Director, Data & Applied Sciences

Microsoft

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

Do you enjoy developing and leading innovative data science solutions to solve big problems? Are you passionate about enabling data-based decisions to tackle strategic challenges? We are looking for someone to do just that in the context of Microsoft’s biggest asset - our people. This is a great opportunity to lead our evolving HR Business Insights (HRBI) Data & Applied Sciences (DAS) team as we forge leading practices in people analytics - important work that helps Microsoft empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. The HRBI DAS team pioneers novel applications of machine learning, statistics, and AI to help support more data-driven people and organization decisions. As this team’s manager, you will help them leverage advances in Machine Learning and generative AI to incubate new advanced HR analytics solutions, piloting them within HRBI and partnering for wider deployment. In this important role, you will help Microsoft HR realize the potential of technological advancements and help inform product design for relevant technologies that Microsoft builds for customers worldwide (ex. Viva Insights). The ideal candidate will also deliver business impact through being an excellent people manager – modeling, coaching and caring for both team empowerment and accountability for high performance. 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. This role follows a hybrid work model. Candidates within 50 miles of the Redmond, WA offices are expected to work onsite three days per week. Candidates outside this geographic area may be eligible for a remote work arrangement.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 6+ 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 4+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research) OR Doctorate in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 3+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research), OR equivalent experience.
1+ year(s) of people management experience.

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 9+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research) OR Doctorate in Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related field AND 6+ years related experience (e.g., statistics, predictive analytics, research) OR equivalent experience.
5+ years of people management experience.
5+ years experience creating publications (e.g., patents, libraries, peer-reviewed academic papers).
2+ years experience presenting at conferences or other events in the outside research/industry community as an invited speaker.
5+ years experience conducting research as part of a research program (in academic or industry settings).
3+ years experience developing and deploying live production systems, as part of a product team.
3+ years experience developing and deploying products or systems at multiple points in the product cycle from ideation to shipping
Proven ability to foster a diverse, inclusive and collaborative team culture
Experience working within and directing geographically dispersed, diverse and virtual teams
High attention to detail, commitment to accuracy, and adherence to data privacy and confidentiality
Demonstrated ability to work in ambiguous situations and across organizational boundaries
Willingness to adapt quickly to shifting business priorities and work effectively under pressure with multiple deliverables and deadlines
Experience managing both technical and non-technical stakeholders and able to resolve complex business and technical issues
Hands-on experience applying statistical & machine learning techniques to extract knowledge and insights from structured and unstructured data
Deep expertise in machine learning algorithms, Azure infrastructure, and state of the art agentic end-to-end AI frameworks, coupled with a proven ability to evangelize their adoption and drive impact across technical and executive stakeholders
Proficiency with programming languages (ex. Python, R, SQL) and AI/ML tools/frameworks (ex. scikit-learn, Azure ML, Azure Foundry, AutoGen/Semantic Kernel)

Responsibilities

Leading, mentoring and managing a small team of data and applied scientists, fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaborative innovation.
Leading and executing HRBI’s data and applied sciences roadmap and delivering actionable insights for company leaders and HR.
Working across HRBI teams to deliver technically excellent, innovative, persona-based experiences/applications, optimized for Security, Privacy and Responsible AI.
Partnering closely with HRBI and business partners to understand their needs, prioritize work, and co-create impactful solutions.
Staying abreast of industry trends in data science and analytics, proactively improving systems, and establishing our team as thought leaders and consultants.
Being a technical leader and learning evangelist in the areas of NLP, statistics, LLMs and Machine Learning.
Elevating analytical complexity and excellence across HRBI through our community of practice. Maintaining robust peer review, driving wider application of exploratory/predictive statistical techniques, and accelerating org usage of LLM-enabled, analytical tools.

Stand Out From the Crowd

Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.

Upload and Match Resume