Postdoctoral Researcher (Foundational AI: Intelligent Systems) in Cambridge

The Machine Intelligence team at Microsoft Research Cambridge conducts foundational machine learning research across learning algorithms, model architectures, intelligent systems, and efficient AI. We are seeking Postdoctoral Researchers for our programme of integrated intelligent systems. The roles will investigate memory, reasoning and control, and tool-integrated computation, with optional work on directly relevant multi-agent learning or architectures. Researchers will develop and evaluate new mechanisms for long-horizon, reliable, and governable AI agents.

Contract Length: 2 Years

Location: Cambridge, UK

Responsibilities:

• Conduct original research in one or more areas: memory; reasoning and control; tools and computation; or relevant multi-agent algorithms and architectures.
• Formulate falsifiable hypotheses and evaluate them using controlled experiments, matched baselines, ablations, held-out tasks, and reproducible research artifacts.
• Contribute to the team’s task environments, evaluation harnesses, traces, or other reusable infrastructure as appropriate.
• Investigate reliability, cost, latency, provenance, authorization, privacy, and human-oversight constraints alongside capability.
• Pursue an independent research program and contribute to the team's broader scientific direction.
• Disseminate research through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, open scientific engagement, and collaboration with the broader research community.

Qualifications:

Required/Minimum Qualifications:

• A PhD (completed or near completion) in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related field.
• Expertise in one or more sub-fields of AI/ML, evidenced by top-tier publications and/or experience.

Preferred/Additional Qualifications:

• A strong record of original, peer-reviewed research published at leading venues in AI, machine learning, such as NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, UAI, AISTATS.
• Research evidence in persistent memory, long-horizon planning, adaptive computation, formal or practical tool interfaces, verification, recovery, or agent evaluation.
• Experience with reproducible benchmarks, evaluation harnesses, systems instrumentation, security, privacy, or safety research for AI agents.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex ideas to a broad scientific audience.

We value depth, originality, and transferable skills in a candidate's chosen area. We do not expect applicants to cover all the topics or methods listed above, and we welcome candidates whose primary contributions are theoretical, empirical, or methodological.

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.