Senior Researcher - Azure Research Systems

Microsoft; Redmond (WA); Remote; USD 119,000 - 235,000; Full time

Job summary

Microsoft seeks a Senior Researcher for Azure Research Systems, focusing on enhancing AI infrastructure efficiency. The role involves collaboration on innovative solutions, mentoring, and pushing for state-of-the-art advancements. Candidates should have a research-oriented background with substantial publication history and experience in relevant technologies.

Benefits

Industry leading healthcare

Educational resources

Discounts on products and services

Savings and investments

Maternity and paternity leave

Generous time away

Giving programs

Opportunities to network and connect

Qualifications

• Doctorate or equivalent experience in research.
• 2+ years of research experience with publications in top conferences.
• Knowledge in datacenter architecture and large-scale systems preferred.

Responsibilities

• Advance research agenda through impactful projects.
• Collaborate to translate research into production.
• Mentor interns and onboard new team members.

Skills

Research

Algorithm Design

Computer Systems

Education

Doctorate in relevant field

Tools

Python

C/C++

Java

Job description

Senior Researcher - Azure Research Systems

Multiple Locations, United States

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Date posted

Jun 10, 2025

Job number

1828018

Work site

Up to 100% work from home

Travel

0-25 %

Role type

Individual Contributor

Profession

Research, Applied, & Data Sciences

Discipline

Research Sciences

Employment type

Full-Time

Overview

Azure Research – System is a world-class research group embedded in Azure that pushes the limit of software systems for cloud platforms. We focus primarily on improving the efficiency of the cloud infrastructure across the entire hardware and software stack. We collaborate very closely with production teams in Azure to deploy our research and have had tremendous impact. We also routinely collaborate with academic and industry partners to advance the state of the art. Finally, we engage with the research community through publications in the top venues in Computer Science, blog posts, open-source releases, patents, and participation in conferences. Our group provides a collaborative, supportive, inclusive, and respectful environment for engineers and researchers. Together, we strive to create innovative solutions to computing’s toughest problems.

We are looking for a highly skilled Senior Researcher to work on improving the efficiency of our AI infrastructure, broadly construed. We work across layers of the stack, from the AI system software, to innovative hardware, to the datacenter infrastructure and its interaction with the power grids. We use a combination of algorithmic, systems, and architecture techniques, to improve the performance, power and energy efficiency of the infrastructure behind the current AI revolution.

You will work with other researchers and engineers, in collaboration with industry partners and workload owners, to drive an ambitious research agenda, with the goal of advancing the state of the art and having a large impact in production. You will have the opportunity of mentoring new team members in support of their career goals, as well as research interns. You will also be able to propose, work on, and publish cutting-edge research in computer systems. This opportunity will allow you to gain understanding of the inner workings of a hyperscale cloud. You will have many growth opportunities on our team, you will learn and grow in your career, and gain visibility both internally and externally. If you thrive in environments seeking innovation and fast-paced entrepreneurial execution, then this is the place for you.

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.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Doctorate in relevant field
  • OR equivalent experience.
• 2+ years of experience in a research program demonstrated by one or more publications in top conferences/journals (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ISCA, MICRO, ASPLOS, HPCA, SOSP, OSDI, NDSI, etc.)

Other Qualifications:

• 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 relevant field AND 2+ years related-research experience
  • OR equivalent experience.
• Knolwege in one or more of these areas: datacenter architecture, large-scale distributed systems, state-of-the-art generative AI infrastructure (design and implementation, model architecture, training, agentic systems), power management in computer systems
• Ability to work independently and in a team, take initiative and lead engagements as required.
• Experience with one or more programming languages: Python, C/C++, Java, etc.

Research Sciences IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 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 $158,400 - $258,000 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

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until July 10, 2025.

#azurecorejobs #research

Responsibilities

• Advance a research agenda through one or more research projects, with the goal of having impact in production and advancing the state of the art. The research will yield new algorithms, prototypes, insights, and more.
• Collaborate with members of the group and relevant product or business groups to help translate research results and prototypes into production impact.
• Publish and contribute to top scientific conferences and journals.
• Mentor research interns and participate in onboarding new team members. You’ll guide team members in processes and scenarios, research projects, and their careers.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

Industry leading healthcare

Educational resources

Discounts on products and services

Savings and investments

Maternity and paternity leave

Generous time away

Giving programs

Opportunities to network and connect

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 and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.