New

Principal Researcher - Agentic Innovation

Microsoft
$139,900.00 - $274,800.00 / yr
United States, Washington, Redmond
Mar 05, 2026
Overview TheM365 Researchgroup at Microsoft isdrivingapplied researchand innovationeffortsthat reimagines how intelligentAgenticsystems are built, evaluated, and deployed at enterprise scale. Our mission is to developrobust andscalableAgentic Systemsthat canoperatereliably in complex realworld environments, enabling stepfunction advances inHumanproductivity. We are seeking a Principal Researcher - Agentic Innovationtodriveresearch and incubation efforts acrossAgenticsystems. This role offers a unique opportunity to define longterm research visionand translate foundational advances into durable product and business impact.The scope of this role spansfoundational agentic capabilities andforwardlooking research on nextgeneration AI agent architecture. The ideal candidate will combine deep technicalexpertisewith the ability to settechnicaldirectionsand drive execution across multiple time horizons. We communicate our work through academic publications, opensource releases, patents, and close collaboration with product and engineering teams across Microsoft. Our goal is to shape the future of AI agents while delivering meaningful impact to realworld systemsused on aglobal scale. Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Asemployees,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 Define and own longterm research and incubationagendafor Agentic Systems. Drive research for agentic systems for highimpact enterprise use casessuch as:enterprise productivityandcoding agents. Incubate nextgeneration agent architectures, including multistep reasoning, planning, reflection, multiagent collaboration, and selfimproving systems. Partner closely with product, engineering, andMicrosoftleadership to translate research into realworld impact. Publish in top-tier conferences andjournalsandcontribute to the broader research community through open-source contributions and thought leadership. 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 Doctorate in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 3+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research) OR equivalent experience. Other Requirements: Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings: Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter. Preferred Qualifications: Doctorate in Computer Science, Distributed Systems, Machine Learning, Statistics, or related fields AND 5+ years related research experience. OR Undergrad or Master's degree in these fields AND 7+ years related research experience. Research experience and at least five publications in top conferences/journals in one of the following areas: machine learning, NLP, distributed systems, programming languages, software engineering. History of crossdisciplinary collaboration across research, product, and engineering. Proven experience designing and building end-to-end AI systems or production-grade systems that scale to real-world usage. Applied Sciences IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay 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.