Principal Software Engineer

We are on an exciting path to create something entirely new, and we are searching for forward-thinking individuals to join our team. Dive into a project that is not just about building, but about pioneering solutions with the power of AI at its core. Our mission? To empower users like never before, enabling them to achieve unprecedented levels of productivity and creativity with their content and tools across the M365 suite.   

As part of our team, you will have the unique opportunity to leverage innovative AI technologies to enhance how users interact with their digital environment, making every task simpler, faster, and more intuitive. Whether it is through developing smarter ways to work or creating more personalized user experiences, your work will directly contribute to redefining what is possible in the workplace and beyond.     

We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer with experience building backend systems. Candidates should understand that building the right product requires more than just excellent code. We want open-minded engineers who have a steady focus on delivering the right solution for our users. When in doubt, the answer is to build it and try it. 

In this role you will build and ship services using industry best practices. You will work with cross-functional teams in delivering great products for users.    

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

• Lead by example, producing high-quality, reusable code and mentoring the team on best practices for debugging, optimization, and refactoring. 
• Drive the design and architecture, ensuring systems meet security, scalability, and performance requirements while coordinating dependencies across teams. 
• Define testing strategies and guide the team on quality assurance practices, balancing efficiency with comprehensive test coverage to ensure solution stability. 
• Champion AI, automation and effective tooling across development and deployment workflows. Stay current on trends and promote best practices for code quality, security, and maintainability. 
• Serve as a technical liaison, fostering collaboration across departments to align development goals and achieve cohesive user experiences. 
• Oversee deployment strategies, ensuring secure, reliable deployments with minimal disruption. 
• Lead integration of telemetry and monitoring to ensure comprehensive visibility into system health, using data to drive improvements. 
• Collaborate with stakeholders to refine user requirements and continuously improve based on customer feedback and key metrics. 
• Identify hard problems, evaluate the pros/cons of practical solutions, and drive decision making. 
• Become part of a talented team that values diverse ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds and be a role model for an open, honest, and inclusive approach to solving problems.   

Qualifications

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
  • OR equivalent experience. 
• Experience in leading, designing, architecting, releasing and driving the development of large features across functional areas.   

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science OR related technical field AND 10+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, OR Python
  • OR Master's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
  • OR equivalent experience.
• Expertise in designing and architecting complex, large-scale systems with a focus on performance, scalability, and security on top of large language models (LLMs). 
• Experience leading cross-team initiatives and aligning technical goals across multiple teams.   
• Experience in DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and automation for development and deployment workflows. 
• Demonstrated success in customer-focused innovation, with a track record of delivering high-impact products. 

Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $137,600 - $267,000 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 $180,400 - $294,000 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

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until December 17, 2024.

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.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. 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.