Principal Research Scientist

Principal Research Scientist | Microsoft Careers Skip to main content Microsoft Careers Careers Careers Search Search jobs Sign in Single PositionView All JobsPrincipal Research ScientistIndia, Karnataka, BangaloreApply nowAdd to cartFind out how well you match with this jobUpload your resumeJob descriptionCompany and benefitsJob number200044879Date postedJul 21, 2026Work site3 days / week in-officeTravelLess than 25%ProfessionResearch, Applied, & Data SciencesDisciplineResearch SciencesRole typeIndividual ContributorEmployment typeFull-TimeOverviewGenerative AI is revolutionizing how we create, share, work with, and consume content. At Microsoft, we run the biggest platform for collaboration and productivity in the world with hundreds of millions of consumer/enterprise users. Tackling AI efficiency challenges is crucial for delivering these experiences at scale. The M365 Research group at Microsoft is driving applied research and innovation efforts that reimagines how intelligent Agentic systems are built, evaluated, and deployed at enterprise scale. We are working to advance efficiency across AI systems, where we look at novel designs and optimizations across AI stacks: models, AI frameworks, cloud infrastructure, and hardware. We believe that enabling cross-layer optimization is the key to achieve a step-function improvement in AI efficiency and to provide generative AI experiences to more users globally. We are an Applied Research team driving mid- and long-term product innovations. We closely collaborate with multiple research teams and product groups across the globe who bring a multitude of technical expertise in cloud systems, machine learning and software engineering. We communicate our research both internally and externally through academic publications, open-source releases, blog posts, patents, and industry conferences. Further, we also collaborate with academic and industry partners to advance the state of the art and target material product impact that will affect 100s of millions of customers.  We are looking for a Principal Researcher to drive research on cross-stack optimizations to deliver significant efficiency gains for Large Language Model / Generative AI experiences. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in model architectures, LLM frameworks, serving infrastructure and/or architecture optimization. We are seeking someone with an interest to work at the intersection of LLMs and systems research, as well as the motivation and ambition to apply this research in a meaningful real-world setting.  Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond. Location will be Bangalore, India ResponsibilitiesConduct novel research to advance the state-of-the-art of efficiency optimizations across AI stacks: models, AI frameworks, cloud infrastructure, and hardware. Work with a small group of fellow researchers and product engineering teams to execute on practical innovation for real-world impact. Drive the end-to-end research agenda from establishing the problem definition to building algorithms and models, and act as a mentor for more team members. Publish and contribute to top scientific conferences and journals. QualificationsRequired Qualifications: Doctorate in relevant field AND 3+ years related research experienceOR Master's Degree in relevant field AND 4+ years related research experience OR Bachelor's Degree in relevant field AND 10+ years related research experienceOR equivalent experience.PhD in Computer Science, Statistics, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or related...