, experimentation, and evaluation.
  • Communicate findings, tradeoffs, risks, and recommendations clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.


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.


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:

  • Master's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 13+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research)
    • OR Doctorate in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 10+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research)
    • OR equivalent experience.
  • 5+ years experience creating publications (e.g., patents, libraries, peer-reviewed academic papers).
  • 2+ years experience presenting at conferences or other events in the outside research/industry community as an invited speaker.
  • 5+ years experience conducting research as part of a research program (in academic or industry settings).
  • 3+ years experience developing and deploying live production systems, as part of a product team.
  • 3+ years experience developing and deploying products or systems at multiple points in the product cycle from ideation to shipping.
  • Significant experience building, evaluating, and shipping AI/ML-powered products or services.
  • Hands-on experience with large language models, including prompt engineering, RAG, agents, tool use, model comparison, failure analysis, and evaluation-driven iteration.
  • Deep understanding of LLM evaluation throughout the development lifecycle, including dataset creation, annotation strategies, automated and human evaluation, benchmark design, regression testing, launch criteria, and production monitoring.
  • Experience designing offline experiments and interpreting results to inform model, system, and product decisions.
  • Experience evaluating multimodal AI systems or AI experiences involving multiple input/output modalities.
  • Solid understanding of product success metrics and ability to translate customer/business goals into measurable scientific and technical objectives.
  • Solid software engineering skills and experience collaborating with engineers to build production-quality AI systems.
  • Experience with MLOps, experimentation infrastructure, telemetry, monitoring, data pipelines, and continuous improvement loops.
  • Demonstrated ability to work closely with PM and engineering leadership to influence product direction and drive execution in ambiguous environments.
  • Excellent communication, collaboration, and technical leadership skills.
  • Experience with agentic workflows, enterprise AI, productivity tools, developer tools, or customer-facing AI products.
  • Experience with responsible AI, safety evaluations, red teaming, hallucination measurement, grounding quality, bias/fairness assessment, privacy, or compliance-related AI evaluation.
  • Experience creating reusable evaluation platforms, experimentation frameworks, model scorecards, or AI quality dashboards.
  • Experience combining offline evaluation, online experimentation, telemetry, and qualitative customer feedback into a unified product decision framework.
  • Track record of influencing senior stakeholders through applied science insights and measurable customer or business impact.
  • Publications, patents, open-source contributions, or recognized technical leadership in AI/ML are a plus.

#AI #LLM #Evals #AppliedScience

Applied Sciences IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $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.

About Microsoft

Microsoft is an American multinational corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells a range of software products and services. Microsoft’s devices and consumer (D&C) licensing segment licenses the Windows operating system and related software, Microsoft Office for consumers, and the Windows Phone operating system. The company’s computing and gaming hardware segment provides Xbox gaming and entertainment consoles and accessories, second-party and third-party video games, and Xbox Live subscriptions; surface devices and accessories; and Microsoft PC accessories. Its phone hardware segment offers Lumia smartphones and other non-Lumia phones. Its D&C segment provides Windows Store, Xbox Live transactions, and Windows phone store; search advertising; display advertising; Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal; first-party video games; and other consumer products and services as well as operating retail stores. Microsoft’s commercial licensing segments license server products, including Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, System Center, and related Client Access Licenses (CALs); Windows Embedded; Windows operating system; Microsoft Office for business, including Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Lync, and related CALs; Microsoft Dynamics business solutions; and Skype. Its commercial segment offers enterprise services, including premier support services and Microsoft consulting services; commercial cloud comprising Office 365 Commercial, other Microsoft Office online offerings, Dynamics CRM Online, and Microsoft Azure; and other commercial products and online services. The company markets and distributes its products through original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and resellers, as well as online.

Microsoft Careers

Join Microsoft today and be part of a company that values innovation, leadership, and diversity in its workforce. As a global leader in technology and digital transformation, Microsoft offers unparalleled job opportunities that propel your career to new heights.

Explore Career Opportunities at Microsoft

Whether you're a seasoned professional looking for your next challenge or a recent graduate eager to start your career, Microsoft has a position that suits your skills and ambitions. We are committed to fostering a culture of growth and learning, where every team member is supported in expanding their horizons.

Internship Programs

Kickstart your career with a Microsoft internship. Our internships provide invaluable workplace experience and networking opportunities in a supportive and dynamic environment. You'll work on real projects, learn from industry leaders, and gain the skills necessary for a successful career in technology.

Employment Benefits

Choosing a career at Microsoft means more than just a job. Our employees enjoy a range of benefits designed to empower them both professionally and personally. These include comprehensive health benefits, flexible working conditions, and opportunities for career advancement through professional development and diversity training.

Inclusive Culture and Diversity

At Microsoft, we believe that innovation comes from diversity of thought and inclusion. We are committed to a workplace where everyone feels valued and inspired. Our leadership is dedicated to fostering an environment where diverse perspectives lead to breakthrough innovations and a competitive edge.

Grow with Us

Career growth at Microsoft is about more than climbing the corporate ladder; it's about continuous learning, expanding your skills, and improving your capabilities. With access to various leadership and training programs, you can evolve as a professional and make a significant impact within the company and on the global stage.

Hiring Process

Our hiring process is designed to identify true potential. Starting with a review of your resume, followed by interviews that assess your problem-solving abilities and cultural fit, we ensure that all candidates have a fair chance to demonstrate their strengths and potential to contribute to our team.

Networking and Professional Development

Microsoft is a place where you can build a professional network that spans the globe. Our employees benefit from connections with top-tier professionals and industry leaders, which opens doors to innovative projects and collaborative opportunities that are second to none.

Join Our Team

If you're ready to take on exciting challenges and make a difference in the world of technology, explore the job opportunities at Microsoft. Search for open positions that match your skills and interests, and prepare to embark on a rewarding career path filled with innovation and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Stay Connected

Keep up to date with the latest at Microsoft Careers by subscribing to our job alert emails. Get tailored content that aligns with your career preferences and discover the exciting and rewarding opportunities that await at Microsoft.

SEARCH MICROSOFT JOBS

At Microsoft, your future is limitless. Join us in our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Your journey with Microsoft starts here.
Learn more about Microsoft
Size
181,000 employees
Market Cap
$1,762.4 billion
Industry
Enterprise Technology
Net Income
$51.3 billion
Founded
1975
5 Year Trend
+15.5%
Revenue
$153.2 billion
NASDAQ
MSFT
* Ladders Estimates

Similar Jobs

Ad banner background

Get Ready For Your
Next Interview

More Jobs at Microsoft

More Consumer Technology Jobs

Find similar Principal Applied Scientist jobs:

NationwideRedmond, WA