Microsoft Research & Incubations conducts world-class research and is developing the next generations of technology that will change the lives of billions of people, enabling every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. The Special Projects team within Microsoft Research & Incubations is searching for a Research Data Scientist who is eager to tackle unique challenges around knowledge extraction, representation, and Large Language Models (LLM) memory systems. In this role, you’ll work at the intersection of LLMs, Small Language Models (SLMs), and graph machine learning to help build new memory systems, which will in turn help advance the state of the art in retrieval augmented generation.

Role

We are looking for a Research Data Scientist with a passion for unlocking the hidden potential in data. In this role, you will need to design, develop, and evaluate experiments independently. Some areas of research concentration include, but are not limited to:

• Large & Small Language Models
• Anomaly Detection, Machine Learning / Deep Learning, Data Science and Analytics
• Graph Machine Learning
• NLP, Transformers, Conversational AI, Chat Bots, Language Models, Text Prediction
• Computer Vision, Image Classification, Image Segmentation, Object Detection
• Model Compression, Pruning, Quantization, Distillation
• Systems Security, Software Security
• Operating Systems, Virtualization
• Distributed Systems, Cloud Infrastructure, Power and Energy Management
• Systems for ML, ML Support for Systems, Program Verification, Resilient Systems
• Geospatial Systems, Data Visualization
  
  

Microsoft Research offers an exhilarating and supportive environment for cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research, both theoretical and applied, with access to an extraordinary diversity of big and small data sources, an open publications policy, and close links to top academic institutions. We seek applicants with the passion and ability to craft and pursue engineering solutions supporting a variety of research efforts.

Successful candidates will be self-starters and work well with underspecified requirements, have solid development skills in at least one major programming language, and a demonstrated capability to work across a variety of problem domains. This is an exceptional opportunity to work with a diverse team of researchers, focusing on delivering the next generation of research advances and scientific understanding to Microsoft’s customers.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, and we’re dedicated to this mission across every aspect of our company. Our culture is centered on embracing a growth mindset and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. Join us and help shape the future of the world.

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

• Design, develop, and evaluate experiments involving language models.
• Develop and drive a high-impact research agenda and engineering plan.
• Collaborate to develop and test out new ideas within existing or new collaborations within the research group and with product partners.
• Build software systems that test new approaches or develop novel theoretical and practical insights.
• Prepare technical papers and presentations for journals and conferences.
  
  

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Doctorate in Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics, Economics, Operations Research, Computer Science, or related field
• OR Master's Degree in Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics, Economics, Operations Research, Computer Science, or related field AND 1+ year(s) data-science experience (e.g., managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques and reporting results) or consulting experience
• OR Bachelor's Degree in Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics, Economics, Operations Research, Computer Science, or related field AND 2+ years data-science experience (e.g., managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques and reporting results)
• OR equivalent experience.
• Experience with Python
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with small / large language models
• Experience in graph machine learning
• Experience with manifold learning
• Experience with Spark based technologies (Azure Synapse, Databricks, or Apache Spark)
• Experience with cloud technologies such as Azure or AWS
• Experience with full-stack development
• Highly motivated, self-starter and team player.
• Solid, broad-based CS fundamentals
• Ability to learn, analyze and solve hard problems
• Team member, collaborator and communicator
• Effective communication skills and the ability to work in a collaborative environment.
• Experience in C#, Java, Rust, JavaScript/TypeScript
  
  

Data Science IC3 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $94,300 - $182,600 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 $120,900 - $198,600 per year.

Data Science IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $112,000 - $218,400 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 $145,800 - $238,600 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

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