Join a new applied science initiative in Microsoft Research AI and help shape the future of Microsoft’s commitment to protecting the privacy of users and enterprises who use our products and services.  Machine Learning with Guarantees enables us to respect our regulatory, contractual, and social responsibilities to protect our customers’ privacy and their data. We are looking for an experienced applied scientist with a strong track record of bringing research into production, to deliver new technologies at the intersection of natural language processing, deep learning, model explainability, transfer learning, differential privacy, and federated learning.  The successful candidate will be a member of a team responsible for researching, incubating, and developing new technologies for Microsoft’s AI efforts, in close partnership with applied science and engineering teams in Office 365.  

Responsibilities

The primary focus of the position is on delivering research innovations to product teams in the form of systems, components, prototypes, experimental results, insights, and recommendations. Members of the applied science team will also contribute to elevating awareness of core problems in privacy-preserving ML in the scientific community and beyond through presentations, publications, and other outlets (e.g., blogs, press interviews). We are looking for candidates who are smart and creative, but are also self-driven, curious, and comfortable with ambiguity. The successful applicant will work on a team comprised of scientists and developers spanning Microsoft Research and Office 365. As a core member of the applied science team, they will work on a set of technologies enhancing our machine learning capabilities, from inception, through research and development, and into the product.

Qualifications

Candidates who do not meet all preferred qualifications are encouraged to apply. 

Required Qualifications: 

·       PhD in statistics, computer science, or related field; concentration in one of the following: machine learning, data mining, information retrieval, natural language processing, differential privacy, federated learning, or related discipline. 

·       3+ years post-graduate experience in developing machine learning/statistical learning algorithms in the areas of text classification, natural language processing, or information retrieval OR designing mechanisms in the areas of differential privacy or federated learning. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

·       3+ years of professional experience developing product level algorithms, with a proven track record of successfully shipping applied research to production.  

3+ years post-graduate experience with a modern programming language (Python, C/C++, C#/.NET, Javascript, Java, etc). 
3+ years post-graduate experience in one or more relevant machine learning tools, e.g., PyTorch / TensorFlow and related frameworks.
 

·       Excellent problem solving and data analysis skills.  

·       Effective communication skills, both verbal and written.  

·       Strong software design and development skills/experience.  

·       Strong collaboration skills, both within-team and cross-team.  

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.