Principal Data Scientist

Overview
We are inviting you to join the Microsoft Advertising Data Science Team. Microsoft Advertising platform is the single stop shop for all monetization needs for Publishers and Advertisers globally. Our team manages the marketplace, which includes monitoring business metrics, defining metrics, building analytical & experimentation frameworks, and enabling leadership to make data driven decisions. The team works across Engineering, Product and Business to address complex data science problems across users, advertisers, and publishers.

We are looking for a Principal Data Scientist leader, creative modeling geeks who are willing to work in a dynamic environment to solve real life day to day problems, leveraging data science techniques. You will enjoy and be successful in this role if you are curious and willing to challenge the status quo and come up with data driven solutions to ambiguous problems.

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.

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. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction. Responsibilities

• Measurement: Define, invent, and deliver metrics which accurately measure user and business value across various products and marketplace components.
• Experimental Design: Think critically about sampling and experimental design across User and Demand dimensions.
• Product Iteration: Interpret the results of analyses, validate approaches, and learn to monitor, analyze, and iterate to continuously improve.
• Cooperation: Partner effectively with program management, engineers, and other areas of the business across our Consumer online business
• Influence: engage with stakeholders to produce clear, compelling, and actionable insights and data-science driven workflows that influence product and service improvements.
• Make independent decisions for the team and handle difficult tradeoffs.
• Translate strategy into plans that are clear and measurable, with progress shared out monthly to stakeholders.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Doctorate in Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics, Economics, Operations Research, Computer Science, or related field AND 5+ year(s) data-science experience (e.g., managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques and reporting results)
  • OR Master's Degree in Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics, Economics, Operations Research, Computer Science, or related field AND 7+ years data-science experience (e.g., managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques and reporting results)
  • OR Bachelor's Degree in Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics, Economics, Operations Research, Computer Science, or related field AND 10+ years data-science experience (e.g., managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques and reporting results)
  • OR equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience in at least one of programming languages like Python/R/MATLAB/C#/Java/C++
• Experience in applying statistics, designing experimentation and metrics particularly in Advertising platforms.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Organizational, analytical, data science skills and intuition.
• Problem solver: ability to solve problems that the world has not solved before,
• Interpersonal skills: cross-group and cross-culture collaboration.
• Experience with real world system building and data collection, including design, coding and evaluation.
• Excellent communication to be able to communicate insights to senior leaders.
• Experience with driving large collaboration across multiple teams.
• Experience with communicating with different audiences to provide insights.
• Demonstrated experience in applying statistics, experimentation and metrics to generate clear actionable insights.

Data Science IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800.00 - $274,800.00 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 $188,000.00 - $304,200.00 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:

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.