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Job Details
Posted date: Feb 12, 2026
There have been 252 jobs posted with the title of Principal Applied Scientist all time at Microsoft.There have been 252 Principal Applied Scientist jobs posted in the last month.
Category: Applied Sciences
Location: Reston, VA
Estimated salary: $247,100
Range: $163,000 - $331,200
Employment type: Full-Time
Work location type: 0 days / week in-office – remote
Role: Individual Contributor
Description
OverviewMicrosoft’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.
Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) team is the engine that powers our cloud services. CO+I delivers and operates the safest, most available and secure cloud in the industry. CO+I Engineering (CO+IE) is the software team that delivers tools, automation, and AI to enable fast, predictable delivery of datacenter capacity, and safe, reliable, and efficient execution of the processes associated with the full life cycle of datacenter management and operations.
We are looking for a Principal Applied Scientist to build production-facing optimization models to minimize waste across our supply chain and data center resources. This role is a leadership lynchpin in the delivery of business value across CO+I, as well as upstream and downstream partner organizations. Working closely with business leaders, the role owns the technical strategy, definition, and delivery of optimization models, coupled with algorithmic support for various production processes. In the coming agentic environment, this role can create the future, applying emerging ideas and technologies toward efficiency, availability, and scale.
This leader will be responsible for creating and sustaining an environment focused on outcomes and accountability, building and owning a broad set of systems and processes, and partnering with cross‑functional leaders to deliver value for the company. The scope of responsibility is wide, supporting capacity planning efforts that guide billions of dollars in spend and serve as a key driver of overall company growth. This leader will be expected to deliver outcomes amid ambiguity and significant change, and to bring experience leading global, business‑critical organizations through periods of transformation.
In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day. As a group, CO+I is focused on personal and professional development for all employees and offers training and growth opportunities including Diversity & Inclusion trainings and events, and professional certifications.
Responsibilities
Formulate a vision and execute a strategy to develop, support, and continuously improve scientific models that optimize datacenter capacity delivery and operation.Embrace AI to create operational efficiencies. Work closely with process experts and customers to refine existing processes, applying science and AI toward maximum efficiency.Collaborate with CO+I leaders and teams to identify the highest value application of optimization capabilities, working with communities and key stakeholders to ensure alignment.Lead the team with customer-first operational excellence, ownership, and continuous improvement that meet the scaling and other challenges of cloud delivery and operations. Set a great example as an inclusive leader while creating engagement, impact, and success across teams and individuals.
Qualifications
Required/minimum qualifications
Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 8+ 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 6+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research)OR Doctorate in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 5+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research)OR equivalent experience.
Background Check 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.
Additional or preferred qualifications
Master's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 12+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research)OR Doctorate in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 8+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research) OR equivalent experience.3+ years experience presenting at conferences or other events in the outside research/industry community as an invited speaker.7+ years experience conducting research as part of a research program (in academic or industry settings).5+ years experience developing and deploying live production systems, as part of a product team.7+ years experience developing and deploying products or systems at multiple points in the product cycle from ideation to shipping.
#COICareers
Applied Sciences IC6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $163,000 - $296,400 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 $220,800 - $331,200 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.
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