AI Applied Scientist / AI Applied Scientistess

Overview

The Spatial AI Lab is a pivotal part of the Applied Sciences Group, a Microsoft research and development organization committed to pioneering next-generation human-computer interaction technologies. We leverage cutting-edge AI developments while exploring new hardware capabilities and innovative device form factors. Our talented team of scientists and engineers possesses extensive expertise in computer vision, multi-modal AI, and spatial and embodied AI.

Your primary responsibility will involve contributing to the creation of intelligent systems for new types of agents by training and enhancing multimodal AI models. This role presents a unique opportunity to deepen your experience in developing and utilizing AI models for Microsoft products and large-scale AI systems. Additionally, you will collaborate on groundbreaking research with partners such as ETH Zurich, with opportunities to publish in prestigious venues, present at workshops, and mentor students.

At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every individual and organization across the globe to achieve more. We foster a culture of inclusion, where employees unite with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and work collectively to realize shared goals. Every day, we uphold our values of respect, integrity, and accountability, creating an environment where everyone can flourish both at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Research innovative machine learning algorithms and models.
• Engage in pre and/or post-training of foundational multimodal models.
• Develop data and learning solutions for scalability, efficiency, and performance.
• Curate training and evaluation datasets/benchmarks.
• Optimize models for CPUs, GPUs, and NPUs, and integrate them into products.
• Collaborate with Microsoft research and engineering teams.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• A PhD in Machine Learning or Computer Vision, or over 3 years of relevant industry experience.
• Proficient in programming languages such as Python and/or C++.
• Hands-on experience with modern deep learning frameworks (e.g., Pytorch, TensorFlow, Jax).
• Self-motivated team player, problem solver, and eager to learn.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to a diverse audience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in one or more of the following areas:
• Hands-on experience with multimodal models, including pre and/or post-training of large vision language models.
• Familiarity with techniques such as pruning, distillation, and fine-tuning.
• Experience with Large Language Models (LLMs) and Large Vision-Language Models (VLMs).
• Knowledge of video generative models and diffusion algorithms, or action-based transformers and Vision Language Action models (VLAs).
• Experience with large-scale machine learning compute systems.
• A track record of impactful publications in top-tier machine learning or computer vision conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, CVPR, ECCV, ICCV) or contributions to successful industry initiatives.

Application Process

Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. 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.