OverviewWe are seeking an experienced Principal Business Analytics Data Scientist with solid business acumen, deep analytical expertise, and experience in content platforms, digital advertising, and monetization. This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of user engagement, AI-powered content discovery, and revenue optimization while partnering closely with product teams, MAI Marketplace, Monetization, Finance, and Engineering organizations.
The ideal candidate combines rigorous analytical thinking with a solid understanding of content ecosystems, advertising marketplaces, user engagement, forecasting, experimentation, and business strategy. They are comfortable navigating ambiguity, influencing senior stakeholders, and translating complex data into actionable business decisions.
Starting January 26, 2026, Microsoft AI (MAI) employees who live within a 50- mile commute of a designated Microsoft office in the U.S. or 25-mile commute of a non-U.S., country-specific location are expected to work from the office at least four days per week. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction.
Responsibilities- Serve as a trusted analytics partner to leadership and cross-functional teams, translating data into clear business recommendations.
- Partner with Product, Engineering, MAI Marketplace, Monetization, Finance, and Business Planning teams to shape strategy and investment decisions.
- Analyze user engagement, content consumption, marketplace dynamics, and revenue performance to identify growth opportunities and business risks.
- Develop business frameworks that connect product initiatives, user behavior, content quality, and monetization outcomes.
- Build forecasting and scenario-planning models for engagement, traffic, ad requests, and revenue.
- Leverage AI and machine learning solutions to automate business insights, improve forecasting accuracy, enhance decision-making processes, and scale analytical capabilities across the organization.
- Evaluate tradeoffs between user experience, engagement, and monetization to support long-term business growth.
- Communicate insights clearly to senior stakeholders and influence decisions through data-driven storytelling.
QualificationsRequired Qualifications:- Doctorate in Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics, Economics, Operations Research, Computer Science, or related field AND 5+ years data-science experience (e.g., managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques and reporting results)
- OR Master's Degree in Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics, Economics, Operations Research, Computer Science, or related field AND 7+ years data-science experience (e.g., managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques and reporting results)
- OR Bachelor's Degree in Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics, Economics, Operations Research, Computer Science, or related field AND 10+ years data science experience (e.g., managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques and reporting results)
- OR equivalent experience.
Preferred Qualifications:- Doctorate in Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics, Economics, Operations Research, Computer Science, or related field AND 8+ years data-science experience (e.g., managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques and reporting results)
- OR Master's Degree in Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics, Economics, Operations Research, Computer Science, or related field AND 10+ years data-science experience (e.g., managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques and reporting results)
- OR Bachelor's Degree in Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics, Economics, Operations Research, Computer Science, or related field AND 12+ years data-science experience (e.g., managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques and reporting results)
- OR equivalent experience.
- Experience in content ecosystems, news feeds, recommendation systems, search, shopping, or content discovery platforms.
- Experience partnering with advertising, monetization, or marketplace organizations.
- Familiarity with key engagement and monetization metrics such as sessions, time spent, retention, RPM, ad requests, inventory utilization, advertiser demand, and marketplace efficiency.
- Experience leading analytics for large-scale consumer products with millions of users.
- Demonstrated success influencing product strategy and business outcomes through data-driven insights.
- Solid understanding of AI-powered consumer experiences and their impact on user engagement and monetization.
- Experience managing cross-functional initiatives involving Product, Engineering, Monetization, Marketplace, and Finance stakeholders.
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Data Science 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.
