AI Research Engineer Jobs at Microsoft with Visa Sponsorship
Microsoft hires AI Research Engineers to advance foundational and applied research across machine learning, natural language processing, and large-scale AI systems. The company has a well-established immigration infrastructure that supports multiple work visa categories, making it one of the more accessible paths for international researchers pursuing U.S.-based roles.
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We are seeking Data Research Engineers to join our Multimodal team, where we are building the next generation of foundation models across vision, language, audio, and beyond. If you are passionate about designing and curating high-quality datasets to power frontier AI models, this role is for you.
In this role, you’ll work at the intersection of data and innovation—collaborating with scientists, engineers, and annotators to curate, analyze, and evaluate diverse multimodal data sources critical to model development. You will lead efforts to:
- Develop novel data collection strategies
- Improve dataset quality and integrity
- Understand data-driven model behaviors
- Align datasets with ethical and societal values
This is a cross-disciplinary, high-impact role ideal for engineers who want to push the boundaries of what AI can learn from data, especially in multimodal contexts.
Microsoft Superintelligence Team
Microsoft Superintelligence team’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.
This role is part of Microsoft AI's Superintelligence Team. The MAIST is a startup-like team inside Microsoft AI, created to push the boundaries of AI toward Humanist Superintelligence—ultra-capable systems that remain controllable, safety-aligned, and anchored to human values. Our mission is to create AI that amplifies human potential while ensuring humanity remains firmly in control. We aim to deliver breakthroughs that benefit society—advancing science, education, and global well-being.
We’re also fortunate to partner with incredible product teams giving our models the chance to reach billions of users and create immense positive impact. If you’re a brilliant, highly-ambitious and low ego individual, you’ll fit right in—come and join us as we work on our next generation of models!
Starting January 26, 2026, MAI employees are expected to work from a designated Microsoft office at least four days a week if they live within 50 miles (U.S.) or 25 miles (non-U.S., country-specific) of that location. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction.
Responsibilities
- Create high-quality datasets for training and evaluation; run experiments on new datasets (data ablations) to assess their impact and determine the most effective data.
- Develop and maintain scalable data pipelines for multimodal ingestion, preprocessing, filtering, and annotation.
- Analyze real-world multimodal datasets to assess quality, diversity, relevance, and identify areas for improvement.
- Build lightweight tools and workflows for dataset auditing, visualization, and versioning.
- Collaborate with Safety, Ethics, and Governance teams to ensure datasets meet standards for quality, privacy, and responsible AI practices.
- Embody our culture and values.
Qualifications Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree in AI, Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Physics, Engineering, or related technical discipline AND 4+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, Python and common data libraries (Pandas, NumPy, etc.)
-
- OR equivalent experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master's Degree in AI, Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Physics, Engineering, or related technical discipline AND 8+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, Python and common data libraries (Pandas, NumPy, etc.)
-
- OR Bachelor's Degree in AI, Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Physics, Engineering, or related technical discipline AND 12+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, Python and common data libraries (Pandas, NumPy, etc.)
-
- OR equivalent experience.
- 2+ years of experience in data analysis or data engineering, including work with large-scale datasets that are unstructured or semi-structured.
- Proficiency in statistics and exploratory data analysis methods.
- Familiarity with data processing frameworks such as Spark, Ray, or Apache Beam.
- Ability to communicate technical findings clearly to research and product teams.
Compensation
Software Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 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 $158,400 - $258,000 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $274,800 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 - $304,200 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.
Overview
We are seeking Data Research Engineers to join our Multimodal team, where we are building the next generation of foundation models across vision, language, audio, and beyond. If you are passionate about designing and curating high-quality datasets to power frontier AI models, this role is for you.
In this role, you’ll work at the intersection of data and innovation—collaborating with scientists, engineers, and annotators to curate, analyze, and evaluate diverse multimodal data sources critical to model development. You will lead efforts to:
- Develop novel data collection strategies
- Improve dataset quality and integrity
- Understand data-driven model behaviors
- Align datasets with ethical and societal values
This is a cross-disciplinary, high-impact role ideal for engineers who want to push the boundaries of what AI can learn from data, especially in multimodal contexts.
Microsoft Superintelligence Team
Microsoft Superintelligence team’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.
This role is part of Microsoft AI's Superintelligence Team. The MAIST is a startup-like team inside Microsoft AI, created to push the boundaries of AI toward Humanist Superintelligence—ultra-capable systems that remain controllable, safety-aligned, and anchored to human values. Our mission is to create AI that amplifies human potential while ensuring humanity remains firmly in control. We aim to deliver breakthroughs that benefit society—advancing science, education, and global well-being.
We’re also fortunate to partner with incredible product teams giving our models the chance to reach billions of users and create immense positive impact. If you’re a brilliant, highly-ambitious and low ego individual, you’ll fit right in—come and join us as we work on our next generation of models!
Starting January 26, 2026, MAI employees are expected to work from a designated Microsoft office at least four days a week if they live within 50 miles (U.S.) or 25 miles (non-U.S., country-specific) of that location. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction.
Responsibilities
- Create high-quality datasets for training and evaluation; run experiments on new datasets (data ablations) to assess their impact and determine the most effective data.
