Senior Principal Machine Learning Engineer

Microsoft is seeking a Senior Principal Machine Learning Engineer to join their team building a planet-scale multi-modal database from the ground up. This role focuses on reimagining databases in the era of Large Language Models (LLMs) by deeply integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into all parts of the stack.

As a Senior Principal Machine Learning Engineer, you will lead and collaborate with a team of passionate engineers, driving ideas to impactful results in a fast-paced environment. Your work will involve designing, building, and deploying large-scale machine learning systems, with emphasis on production-grade solutions involving data pipelines, distributed training, model serving, and performance optimization.

The ideal candidate will possess strong problem-solving, design, coding and debugging skills, with a drive for execution and results. The team values a friendly, collaborative atmosphere with a passion for technology, believing that diverse perspectives and empathy are key to delivering superior products.

Key responsibilities include:

• Developing and deploying scalable Machine Learning models
• Creating robust evaluation frameworks for model performance
• Leading collaboration between research and development teams
• Driving strategic technology implementation across products
• Defining product vision aligned with business objectives

Required qualifications include a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, ML/AI, or related field with 8+ years of experience, or equivalent combinations of education and experience. The role requires proven expertise in training large-scale ML models, optimization techniques, and hands-on experience with modern deep learning frameworks.

The position offers competitive compensation ranging from $163,000 to $296,400 per year (higher in SF Bay Area and NYC), along with comprehensive benefits including healthcare, educational resources, investment options, and parental leave. This is an excellent opportunity to influence the next generation of computing at Microsoft while working with cutting-edge AI technology.