Principal Software Engineer

Frontier Foundry is IDC’s bold new innovation engine — a design-led, full-stack engineering team delivering multimodal, AI-powered experiences across Surface, Windows, and Copilot. Operating outside traditional platform constraints, F² is built to move fast, think big, and build from the edge.

We’re looking for a Principal Software Engineer who combines deep technical expertise with a strong product mindset and a passion for innovation. In this role, you’ll work across multiple squads — Surface Acceleration, Multimodal Innovation, and AI Agents — to architect and deliver foundational capabilities, guide technical direction, and mentor engineers across the team.

You’ll lead by example: writing code, shaping architecture, and driving cross-team alignment. You’ll also champion “vibe coding” — using AI-assisted tools like GitHub Copilot and Copilot Chat to accelerate development, amplify creativity, and scale intelligent test automation.

 

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

• Architect and deliver high-impact software systems aligned to F² charters: Interaction models (inking, stylus, display tech), Multimodal Innovation (sensor fusion, voice/touch interfaces), or AI Agents (context-aware, task-oriented agents). 

• Lead full-stack development efforts with a strong focus on client-side applications and user-facing experiences. 

• Champion “vibe coding” practices — leveraging AI-assisted tools to reduce boilerplate, drive intelligent automation, and foster creative engineering. 

• Collaborate with product, design, and partner teams to define vision, shape priorities, and deliver intuitive, multimodal experiences. 

• Mentor and guide engineers across levels, fostering a culture of agility, experimentation, and outcome-driven development. 

• Drive architecture reviews, prototyping, and technical strategy across squads. 

• Navigate ambiguity with clarity, turning loosely defined ideas into scalable software systems. 

 

 

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 12+ years of engineering experience with programming skills in one or more languages: C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python 
  OR equivalent experience. 

• Proven track record of leading full-stack engineering efforts, with emphasis on client-side development and user experience. 

• Deep expertise in one or more interaction models and multimodal interfaces (inking, stylus, voice, touch, sensors, haptics, gestures, etc.) 

• Experience with AI-assisted development tools like GitHub Copilot, Copilot Studio, AI Foundry, or similar. 

Preferred Qualifications:

 

• Experience building agents, extensions, or platforms on top of GitHub Copilot, Copilot Studio, ChatGPT, or similar AI frameworks. 

• Strong product and design instincts — able to shape user-facing experiences and make informed trade-offs. 

• Demonstrated ability to lead in dynamic, fast-paced environments and influence across disciplines. 

• Excellent communication, collaboration, and mentoring skills. 
• Ability to thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and drive clarity across teams.

 

Other Requirements:

Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:

• Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

 

 

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

 

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

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