- Develop and maintain scalable data pipelines for multimodal ingestion, preprocessing, filtering, and annotation.
- Analyze real-world multimodal datasets to assess quality, diversity, relevance, and identify areas for improvement.
- Build lightweight tools and workflows for dataset auditing, visualization, and versioning.
- Collaborate with Safety, Ethics, and Governance teams to ensure datasets meet standards for quality, privacy, and responsible AI practices.
- Embody our culture and values.
Qualifications Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree in AI, Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Physics, Engineering, or related technical discipline AND 4+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, Python and common data libraries (Pandas, NumPy, etc.)
-
- OR equivalent experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master's Degree in AI, Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Physics, Engineering, or related technical discipline AND 8+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, Python and common data libraries (Pandas, NumPy, etc.)
-
- OR Bachelor's Degree in AI, Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Physics, Engineering, or related technical discipline AND 12+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, Python and common data libraries (Pandas, NumPy, etc.)
-
- OR equivalent experience.
- 2+ years of experience in data analysis or data engineering, including work with large-scale datasets that are unstructured or semi-structured.
- Proficiency in statistics and exploratory data analysis methods.
- Familiarity with data processing frameworks such as Spark, Ray, or Apache Beam.
- Ability to communicate technical findings clearly to research and product teams.
Compensation
Software Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 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 $158,400 - $258,000 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $274,800 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 - $304,200 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.
See all 70+ AI Research Engineer at Microsoft jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding AI Research Engineer Jobs at Microsoft Jobs
Align your research output with Microsoft's published work
Microsoft Research publishes extensively across NLP, computer vision, and reinforcement learning. Citing or building on their papers in your portfolio signals genuine alignment with their research agenda and strengthens a specialty occupation argument for your H-1B petition.
Target teams publishing in your specific subfield
Microsoft Research is organized into labs with distinct focus areas. Applying directly to the lab whose published output matches your PhD or postdoc work increases your odds of clearing both the technical screen and the visa sponsorship approval internally.
Secure your LCA before accepting a verbal offer
Microsoft's immigration team files a Labor Condition Application with DOL before your H-1B can proceed. Confirm the LCA is in motion before you give notice anywhere else. The DOL certification window is typically seven business days, but delays happen.
Clarify cap-exempt status if you hold a J-1 or OPT
If you're currently affiliated with a university research program, you may enter the H-1B cap-exempt pathway through a concurrent appointment. Raise this with Microsoft's immigration counsel early so they can structure the petition to avoid the lottery if you qualify.
Prepare a research portfolio that maps to specialty occupation criteria
USCIS scrutinizes AI Research Engineer petitions closely. Organize published papers, patents, conference presentations, and project outcomes into a clear narrative showing that a specific advanced degree is the normal minimum for your exact role, not a general preference.
Use Migrate Mate to identify open AI Research Engineer roles at Microsoft
Filter by visa type to surface Microsoft postings that explicitly support H-1B or E-3 sponsorship. Targeting roles already flagged for sponsorship saves time and ensures you're applying where the immigration pathway is already approved internally.
AI Research Engineer at Microsoft jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find AI Research Engineer at Microsoft JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Does Microsoft sponsor H-1B visas for AI Research Engineers?
Yes, Microsoft sponsors H-1B visas for AI Research Engineers. The company has a dedicated immigration legal team that handles petition filing, Labor Condition Applications through DOL, and premium processing where needed. Sponsorship is standard for research roles requiring specialized advanced degrees, though individual team budgets and role classifications can affect timing.
Which visa types does Microsoft commonly use for AI Research Engineer roles?
Microsoft sponsors H-1B visas for the broadest range of candidates. Australian citizens are eligible for the E-3 visa, which avoids the H-1B lottery entirely. For candidates already in the U.S. on OPT or STEM OPT, Microsoft typically files an H-1B before work authorization expires. Green Card sponsorship through EB-2 or EB-3 is also available for qualifying employees after an initial period.
What qualifications does Microsoft expect for AI Research Engineer roles?
Most AI Research Engineer postings at Microsoft require a PhD in computer science, machine learning, or a closely related field, along with a publication record in peer-reviewed venues such as NeurIPS, ICML, or ACL. Candidates with strong research backgrounds in areas like large language models, multimodal systems, or reinforcement learning are particularly competitive. Industry research experience is valued alongside academic credentials.
How do I apply for AI Research Engineer jobs at Microsoft?
Applications go through Microsoft's careers portal, but roles fill quickly and many are sourced through referrals or conference recruiting. Use Migrate Mate to find AI Research Engineer openings at Microsoft that are already filtered for visa sponsorship eligibility. Tailor your resume to highlight published research, technical depth in your subfield, and any prior collaboration with Microsoft Research teams or affiliated labs.
How do I plan my timeline if I need Microsoft to sponsor an H-1B?
H-1B cap filings open in early March for an October 1 start date. If you receive an offer in late spring or summer, your earliest cap-subject start is the following October unless you qualify for a cap-exempt route. Premium processing through USCIS accelerates adjudication to roughly 15 business days. Factor in LCA certification time and internal Microsoft approval cycles when negotiating your start date.
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