As a Principal Applied Scientist at Microsoft Copilot, you will lead the development of machine learning and generative AI systems to enhance product discovery, ranking, personalization, and reasoning in conversational shopping experiences. This role combines applied machine learning, generative AI, and product experience, ensuring the delivery of trustworthy and proactive shopping intelligence. You will work closely with product, engineering, and design teams to translate models into reliable user-facing experiences. The position emphasizes a culture of inclusion and collaboration, aligning with Microsoft's mission to empower individuals and organizations.

• Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field and 6+ years of related experience, or a Master's Degree with 4+ years, or a Doctorate with 3+ years, or equivalent experience.
• Master's Degree in a relevant field and 9+ years of related experience, or a Doctorate with 6+ years, or equivalent experience is preferred.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience developing machine learning or statistical models.
• Proficiency in programming for data science using Python or R and experience with SQL.
• Hands-on experience with large-scale data processing using tools like Apache Spark or Azure Databricks.
• Skilled in time-series analysis and anomaly detection techniques.
• Practical experience with prompt engineering and fine-tuning GPT-like models.

• Design, build, and productionize machine learning models for product discovery, ranking, recommendation, and personalization.
• Develop LLM-based systems for conversational shopping, including prompt design and retrieval-augmented generation.
• Address quality and trust challenges such as hallucination risk and recommendation reliability.
• Define evaluation frameworks and experimentation strategies for conversational shopping scenarios.
• Partner closely with product, engineering, and design teams to translate models into low-latency, reliable experiences.
• Provide technical leadership for applied science within Copilot Shopping through design reviews and mentoring.
• Contribute to model governance and Responsible AI practices to ensure trustworthy systems.

• Employees at Microsoft are often offered comprehensive, “world-class” benefits—including health and mental-wellness programs, competitive pay with bonuses and stock awards, and retirement/savings options. Time-off and flexibility are common, with generous vacation and holidays, parental and caregiver leave, and flexible work schedules, alongside learning support, employee resource groups, product discounts, and matching-gifts/volunteering programs. Specific benefits can vary by region.