Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer

Microsoft$165K — $296K *
Information Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field with 8+ years of engineering experience in one or more programming languages
  • Ability to meet security screening requirements including Microsoft Cloud Background Check
  • Master's Degree in related technical field with 12+ years of experience preferred
  • Experience in leadership roles that influence large-scale system architecture
  • Familiarity with large-scale distributed systems is a plus

Responsibilities

  • Define and drive the technical strategy for Azure observability and reliability platforms
  • Lead the design of highly scalable distributed systems that handle telemetry at hyperscale
  • Partner with engineering and product leaders to align priorities across Azure
  • Identify and address systemic architecture and operational challenges
  • Provide technical leadership through architecture reviews and mentoring
  • Drive innovation in observability and intelligent operations

Benefits

  • Eligible for benefits and other compensation options
  • Opportunity to work in a collaborative environment
  • Potential for direct impact on customer and business objectives
  • Access to professional development and growth opportunities
Full Job Description
Responsibilities

Define and drive the technical strategy for Azure observability and reliability platforms, influencing architecture, engineering practices, and long-term investments across multiple teams and services.

Lead the design of highly scalable distributed systems that process and analyze telemetry at hyperscale, ensuring platform reliability, performance, and operational excellence.

Partner with engineering, product, and platform leaders across Azure to align priorities, navigate ambiguity, and deliver solutions that create broad customer and business impact.

Identify and address systemic challenges across architecture, operations, and engineering processes, improving the effectiveness and sustainability of critical platform capabilities.

Provide technical leadership through architecture reviews, design guidance, and mentoring, helping develop senior engineers and strengthen engineering excellence across the organization.

Drive innovation in observability, automation, and intelligent operations, shaping capabilities that improve service health, incident response, and engineering productivity at cloud scale.

Embody our culture and values

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor'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.

Job Requirements: Other & Additional

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.

Preferred/Additional Qualifications
  • Master's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 12+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 15+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python OR equivalent experience.
  • Demonstrated leadership in building and operating large-scale systems, influencing architecture across organizations, and solving complex reliability and scalability challenges.
  • Experience with large scale distributed systems.


#azdat

#azuredata

#observability #reliability #distributedsystems #azuremonitor #platformengineering #bigdata

Software Engineering IC6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $165,600 - $296,400 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 $220,800 - $331,200 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.

About Microsoft

Microsoft is an American multinational corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells a range of software products and services. Microsoft’s devices and consumer (D&C) licensing segment licenses the Windows operating system and related software, Microsoft Office for consumers, and the Windows Phone operating system. The company’s computing and gaming hardware segment provides Xbox gaming and entertainment consoles and accessories, second-party and third-party video games, and Xbox Live subscriptions; surface devices and accessories; and Microsoft PC accessories. Its phone hardware segment offers Lumia smartphones and other non-Lumia phones. Its D&C segment provides Windows Store, Xbox Live transactions, and Windows phone store; search advertising; display advertising; Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal; first-party video games; and other consumer products and services as well as operating retail stores. Microsoft’s commercial licensing segments license server products, including Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, System Center, and related Client Access Licenses (CALs); Windows Embedded; Windows operating system; Microsoft Office for business, including Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Lync, and related CALs; Microsoft Dynamics business solutions; and Skype. Its commercial segment offers enterprise services, including premier support services and Microsoft consulting services; commercial cloud comprising Office 365 Commercial, other Microsoft Office online offerings, Dynamics CRM Online, and Microsoft Azure; and other commercial products and online services. The company markets and distributes its products through original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and resellers, as well as online.

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Learn more about Microsoft
Size
181,000 employees
Market Cap
$1,762.4 billion
Industry
Net Income
$51.3 billion
Founded
1975
5 Year Trend
+15.5%
Revenue
$153.2 billion
NASDAQ

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