Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Microsoft; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 261,000; Full time

Job summary

Microsoft Research New England in Cambridge, MA is seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to advance generative models for multimodal scientific discovery. You will design and optimize training across the full lifecycle, scaling large training workflows to turn new research into practical impact.

You will lead training of large language and multimodal models, mentor teammates, and collaborate with researchers and domain experts to translate research into real-world solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related field; 4+ years for non-Doctorate or a Doctorate in CS or related field.
• Hands-on experience in distributed training of large language/multimodal models or optimizing training workflows or model distillation.
• Deep experience with PyTorch or Jax and training/monitoring generative modeling workflows.

Responsibilities

• Lead the training of large language and multimodal models, including developing, managing, and debugging training workflows.
• Scale and optimize training runs by identifying efficiency opportunities and implementing improvements.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring within the team and across the organization.

Skills

Distributed training

Model distillation

Profiling training/inference

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

PyTorch

Jax

Job description

As a Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Microsoft in Cambridge, MA (onsite), you will help advance generative models for multimodal scientific discovery. This role focuses on designing and optimizing training across the full lifecycle, with opportunities to scale large training workflows, improve throughput, and partner closely with researchers and domain experts to turn new research into practical impact.

What you’ll do

• Lead the training of large language and multimodal models, including developing, managing, and debugging training workflows.
• Scale and optimize training runs by identifying efficiency opportunities and implementing improvements.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring within the team and across the organization in your areas of expertise.
• Explore and advise on strategic technical direction and approaches for projects across the team.
• Collaborate with researchers, domain experts, and cross-disciplinary teams to ensure techniques translate from research into impactful solutions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or a related technical field AND 4+ years of technical engineering experience in ML-related work, or a Doctorate in Computer Science or a related technical field.
• Hands‑on technical experience in one or more areas such as distributed training of large language/multimodal models (pretraining, midtraining, or post‑training), optimizing training workflows, or model distillation.
• Deep experience with PyTorch or Jax.
• Experience designing, optimizing, and monitoring generative modeling training workflows.
• Familiarity with profiling training and/or inference code, identifying performance bottlenecks, and mitigating them.
• Comfort with one or more of: refining data mixes, midtraining, post‑training, data/model parallelism techniques, optimizing training runs, or model distillation.
• Demonstrated communication skills, including presenting complex technical concepts to a broad audience.

How the work is approached

The role operates on the understanding that there is no one‑size‑fits‑all approach to advancing model capabilities. Progress requires sustained investment across the training lifecycle, including method development, recipe refinement, scaling and throughput optimization, and model‑harness co‑design.

Team context

Microsoft Research New England includes full‑time researchers, postdocs, data scientists, engineers, and program managers spanning machine learning, statistics, healthcare, computational biology, theoretical computer science, algorithmic game theory, economics, and more.

Location: Cambridge, MA (onsite)
Salary: USD 119,800 - 261,000 per year
Minimum experience: 4 years
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related technical field
Technologies: PyTorch, Jax