Member of Technical Staff - Data Research Engineer — Microsoft
- Location
- Zürich
- Contract
- full-time
- Posted
- 14 days ago
Role overview
We are seeking a Data Research Engineer to join our AI team , where we are building the next generation of foundation models across different modalities: text, image, video, audio.
If you are passionate about exploring, designing, and building high-quality datasets to drive frontier AI models, this role is for you.
At Microsoft AI, data is at the heart of innovation—and in this role, you will collaborate closely with other colleagues to curate, analyse, and evaluate diverse data sources critical to model development.
- We are seeking a Data Research Engineer to join our AI team , where we are building the next generation of foundation models across different modalities: text, image, video, audio.
- If you are passionate about exploring, designing, and building high-quality datasets to drive frontier AI models, this role is for you.
- 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 data ingestion, pre-processing, filtering, and annotation
- Required
- Bachelor's Degree in AI, Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Physics, Engineering, or a related technical field.
Main 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 data ingestion, pre-processing, filtering, and annotation
- Analyse real-world multimodal datasets to assess quality, diversity, relevance, and identify areas for improvement
- Build 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
Key requirements
- Required
- Bachelor's Degree in AI, Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Physics, Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Proficiency in Python.
- Experience with distributed data-processing frameworks such as Spark, Ray and workflow-orchestration tools such as Airflow.
- Experience with processing datasets at many petabyte scale and with trillion rows.
- Experience building datasets for training foundation models, including language or multimodal models.
- Strong experience in data analysis, data engineering, or both.
- Ability to communicate technical findings clearly and effectively to research, engineering, and product teams.
- Experience evaluating dataset quality and measuring the impact of data through controlled model-training experiments. Preferred Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related technical field, or equivalent experience.
- Experience working with large-scale, real-world datasets that are unstructured or semi-structured
- Experience with multimodal data, such as image, video, or audio data. Software Engineering IC5
Application process
- 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.
Company and context
- 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.
Additional details
- Experience evaluating dataset quality and measuring the impact of data through controlled model-training experiments.
- Experience with multimodal data, such as image, video, or audio data. Software Engineering IC5
Notes and original content
- Responsibilities
- Qualifications
- Experience with multimodal data, such as image, video, or audio data.
- Software Engineering IC5
Questions about this listing
What salary does Microsoft offer for this role?
Microsoft lists CHF 83'000 - 126'000 gross per year for this position in Zürich. This is the salary published in the original listing (or, when the employer omits a figure, a realistic estimate for the role and sector) — the calculator on this site converts it to your actual net take-home once cross-border tax and social contributions are applied.
Is this a full-time role, and what type of contract does Microsoft offer?
This listing is a full-time position. The contract type shown here comes directly from the employer's original posting; always confirm exact hours, notice period and probation length with Microsoft during the application process, since these details can vary by role even within the same contract category.
Do I need a cross-border work permit for a role in Zürich?
EU/EFTA residents living in the border zone of the country adjoining Canton Zürich can apply for a G permit; the Swiss employer files it with that canton's migration office after the contract is signed. Border-zone rules and processing times vary by neighbouring country and canton, so confirm the specifics with Zürich's cantonal migration office or with HR during the application.
How do I apply for this position at Microsoft?
Use the "Apply now" button on this page — it links directly to Microsoft's original listing at apply.careers.microsoft.com, so your application goes straight to the employer's own applicant-tracking system. Frontaliere Ticino does not collect or forward applications itself.
