Principal Data Scientist

Lead data science work for Microsoft AI’s MSN Growth and Analytics team, applying big data, experimentation, and recommendation analytics to improve engagement and recommendation quality.

Responsibilities

• Partner with cross-functional teams to understand product features, estimate impact, and drive engagement improvements using insights from big data
• Improve product outcomes by evaluating performance metrics and user feedback
• Build self-service dashboards and reports for multiple stakeholder groups using reporting platforms
• Analyze large datasets to surface patterns, trends, and content performance to strengthen recommendation relevance and quality
• Develop a metrics system to support Business Health measurement and enable fast root-cause identification when metrics shift
• Perform business modeling to uncover growth opportunities and initiate projects with positive long-term ROI
• Design and run A/B tests to evaluate algorithm performance and propose iterative improvements based on results
• Communicate findings, insights, and recommendations to technical and non-technical stakeholders to support informed decision-making
• Act as a thought partner for engaged stakeholders to help drive business outcomes

Requirements

• Doctorate in Data Science (or related field) and 3+ years data-science experience, including managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques, and reporting results
• OR Master’s Degree in Data Science (or related field) and 5+ years data-science experience, including managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques, and reporting results
• OR Bachelor’s Degree in Data Science (or related field) and 7+ years data-science experience, including managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques, and reporting results
• OR equivalent experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctorate in Data Science (or related field) with 5+ years data-science experience, including managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques and reporting results
• OR Master’s Degree in Data Science (or related field) with 8+ years data-science experience, including managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques and reporting results
• OR Bachelor’s Degree in Data Science (or related field) with 12+ years data-science experience, including managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques and reporting results
• OR equivalent experience
• 7+ years experience in data science modeling, statistics, analytics, business intelligence, or data-driven business strategy
• Prior product analytics, web analytics and/or content analytics experience
• Interpersonal communication skills and ability to use data to tell a story
• Stakeholder management capability, including prioritization, clear and concise communication, and delivery of actionable data-driven insights
• Knowledge of big data processing from raw events to metrics and insights using PySpark/Scala
• Knowledge of content ecosystem, ads, and online shopping metrics

Tech Stack

• PySpark/Scala

Work Location

• Redmond, WA (hybrid)

Compensation

• USD 142,800 - 304,200 per year
• Data Science IC5 typical base pay range across the U.S.: USD $142,800 - $274,800 per year
• Different base pay range may apply in the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area: USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year

Start Date and Office Attendance

• Starting January 26, 2026, Microsoft AI (MAI) employees who live within a 50-mile commute of a designated Microsoft office in the U.S. or 25-mile commute of a non-U.S., country-specific location are expected to work from the office at least four days per week
• Expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction