Senior Applied Scientist

PowerPoint is more than just software - it’s the world’s go-to tool for turning ideas into compelling stories. PowerPoint transforms thoughts into visual stories, enabling millions of users to share knowledge via rich presentations.

PowerPoint team is reimagining visual storytelling by harnessing the power of Large Language Models (LLMs) and Agentic AI to create smarter, more dynamic presentation experiences. We are looking for an individual who has expertise in working with Large Language models (LLMs) and has designed scalable systems using LLMs. As a Senior Applied Scientist you will need to design and build systems that allow LLMs to reason over large amounts of data as well as fine tune LLMs and Small Language Models (SLMs). By leveraging the power of generative AI, you’ll help shape the future of PowerPoint by tackling the complex challenges of content, layout and visual storytelling. Your work will enable intelligent features that simplify presentation creation while enhancing creativity.

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.

Responsibilities

• Research and Development: Research and develop an understanding of the state-of-the-art tools, technologies, and methods being used in the research community and product groups. Design and develop fundamental technologies and drive the applied research to enable better search experiences for consumers and enterprise alike.
• Project Management: Drive projects from design through implementation, experimentation, and finally shipping to our users. Own development of state-of-the-art machine learning, deep learning algorithms and techniques leveraging text, images, and video for analyzing and transforming content to build world-class search and information retrieval products.
• Collaboration: Work in a diverse geographically distributed team environment where collaboration and innovation are valued. Collaborate with stakeholders to define project goals, success criteria, and deliverables.
• Innovation: Stay abreast of the latest research and trends in generative AI, natural language processing, and related fields, and explore new opportunities and challenges for Microsoft Office. Lead the team to continuously improve the recall and precision of bot detection by using new signals and algorithms.
  

Qualifications

• Required Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical OR Computer Engineering, OR related field AND 6+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research)
• OR Master's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 4+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research)
• OR equivalent experience.
• 4+ years of experience with design, implementation, debugging and testing of complex distributed services. 
• Demonstrated experience working with Large Language Models and prompt engineering.  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent.
• 5+ years using ML tools like Pytorch, TensorFlow or other frameworks and libraries for developing and deploying generative AI models
• Practical experience developing applications using prompt engineering, fine tuning, Open AI or Azure Open AI APIs.
• 3+ years experience developing and deploying live production systems, as part of a product team coding in C++, C#, C, Java or Python.
• 3+ years experience developing and deploying products or systems at multiple points in the product cycle from ideation to shipping.
  
  

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, 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. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.