Overview

Microsoft Research New England is looking for a postdoctoral researcher interested in bringing sociotechnical perspectives to analyze critical issues of our time. They will join a team of social scientists who use empirical and critical methods to study the social, political, and cultural dynamics that shape technologies and their consequences. Our work draws on and spans several disciplines, including anthropology, communication, gender and sexuality studies, history, information studies, law, media studies, organizational and management sciences, science & technology studies, and sociology.  

This is an ideal opportunity for a new Ph.D. to conduct original research that brings empirical and critical perspectives to bear on a variety of complex sociotechnical issues. Postdoctoral researchers are expected to devise their own research agendas. We are especially interested in candidates whose work can speak to one of these themes:   

• the politics and public responsibilities of generative AI, machine learning, platforms, algorithms, metrics, and other manifestations of computational cultures   
• emerging organizational forms and kinds of work in digital labor, community, government, non-profit, creator economy, and private-sector contexts  
• notions of cooperation, mutual aid, and community engagement and their relationships to the design and governance of AI systems   
• the social dynamics and moral economies of computational life sciences research and data-driven healthcare ecosystems
• the intersectional dimensions of identity as they are entangled with AI, including: race, caste, and indigeneity; gender and sexual identities; socioeconomic status and class  
• how institutions, organizations, networks, and infrastructures (across sectors and domains) configure and are configured by sociotechnical systems   

Our team is comprised of full-time researchers, postdocs, Ph.D. interns, and predoctoral research assistants. Postdocs on our team also have the opportunity to collaborate with researchers in our sister labs in New York City and Montreal.   

Postdoctoral researchers receive a competitive salary and benefits package, and are eligible for relocation expenses. Postdoctoral researchers are hired for a two-year term appointment following the academic calendar, starting in July 2026. The location is Cambridge MA.  

Microsoft Research provides a vibrant, multidisciplinary research environment, with an open publication policy and close links to top academic institutions around the world. The postdoctoral research positions offer emerging scholars an opportunity to develop their research career and to interact with some of the top minds in the research community.  

APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 7, 2026  

To apply: When prompted, upload your CV and provide names and contact information of two referees; one of your letter writers must be your dissertation advisor. 

In addition, you must upload the following 3 documents, as attachments, to your online application:  

1. a single research statement (maximum length: 4 pages) that does the following:  

• outlines the questions and methodologies central to your research agenda (~ two pages);
• offers a description of how your research agenda relates to sociotechnical systems research (~ one page); 
• provides an abstract and chapter outline of your dissertation (~ one page) 

2+3. two writing samples: can be journal articles, book chapters, or equivalent (uploaded as two separate attachments).  

Remember to press the “Submit” button at the last screen.  

You can upload documents by going to your profile on the career site and clicking on the Resume Manager tab in the top right of the page, and from there selecting Other Documents.If you are having trouble submitting your application, please go to the bottom of the page and click "Support" and fill out the requested information.

Note: candidates should tell their recommenders that, despite the auto-request for a letter of recommendation, they do not need to submit letters unless they are contacted and asked to do so by a member of the search committee, after the initial review of applications.   

To be assured of full consideration, all of your materials need to be submitted by January 7, 2026. Due to the volume of applications, late submissions will not be considered. We will not be able to provide specific feedback on individual applications before or after submission. Finalists will be contacted to arrange an online interview

Responsibilities

Postdoctoral researchers define their own research agenda. Postdocs are expected to  

• Continue developing an academically novel research agenda  
• Advance that research agenda through one or more research projects, yielding new theories, methods, analyses, insights, or collections of data in one or more subareas or a broad area of research.  
• Present and publish research in high-quality conferences and journals 
• Contribute to the field through activities such as reviewing papers or organizing conference panels 
• Contribute to discussions in the sociotechnical systems research group, the MSR New England lab, and our sister labs. 
• All employees are responsible for treating others with fairness and respect, and showing empathy and compassion.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications: 

• PhD in Anthropology, Communication, History, Information Science, Media Studies, Science & Technology Studies, Sociology, or a related field, completed or close to completion by July of 2026.

Preferred Qualifications:  

• a research program demonstrated by journal and conference publications.  
• a methodological, analytical, and theoretical foundation in the social or humanistic sciences. 
• effective communication skills. 
• the ability to work in a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary environment that also includes computer scientists, biologists, economists, engineers, program managers and other roles. 
• demonstrated leadership potential in research. 

You can upload documents by going to your profile on the career site and clicking on the Resume Manager tab in the top right of the page, and from there selecting Other Documents.If you are having trouble submitting your application, please go to the bottom of the page and click "Support" and fill out the requested information.

Research Sciences IC3 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $100,600 - $199,000 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 $131,400 - $215,400 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

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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.