Principal ML Engineer

Job ID: 200062873Posted: 2026-10-23Location: United States, Washington, RedmondSalary: USD $165,600 - $296,400 per yearEmployment type: Full-TimeWork site: 4 days / week in-officeRole type: Individual ContributorTravel: Less than 25%Profession: Software EngineeringDiscipline: Software EngineeringCompany: MicrosoftOverviewJoin Microsoft AI Experience’s Copilot Discover Engineering Team as a PrincipalML Engineer, serving as a senior technical architect to play a central role in the technical direction and long‑range architecture of Copilot Discover.This is a role emphasizing true end‑to‑end responsibility: setting the architectural vision, shaping the platform for AI‑forward discovery experiences, and steering the evolution of product experiences that sit at the heart of how users engage with the intersection of knowledge, content, and personalization on surfaces on which Copilot shows up.You will design and drive the systems that power the Copilot Discover feed at scale. You’ll work on foundational platforms that ingest, enrich, rank, personalize, and serve content across web, mobile, and partner surfaces and lead architectural strategy for how we unify signals, models, and data into coherent, trustworthy experiences; modernize our ranking and personalization stack; and build the AI-forward infrastructure that makes Copilot Discover feel intelligent, anticipatory, and personalized for every user. The key is an end-to-end focus on outcomes, across a broad technical space.You’ll be expected to influence platform direction across multiple teams and adjacent organizations. You will ensure that the MSN and Copilot Discover systems are robust, scalable, privacy‑respecting, and engineered for long-term adaptation. High product sense is a success factor – how you drive product and architectural convergence across today’s fragmented surfaces, reduce complexity, and shape a consistent platform model is key to the success of the product and this role.Copilot Discover sits at the intersection of content, signals, and user intent. Our ambition is to make it a durable, strategic layer that powers intelligent, personalized, and trusted discovery experiences across a broad array of surfaces where Microsoft engages consumers in their journeys. If you are passionate about building high-scale, AI-driven systems that combine solid architectural rigor with meaningful user value, this is the role for you.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.  ResponsibilitiesOwn the technical direction for Copilot Discover platforms, setting end-to-end architectural strategy.Partner with product, design, data science, and engineering leaders to translate business and user needs into executable architectural plans, well-documented designs, and multi-year roadmapsSet and govern architectural decisions across multiple services and teams, ensuring systems are scalable, secure, reliable, cost-efficient, and grounded in data, telemetry and operational excellence.Raise the technical bar across the organization by establishing falsifiable principles, reviewing critical designs, and helping to develop technical leaders within the team.Establish and evolve quality and reliability standards, including test strategies, CI/CD practices, monitoring, alerting, and live-site health.Shape the adoption of AI/ML techniques for content understanding, personalization, summarization, and safety, in close collaboration with MAI and partner teams.Serve as a cross-org technical leader, aligning MSN architecture with Bing, Copilot, Ads, Privacy, Trust, and other Microsoft platforms.QualificationsRequired 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.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.Proven experience designing and operating large-scale distributed systems, including data pipelines, microservices, APIs, and storage systems.Experience with content platforms, personalization systems, or consumer-facing services at scale.Experience with technologies such as Apache Spark, Kafka, columnar storage, data modeling, and schema evolution.Demonstrated success as a technical lead or architect, influencing across teams without direct authority.Proven experience and understanding of system architecture, performance tuning, telemetry design, and operational excellence.Exposure to ML/AI systems, especially in content understanding, ranking, or personalization.Excellent analytical and communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex technical concepts.Demonstrated cross-organizational collaboration skills and the ability to influence senior stakeholders.#AIXSoftware Engineering IC6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $165,600 - $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: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.