Principal Applied AI Researcher – CTO Office

Microsoft Security CTO office has the responsibility for ensuring Microsoft delivers market-leading security technologies in all markets we choose to serve. This is a broad cross-team and cross-discipline role, working on technologies and solutions with high visibility and high impact. This is your opportunity to be part of a fast-moving, startup-like team and to have a great time doing so.

Role Overview

We are seeking a visionary AI Researcher with deep technical expertise to join our CTO team as an individual contributor. This role bridges cutting-edge AI research, engineering execution, and strategic business objectives, driving innovation, incubation, and research-to-product transitions.

The ideal candidate is deeply knowledgeable across the AI stack—from data pipelines and model architectures to deployment and monitoring—and has a strong track record of translating research into impactful, scalable solutions.

You will lead the design and execution of AI initiatives, guide architecture decisions, and collaborate across disciplines to deliver transformative capabilities in cybersecurity.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

AI Research & Strategy

Identify and evaluate emerging AI trends and technologies for potential adoption.
Lead the design and validation of novel AI approaches, including LLMs, multi-modal models, generative AI, and reinforcement learning.
Architect and guide the full AI lifecycle: data ingestion, preprocessing, model training, inference, deployment, and monitoring.
Conduct rigorous experiments and analyses to evaluate model performance and iterate on solutions.

Execution & Delivery

Drive feasibility tests and early-stage POCs, ensuring technical excellence and strategic alignment.
Oversee the end-to-end delivery of AI projects from concept to production.
Ensure compliance with ethical AI principles, privacy regulations, and security standards.

Collaboration & Leadership

Collaborate with data scientists, ML engineers, and software developers to deliver AI-powered capabilities.
Align cross-functional teams around shared goals, managing trade-offs, risks, and timelines.
Provide mentorship and foster a culture of innovation and technical excellence.
Qualifications

Required Qualifications

Deep hands-on experience across the AI/ML stack
Proven track record in leading AI research initiatives and translating them into real-world applications.
5+ years of experience in developing and deploying AI/ML systems, with a focus on applied research and innovation.

Technical Skills

Deep hands-on experience across the AI/ML stack, including:
Data engineering and feature pipelines
Model development frameworks and architectures
MLOps tools and cloud platforms
LLMs, multi-modal models, generative AI, and RL
Strong foundation in algorithms, statistics, and data science theory.
Proficiency in software engineering for AI prototyping and experimentation.

Product & Leadership Skills

Proven track record in leading AI research initiatives and translating them into real-world applications.
Exceptional problem-solving skills and ability to navigate ambiguity.
Strong communication skills to articulate complex AI concepts to diverse audiences.
Experience mentoring teams and driving strategic outcomes.

Education & Experience

Ph.D. or M.Sc. in Computer Science, AI/ML, Data Science, or related field.
5+ years of experience in developing and deploying AI/ML systems, with a focus on applied research and innovation.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, 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.