The Microsoft Applied Sciences Group incubates disruptive technologies for Microsoft’s next-gen Windows and Device products and is working on several exciting projects that will shape how computers and other devices perceive the user and the user’s environment. Operating as a startup within the company, this team works closely with several research and product teams to bring compelling new experiences to the market. A lot of these experiences will be powered by signal processing and computer vision – and as part of this team, you will have the unique opportunity to work on almost every aspect of a shipping vision system: screen rendering, camera optics, sensors, data pipeline and of course, developing and implementing the algorithms that make magic happen!

We are seeking a distinguished Senior Researcher to join our cutting-edge team focused on the advancement of photo-realistic digital humans and synthetic data. This role is for an individual with a background in computer graphics, neural rendering, and machine learning, who is driven to pioneer developments in digital human realism and synthetic data applications.

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.

In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

Responsibilities

• Lead and conduct innovative research in neural rendering, including techniques like Neural Radiance Field (NeRF), Generative Adversarial Network (GAN), Diffusion, to create lifelike digital human representations.

• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to translate research insights into practical applications and product features.

• Publish groundbreaking research in prestigious journals and conferences, and actively participate in the scientific community.

• Monitor advancements in related fields such as AI-driven content creation, and ethical AI usage.

• Other

• Embody our Culture (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/about/corporate-values) and Values (https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/culture)

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 4+ 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 3+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research)

• OR Doctorate in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 1+ year(s) related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research)

• OR equivalent experience.

• 3+ Years experience programming in C/C++ and Python

Additional or Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years' experience creating publications (e.g., patents, libraries, peer-reviewed academic papers).

• Experience presenting at conferences or other events in the outside research/industry community as an invited speaker.

• 3+ year's experience conducting research as part of a research program (in academic or industry settings).

• Demonstrated publication record in top-tier vision or ML conferences (e.g. CVPR, NeurIPS, ICML, ICCV, ECCV, ICLR, SIGGRAPH).

• Comprehensive Deep Learning, algorithmic and software engineering background.

• Knowledge of generative and three dimensional (3D) models in computer visions (e.g. Diffusion, NeRF, GAN, digital human, synthetic data generation).

• Ability to design and execute an original research agenda

• Candidates should be able to collaborate effectively with other researchers. We are particularly interested in the candidates who can work across disciplinary boundaries.

Applied Sciences IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $117,200 - $229,200 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 $153,600 - $250,200 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until June 14, 2024.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, 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 and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations (https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/accessibility.html) .