Applied Scientist / Applied Scientistess

Overview

The Spatial AI Lab is an integral part of the Applied Sciences Group, a Microsoft research and development organization committed to pioneering the next generation of human-computer interaction technologies. We leverage the latest advancements in artificial intelligence while exploring innovative hardware capabilities and new device form factors. Our team of scientists and engineers possesses extensive expertise in computer vision and multi-modal AI, with a particular focus on spatial and embodied AI.

As a Scientist - Multimodal Foundation Models & Robotics, you will join our expanding team to conduct research at the intersection of large-scale generative modeling and embodied AI, particularly within the realm of robotics. Your primary objective will be to develop the core intelligence for a new generation of agents, training multimodal foundation models that enable them to perceive complex environments, reason about tasks, and act seamlessly across both physical and digital realms. This role offers a unique opportunity to deepen your expertise in training embodied foundation models, deploying algorithms on robotic hardware, and contributing to groundbreaking research through publications and collaborations with esteemed partners, such as ETH Zurich.

At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every individual and organization on the planet to achieve more. We foster a culture of growth, innovation, and collaboration, driving our shared goals forward. Each day, we build upon our core values of respect, integrity, and accountability, creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement novel foundation models and algorithms for general-purpose embodied agents.
• Develop high-performance machine-learning pipelines while optimizing data and learning stacks for scalability, efficiency, and performance.
• Optimize and deploy AI models on robotic hardware.
• Collaborate across Microsoft research and engineering teams to translate cutting-edge research into real-world applications.
• Drive the team’s progress, measuring success through advancements in internal capabilities and impactful contributions to the scientific community.
• Engage with top academic partners like ETH Zurich to advance pioneering research at scale, with opportunities to co-author in leading venues, present at workshops, and mentor students.

Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications:

• A PhD in Robotics, Machine Learning, or a related field, or 3+ years of relevant industry experience.
• Proficient in coding, debugging, and engineering skills in programming languages such as Python or C++.
• Hands-on experience with modern deep learning frameworks (e.g., Pytorch, Tensorflow, Jax).
• A self-motivated team player with strong problem-solving skills and a passion for learning.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts effectively to a diverse audience.

Other Requirements:

Candidates must meet Microsoft and relevant security screening requirements to be considered for this role. This includes, but is not limited to, passing the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in one or more of the following areas:
• Foundation Models: Hands-on experience training LLMs, Large vision-language models (VLMs), video generative models, diffusion algorithms, or action-based transformers and Vision Language Action models (VLAs).
• Large-Scale ML Systems: Familiarity with extensive machine learning compute systems.
• Robotics: Hands-on experience with robot learning techniques, such as reinforcement learning, imitation learning, and classical control methods.
• Solid understanding of robot kinematics, dynamics, and sensors.
• Familiarity with control algorithms like PID, model predictive control (MPC), and whole-body control.
• A track record of impact, demonstrated via first author research publications at top-tier machine learning or robotics conferences (CoRL, RSS, NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CVPR), or through contributions to successful industry initiatives.

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Apply online using the form below.

Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.

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.