Xbox Game Studios makes some of the best AAA games on the planet and the opportunities for a motivated Applied Scientist are endless. You will have the chance to work on AI/ML projects and deliver solutions that will change the way we develop games and entertainment services.
We are an agile team within Xbox Games Studios Quality tackling a wide range of problems throughout the game development process.
As an Applied Sciences Specialist in Xbox Games Studios Quality, you will be working with major franchises that include Halo, Forza, Gears of War and Microsoft Casual Suite. You will also be involved in all phases of development and sustainment efforts. This opportunity will allow you to research and deploy deep learning solutions in computer vision and reinforcement learning. You will have the opportunity to bring SOTA solutions to the game development pipeline. This position includes flexible work from home options.
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
Use expertise in Deep Reinforcement Learning and Computer Vision to identify the right technique to use when examining a problem.
Research and develop an understanding of tools, technologies, and methods being used in the research community that can be utilized to improve product quality, performance, or efficiency.
Bring new technology and approaches into production by applying long-term research efforts to solve immediate product needs. Collaborate with and bridge the gap between researchers and game development teams.
Establish collaborative relationships with multiple Xbox game studios and provide expertise or technology to create business impact.
Review business and product requirements and incorporate state-of-the-art research or established solutions in gaming to formulate plans that will meet business goals.
Participate in onboarding of other team members and assist in developing academics to be members of multidiscipline teams. You’ll identify new research talent to join Microsoft and collaborate with the academic community to develop the recruiting pipeline.
Document work in progress and experimentation results and share findings to promote innovation. You’ll also use your deep understanding of fairness and bias to contribute to ethics and privacy policies related to research processes and data collection.
Qualifications
Required/Minimum Qualifications
Understanding of Computer Vision and /or Deep Reinforcement Learning.
3+ years of experience training and deploying deep learning models.
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.
Additional or Preferred Qualifications
3+ years experience creating publications (e.g., patents, libraries, peer-reviewed academic papers).
5+ years of experience across machine learning libraries (TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn etc.)
3+ years experience conducting research as part of a research program (in academic or industry settings).
Applied Sciences IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $112,000 - $218,400 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 $145,800 - $238,600 per year.
Microsoft has different base pay ranges for different work locations within the United States, which allows us to pay employees competitively and consistently in different geographic markets (see below). The range above reflects the potential base pay across the U.S. for this role (except as noted below); the applicable base pay range will depend on what ultimately is determined to be the candidate’s primary work location. Individual base pay depends on various factors, in addition to primary work location, such as complexity and responsibility of role, job duties/requirements, and relevant experience and skills. Base pay ranges are reviewed and typically updated each year. Offers are made within the base pay range applicable at the time.
At Microsoft certain roles are eligible for additional rewards, including merit increases, annual bonus and stock. These awards are allocated based on individual performance. In addition, certain roles also have the opportunity to earn sales incentives based on revenue or utilization, depending on the terms of the plan and the employee’s role. Benefits/perks listed here may vary depending on the nature of employment with Microsoft and the country work location. U.S.-based employees have access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan and company match, short-term and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, and wellbeing benefits, among others. U.S.-based employees also receive, per calendar year, up to 10 scheduled paid holidays, and up to 80 hours Holistic Health Time Off. Additionally, hourly/non-exempt employees accrue up to 120 hours paid vacation time, and salaried/exempt employees have Discretionary Time Off (DTO).
