We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Principal Data Scientist to join our Metrics & evaluation team in Microsoft AI org. This individual will play a pivotal role in defining the direction of our search engine for the upcoming years. The ideal candidate will have a strong expertise in statistics and a proven track record of leveraging data to drive business decisions. 

We emphasize a culture of continuous learning and so having a growth mindset and passion for learning is important. You should expect that your teammates will be invested in helping make you successful and expect the same in return from you. We recognize and celebrate the uniqueness of each person on the team and leverage our diversity to create more inclusive products for our customers.  Creating and sustaining an effective team culture is extremely important to us. We value and promote a high trust environment where we work closely and effectively with others.    

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

• Lead the development and implementation of advanced statistical models and algorithms to analyse complex data sets. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define key metrics and KPIs that align with our product goals. 
• Provide strategic insights and recommendations based on data analysis to influence product direction and business strategies. 
• Uphold data engineering and data science best practices new methodologies, technologies, industry trends and open sources. 
• Mentor and guide junior data scientists, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement. 
• Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in AI, data science and statistical methodologies to ensure our team remains at the forefront of the industry 
• Foster a culture of inclusivity and disciplined data and software engineering practices to deliver business value, guided by data.   

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Doctorate 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 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 technology
  • 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 technology
  • OR equivalent experience.
• 5+ years customer-facing, project-delivery experience, professional services, and/or consulting experience.
• 5+ years of extensive experience in statistical analysis, machine learning, and data mining. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to think critically and analytically. 
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex concepts to the stakeholders and manage expectations with them.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and manage multiple projects simultaneously. 
• Experience in defining metrics to measure the success of a large-scale product/service and define OKR metrics for large orgs is a plus. 
• Experience in working with Cloud architecture such as Azure is a plus. 

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.