Principal Applied Scientist at Microsoft – AI & ML Leadership Role in Hyderabad | Join M365 Copilot Innovation Team
Join Microsoft as a Principal Applied Scientist – Drive AI Innovation Across M365 in Hyderabad
Location: Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Job ID: 1822857
Work Type: Full-Time | On-Site | Travel: 0–25%
Role Type: Individual Contributor
Profession: Research, Applied, & Data Sciences
Discipline: Applied Sciences
About the Opportunity
Are you driven by the opportunity to work on cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) research that directly influences the productivity of billions globally? Do you aspire to lead AI innovations that are integrated across Microsoft’s massive datacenter infrastructure and empower developers worldwide? If you’re passionate about responsible AI, large-scale deployment, and building transformative engineering experiences, this Principal Applied Scientist role at Microsoft’s Hyderabad office could be your next major career move.
Microsoft’s M365 Copilot and productivity application teams are transforming enterprise and end-user experiences through deep AI integration. You’ll be part of a high-performing, visionary team that focuses on evolving core M365 offerings such as Outlook, Teams, and Copilot extensibility, alongside other productivity applications—all powered by custom AI and machine learning (ML) models.
This is more than a research role—it’s an opportunity to lead and innovate from ideation to real-world deployment.
Why This Role is Unique
As a Principal Applied Scientist, you won’t just conduct AI research—you’ll shape the strategy, architecture, and execution of AI-infused solutions across Microsoft’s ecosystem. This includes working on:
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Next-gen workloads: Innovate in applications like M365 Copilot, extending capabilities with AI and supporting intelligent user interactions.
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Responsible AI development: Contribute to Microsoft’s global commitment to digital trust by applying ethical AI frameworks and standards.
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Real-world deployment at scale: Influence models and code deployed across tens of thousands of machines globally, impacting enterprise-grade users.
You will have autonomy, end-to-end ownership, and a collaborative environment that encourages exploration and thought leadership.
Core Responsibilities
In this high-impact position, your responsibilities span strategic design, hands-on innovation, and cross-functional leadership:
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AI Innovation Leadership
Define and drive AI research across core productivity applications. Influence Copilot integrations by developing domain-specific SLMs (small language models), tuning prompt engineering, and deploying customized models to serve real user needs. -
Strategic Product Collaboration
Work with engineering, product management, and research teams to align product goals with AI capabilities. Evaluate business requirements and craft strategic plans to deliver AI solutions that are robust, responsible, and customer-centric. -
Data and Model Engineering
Lead end-to-end workflows: data ingestion, curation, training data pipelines, prompt refinement, model training, and metric evaluation. Ensure quality outcomes through model optimization, interpretability, and continuous improvement strategies. -
Cross-Functional Leadership
Serve as a bridge between research, engineering, and product design teams. Lead feature crews, contribute to tooling infrastructure, and support deployment readiness in high-scale environments. -
Ethical AI Implementation
Ensure research and deployment efforts comply with Microsoft’s Responsible AI principles, safeguarding privacy, fairness, and accountability in all AI-driven experiences. -
Mentoring and Talent Development
Inspire peers and emerging scientists, nurture a growth-mindset culture, and contribute to academic and industry outreach initiatives to attract top-tier talent to Microsoft.
Basic Qualifications
To qualify for this role, you should meet at least one of the following educational and experience criteria:
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Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Computer Engineering, Statistics, Econometrics, or related fields with 6+ years of hands-on experience in statistics, predictive analytics, or applied research
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Master’s Degree in the same or related fields with 4+ years of relevant experience
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Doctorate (PhD) in the same or related fields with 3+ years of applied experience
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OR Equivalent industry experience in AI/ML research or data science at scale
Additionally, you must possess:
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At least 5+ years of experience in AI research labs or software product teams deploying AI at scale
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Expertise in designing and scaling classification systems, ranking models, and language models (SLMs/LLMs)
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Deep understanding of structured/unstructured data and model evaluation metrics
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Demonstrated ability to keep pace with rapid AI advancements and apply novel techniques
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Exceptional communication, cross-group collaboration, and stakeholder management skills
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A strong customer focus and a bias for solving real-world challenges
Preferred Qualifications
While not mandatory, the following qualifications are highly desirable and can strengthen your candidacy:
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PhD in Computer Science with a specialization in Data Science, AI, or ML and 3+ years of data science or research experience
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Master’s in Mathematics, Statistics, or Computer Science with 5+ years of AI deployment experience
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Bachelor’s in related field with 8+ years of experience working with data pipelines, statistical modeling, and enterprise-level ML systems
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Demonstrated experience in leading AI-infused feature deployments or enterprise-grade AI services
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Familiarity with modern data science tools and platforms such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, Azure AI, or similar
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Experience building AI-based productivity applications or copilots
Key Skills and Knowledge Areas
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Statistical modeling and experimentation
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Prompt engineering and small language model (SLM) fine-tuning
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Large-scale AI architecture design
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AI evaluation frameworks and metrics
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Data curation pipelines for supervised/unsupervised learning
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Cloud-scale ML infrastructure and performance tuning
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Research publication and technical documentation
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Responsible AI and data ethics frameworks
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role is defined by:
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Delivering tangible AI features in M365 apps used by billions
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Driving measurable improvements in model performance, scalability, and user impact
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Partnering with internal Microsoft AI teams to build and improve shared tooling and infrastructure
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Contributing thought leadership to the scientific and developer community
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Maintaining rigorous compliance with Microsoft’s Responsible AI policies
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Leading by example through collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning
Benefits and Perks
Microsoft offers a range of industry-leading employee benefits that support work-life balance, financial planning, and holistic wellbeing:
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🌐 Global impact: Your work will influence AI at scale in a global productivity platform
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🏥 Comprehensive healthcare: Medical, vision, and dental insurance coverage
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🎓 Educational resources: Continuous learning through courses, certifications, and mentorship
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💼 Generous leave: Paid parental, maternity, and paternity leave
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📈 Savings and investments: Retirement plans, stock purchase options, and financial counseling
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💡 Giving back: Donation matching and volunteer opportunities
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🌟 Growth culture: Diversity, inclusion, and career advancement built into the organization
About Microsoft
At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. We operate with integrity, embrace a growth mindset, and create environments where everyone can thrive. Whether you are engineering breakthrough solutions or reimagining productivity with AI, your contributions will help shape the future of technology.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity and inclusion. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and ensure fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. If you need accommodations, we encourage you to request support to ensure a smooth and inclusive hiring journey.
How to Apply
Interested in building the future of AI with Microsoft? Apply now and explore the opportunity to lead world-class innovation as a Principal Applied Scientist.