Excel is one of the most widely used and impactful software programs in the world, powering solutions for businesses and individuals across every industry. We are seeking an Applied Scientist II to join the Excel Core team—an opportunity to shape the future of productivity and influence hundreds of millions of users globally. Your mission: bring cutting-edge AI technologies, patterns, and model capabilities into production, delivering intelligent experiences directly in the Excel grid. 

As an Applied Scientist II, you will work at the intersection of research and engineering—writing production-quality code, collaborating with researchers and engineers, and fostering a culture of rapid experimentation that ships. You’ll help define the next generation of AI-powered features in Excel, blending scientific rigor with engineering excellence to create experiences that delight users and transform workflows. 

Opportunities in Excel: 

• AI-Powered Intelligence in the Grid: Enhance the customer workflow with Contextual Suggestions powered by Copilot to provide inline interactivity where it matters most. Build the infrastructure to predict user actions and provide relevant suggestions to complete their flows.  

• Develop innovating new functions like =COPILOT to mix the power of AI with the versatility and richness of the Excel Calculation engine. 

• Core Platform Innovation: Excel core functionality and fundamentals, including the Calculation Engine, Collaboration Experiences, Performance and Accessibility. 

• Data Visualization & Business Intelligence: Reinvent how users interact with data through PivotTables, Charting, and new Copilot-driven insights. 

• Cloud-Scale Architecture: Re-architect the service-backed infrastructure that powers collaboration, Copilot, and core cloud capabilities by optimizing file storage and service protocols. 

• Strategic Enterprise Partnerships: Work closely with high-impact customers to refine and extend Excel’s platform with a focus on the core fundamentals—calculation, collaboration, reliability, and 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.