Applied Scientist II
Microsoft
Are you passionate about building intelligent systems that decode human intent across the world’s most complex domains? We are seeking an Applied Scientist II to join the STCI team. In this role, you will work on core Search Query Understanding problems that power diverse Bing experiences, including Events, Sports, Translation, Health, Flights, and more.
You will bridge the gap between product requirements and machine learning, developing models that ensure every user interaction is met with a relevant, intent-aware experience. You will apply modern NLP, Information Retrieval (IR), and multimodal methods—including adapting LLMs and SLMs—to deliver these solutions at a global scale.
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.
Starting January 26, 2026, Microsoft AI (MAI) employees who live within a 50-mile commute of a designated Microsoft office in the U.S. or 25-mile commute of a non-U.S., country-specific location are expected to work from the office at least four days per week. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction.
Responsibilities
- Query Intelligence: Architect and refine large-scale classification and orchestration systems that map complex natural language queries to specific segments (e.g., Health, Sports, or Travel).
- End-to-End Ownership: Turn product requirements into testable hypotheses, define success metrics, and ship ML solutions that move customer and business KPIs.
- Generative AI Innovation: Leverage cutting-edge NLP and Generative AI (RAG, fine-tuning, prompt engineering) to balance high precision with seamless integration across multiple search verticals.
- Data-Driven Impact: Design experimental frameworks and use A/B testing to measure the product impact of your ML models.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 2+ 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 1+ year(s) related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research).
- OR Doctorate in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field.
- OR equivalent experience.
- NLP & Generative AI: Practical experience building and deploying NLP or LLM-based solutions (e.g., prompt engineering, fine-tuning, or RAG) within production services.
- Experimentation: Solid foundation in statistical modeling and experience designing experiments to validate model performance.
- Data Systems: Proficiency in SQL and experience working with large-scale data processing systems (e.g., Spark, Azure Databricks, or Kusto).
Preferred Qualifications:
- Domain Expertise: Experience in search query understanding, recommendation engines, or large-scale classification.
- Advanced Modeling: Exposure to multimodal modeling or advanced retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) techniques.
- Impactful Shipping: A track record of shipping ML features that have directly moved business KPIs in consumer-facing products.
- Communication: Ability to translate complex technical findings into actionable insights for stakeholders and senior leadership.
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This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
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. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.