[iqster]

You can get hired at all these places without a PhD. Your job title may not be "Researcher" though. At MSR, there is a category called "RSDE-Research Software Design Engineer", and at IBM Research, there is a related position. Your focus in these roles is to support the research activity of the lab. For some, this might mean writing grunt code. For most, this means being a part of the research team, doing actual research, getting your name on papers, etc. How do you get one of these jobs? Keep a lookout on HR web pages. Believe it or not, these positions do open up from time to time. You have to be a strong developer - very independent, as no one is usually there to hold your hand.