Senior Researcher - AI Systems - Microsoft Research
Microsoft · Redmond, WA · Research Sciences
About this role
Microsoft is hiring a senior-level Research Scientist in the machine learning function based in Redmond, WA. The posting calls out experience with Machine Learning, Performance Optimization and roughly 3+ years of relevant work. Listed education preference: a Ph.D. or equivalent. Compensation is listed at $119,800–$234,700 per year.
- Role
- Research Scientist
- Function
- machine learning
- Level
- senior
- Track
- Individual contributor
- Employment
- Full-time
- Location
- Redmond, WA
- Experience
- 3+ years
- Education
- Ph.D. preferred
- Department
- Research Sciences
- Posted
- Jan 7, 2026
More roles at Microsoft
Job description
from Microsoft careersMicrosoft Research seeks a Senior Researcher specializing in one or more areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure, Machine Learning (ML) systems, and high-performance computing (HPC) systems. The position involves working collaboratively to advance state-of-the art in AI Systems and improving the efficiency and scalability of production systems across the full AI model lifecycle: pre-training, supervised fine-tuning, reinforcement-learning-based post-training, and inference.
At Microsoft, our mission—to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more—guides how we partner with customers to deliver trusted, impactful solutions. With a growth mindset culture, we innovate responsibly and measure success by shared progress—people, teams, and customers. Join us to do meaningful work that changes the world and helps shape what’s next for everyone.
#MSRR
Responsibilities
Drive high-impact research in AI infrastructure, ML systems, HPC systems, with a focus on building large production-scale systems.
Collaborate to develop and test out new ideas within existing or new collaborative teams.
Build and maintain state of the art systems in this space.
Collaborate in preparing technical papers and presentations.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
Doctorate (or are currently pursuing) in ML systems, high-performance computing, or relevant fields AND 3+ years related research experience
Preferred Qualifications
3 years of experience building large scale AI infrastructure, ML systems, and/or HPC systems.
This is an excerpt. Read the full job description on Microsoft careers →