As a Principal Research Engineer at Microsoft, you will lead transformative AI initiatives that shape the future of Microsoft’s products and services by setting technical direction for foundational models, multi-agent systems, and next-generation Copilot experiences. You will architect scalable and reliable AI systems, integrate large language models and multimodal architectures into Microsoft's ecosystem, and establish standards for MLOps and Responsible AI. Your day-to-day involves driving original research, translating insights into production-quality code, and collaborating across teams to deliver impactful solutions. Preferred qualifications include a PhD in AI/ML with top-venue publications, extensive experience in applied AI/ML research and product engineering, and proficiency in Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow, and Microsoft’s LLMOps stack. This role is at the forefront of AI innovation, addressing complex business needs and empowering millions of users globally.
Skills
Python
PyTorch
TensorFlow
Azure AI Foundry
Azure Machine Learning
Semantic Kernel
Azure OpenAI Service
Azure AI Search
LLMOps
MLOps
Responsible AI
CI/CD
Distributed training
GPU optimization
Multimodal models
Multi-agent systems
LLMs
What you'll do
Define and execute technical strategy for foundational models, multi-agent systems, and next-generation Copilot experiences.
Lead cross-team efforts to deliver scalable, reliable, and responsible AI systems.
Convert research insights into production-quality code optimized for scale and latency.
Establish standards for MLOps, governance, and Responsible AI in compliance with industry standards.
Mentor engineers and foster a culture of technical excellence and innovation.
What we're looking for
PhD in AI/ML or related field with top-venue publications and/or patents.
Experience architecting and deploying large-scale LLMs/multimodal models and multi-agent systems.
Familiarity with Responsible AI frameworks, including bias-mitigation techniques.
Proven track record of shaping product strategy and driving organizational change.
Expertise in Microsoft’s LLMOps stack for AI development and deployment.
Extensive experience leading large-scale AI initiatives and cross-organizational projects.
Strong background in software engineering, Python, deep-learning frameworks, and MLOps.
Market check
Salary context
This
$142,800–$274,800
range sits above
74%
of similar postings on FindRole.
Peer median band
$139,900–$274,800
Median floor and ceiling across peers.
Typical midpoint (25–75%)
$177,250–$215,150
Middle half of comparable postings.
Based on 240 comparable postings.*
* 240 is the maximum number of comparable postings sampled.
Employer
About Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology leader producing software, hardware, and cloud services including Windows, Office 365, Azure cloud platform, Xbox gaming, and Surface devices. Industry: Software & Cloud Computing
Microsoft currently has
451 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$119,800–$234,700
across 417 roles with salary data.
Python
Rust
C++
Azure
AI
ML
agentic AI frameworks
prompt engineering
retrieval-augmented generation
evaluation frameworks
model fine-tuning
observability
APIs
cloud systems
CI/CD
PyTorch
TensorFlow
LLM-based ranking
agentic AI
generative AI
recommendation systems
deep learning
modern ML frameworks
cloud-scale infrastructure
distributed pipelines
high-throughput online services
data processing systems
multi-tiered distributed services
large-scale data analytics
Spark
asynchronous programming
multi-objective optimization
CI/CD