Overview
**Job Title: Senior Data Scientist **
The Windows and Devices mission is to build innovative, trusted, and open products and platforms that are centered on people, showcase the best of Microsoft, and empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. To achieve this mission, Microsoft Devices designs and manufactures 1st party premium hardware products including Surface, Xbox Gaming, HoloLens and Accessories. From product creation through product delivery, we innovate technology and processes across our supply and manufacturing base. Within the Windows and Devices (W+D) organization, we are the Microsoft Devices Operations (MDO) organization.
Our mission to enrich work, life, and play by bringing iconic Microsoft products to life, and we accomplish this by managing a highly leveraged, fully digitized supply base that meets our product and business goals. As part of our scope, we manage New Product Introduction, Product Engineering, Strategic Sourcing, Global Manufacturing Operations, Manufacturing Test & Infrastructure (MTI), Supply Chain, and Device Services.
The AI Engineering team within MDO develops and deploys leading AI experiences that directly impact how Microsoft designs, plans, sources, manufactures, and delivers devices at global scale. Our multidisciplinary team - spanning data science, software engineering, and data engineering - delivers production solutions using Generative AI, ML/Deep Learning, mathematical optimization, and simulation, applied to real operational decisions with measurable impact.
You are a senior AI/ML practitioner who has shipped production systems in complex operational environments - ideally in supply chain, manufacturing, or sourcing. You combine deep technical expertise with business judgment to know which problems are worth solving and the engineering discipline to deliver solutions that last.
You navigate ambiguity comfortably, influence technical direction across teams, and hold yourself and others to high standards of rigor and impact.
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.
Responsibilities
As a Senior Data Scientist** **within the AI Engineering team, you will:
Strategic Problem Framing & Partnership
- Partner with business stakeholders, Solution Managers, TPMs, and engineering teams to deeply understand business context, identify high-value AI opportunities, and design intelligent solutions that deliver measurable business outcomes.
- Frame complex operational problems into well-defined analytical and technical approaches, bridging business needs with production-ready AI capabilities.
Technical Execution & Architecture
- Architect and build production-grade AI systems (ML/DL, GenAI, optimization) using Azure AI, open-source, and custom models with full ownership from prototype to deployment.
- Drive engineering excellence: establish standards for code quality, MLOps, observability, testing, and secure deployment across the team.
Influence & Thought Leadership
- Evaluate emerging AI tools/frameworks; advise on adoption decisions.
- Represent MDO as a technical SME in cross-Microsoft AI initiatives.
- Mentor and coach team members, raising the technical bar and fostering rigorous, inclusive innovation.
Qualifications
**Required Qualifications: **
Doctorate in Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics, Economics, Operations Research, Computer Science, or related field AND 1+ 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 3+ 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 5+ years data-science experience (e.g., managing structured and unstructured data, applying statistical techniques and reporting results).
- OR equivalent experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Hands-on experience with Azure-native platforms: Fabric, Kusto, Databricks, Synapse, Azure ML Studio.
- Background in supply chain, manufacturing, or hardware operations - understanding of demand planning, yield optimization, or logistics is a strong plus.
- Experience building and maintaining MLOps infrastructure: CI/CD for models, automated retraining, drift detection, and rollout strategies.
- Solid systems thinking — able to make pragmatic trade-offs between model performance, engineering cost, and operational simplicity.
- Experience with optimization methods (linear/mixed-integer programming, simulation) applied to operational problems.
#W+DJOBS
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.**